I live in a doublewide, and im wanting to put a 150 gallon tank on the outside wall left of the entrance. I figured with everything about 1800 lbs, will my floor hold it.
will my floor hold it.
- Thread starter crash2673
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I would consult with the builder of the home. Other than that, you will have to check the floorboards and supports under the floor and then run some calculations on the weight/per sq ft that the floor can handle. Unfortunately, unless somebody else here is living in the same home and can tell you it worked for them, there is really no way somebody is going to be able to tell you if it will work or not.
I think you are at a pretty safe with your weight estimate. The 150 gallons of water (I know it won't be quite an entire 150 gallons but we want to be careful so lets assume more weight rather than less) weighs about 1251lb. Then, the weight of the tank itself, the stand and the equipment will probably put you near the 1800lb mark. This is assuming you are not using a sump. If you are using a sump then you will need to factor in the weight of the extra water that is contained in the sump.
What you will have to do it find out how much weight the floor will hold per sq ft and then take the weight of your setup and divide it by the sq feet its footprint takes up. If the capacity of the floor is greater than the weight per sq ft of your setup then you are good, if it's vice versa then it's a no go.
Example: Your floor can hold 200lbs per sq ft. Your tank has a footprint of 6ftx2ft and weighs 1800lbs. Your footprint area is 6x2=12sq ft. Take the 1800lbs and divide it by 12sq ft. This will give you 1800/12=150lbs per square foot. This is well within the capacity of the floor and would be fine. If it were any closer then I would say it is safer to not try it because boards and supports are not all perfect.
I think you are at a pretty safe with your weight estimate. The 150 gallons of water (I know it won't be quite an entire 150 gallons but we want to be careful so lets assume more weight rather than less) weighs about 1251lb. Then, the weight of the tank itself, the stand and the equipment will probably put you near the 1800lb mark. This is assuming you are not using a sump. If you are using a sump then you will need to factor in the weight of the extra water that is contained in the sump.
What you will have to do it find out how much weight the floor will hold per sq ft and then take the weight of your setup and divide it by the sq feet its footprint takes up. If the capacity of the floor is greater than the weight per sq ft of your setup then you are good, if it's vice versa then it's a no go.
Example: Your floor can hold 200lbs per sq ft. Your tank has a footprint of 6ftx2ft and weighs 1800lbs. Your footprint area is 6x2=12sq ft. Take the 1800lbs and divide it by 12sq ft. This will give you 1800/12=150lbs per square foot. This is well within the capacity of the floor and would be fine. If it were any closer then I would say it is safer to not try it because boards and supports are not all perfect.
Thanks, ill check out the per square foot when i get home, its on a paper stuck to the wall of the closet, my tanks 6 ft long 18 inches wide, so what you calculated was pretty close
If it is 6'x1.5' then your footprint is 9sq ft. So, 1800lb divided by 9sq ft gives you 200lbs per square foot. With this kind of load I would recommend not doing it unless your floor will hold at least 250lbs per square foot, to be on the safe side.
What if i brace it from underneath with 4×4s, 1 on each end and 1 in the middle.
You can definitely add braces underneath but you will have to make sure that the braces are set on a very sturdy surface. If you just place them on dirt then the dirt will settle over time and your support will be gone. They will need to be cemented in place, or at least placed on top of compacted stone.
You can definitely add braces underneath but you will have to make sure that the braces are set on a very sturdy surface. If you just place them on dirt then the dirt will settle over time and your support will be gone. They will need to be cemented in place, or at least placed on top of compacted stone.
Ok, yeah the tank comes out 18 inches, 19 inches out is a metal i beam that runs side to side so the front of my tank will will rest on that and where i put the post will sit on top of a concrete footing. Also im gonna put the tank and stand on a 3/4 inch plywood that will stick out 2 inch all the way around the tank
I have 1st hand experience placing a 125 and a 135 in a manufactured home. You need to reinforce the floor even with the front of the tank over the I beam. When I was in one I had a header running the length of the tank with 2 post jacks bringing the load down to the slab. It doesn't take much to mess up the floors or sheet rock in a manufactured home. The partical board floors start popping and the joints in the wall board start to split.
Also make sure your tank is running perpendicular to the floor joists. It sounds like that might not be the case based on your description of the I beam. I beams usually run lengthwise down the home with the joists running perpendicular across the i beam.
Also make sure your tank is running perpendicular to the floor joists. It sounds like that might not be the case based on your description of the I beam. I beams usually run lengthwise down the home with the joists running perpendicular across the i beam.