Silo Waterproofing

Silos are storage structures of agricultural products such as grain and wheat. It is necessary that silos are waterproof because grain and wheat would be useless if they become wet in storage due to rains or storms. It is therefore important that silo waterproofing must be done in all existing silos.

The silo waterproofing process for grain storage is divided into two parts. The first part is the structural upgrade while the second is the actual waterproofing process.

Before a silo can be made waterproof, the structure itself should be assessed first. Most grain silos are not equipped with the mechanism to control the atmospheric conditions inside the storage, so modifications will be done before the actual silo waterproofing process begins. The structural upgrade begins with the repair of existing damages within the structure, such as the covering of holes and other openings. The silos will also be strengthened. Then, silo features such as doors, exhaust fans, conveyor belts and ventilators will be altered to prevent leakage from those areas. Structural upgrade also includes the following: fitting of internal pressure controls; the installation or modification of a fumigation system; the upgrade and improvement of lighting, safety and maintenance devices. It is during the assessment of the silo that the extent of the waterproofing work will be determined.

The process of silo waterproofing begins with the filling out of large gaps and voids, specially the parts between the roof and walls. The next part is the application of a membrane seal over smaller holes and joints. Afterward, there will be the sealing of wall and floor surfaces. Then, there will be an application of the heat reflective coating on exterior surfaces. The last procedure of silo waterproofing is the sealing of the doors and other openings that are essential with loading and maintenance operations.

Full ABS material copper motor ventilation fan

In Wall Reef Aquarium

How would you design an in-wall reef aquarium so that a chiller would not be needed? It requires a bit of improvisation, but I accomplished this for a new client.

In July 2011, I received a phone call from a lady who needed me to move the contents of her 90-gallon, in-wall reef aquarium to a free-standing, 120-gallon aquarium in her new home. The gentleman who bought her old house requested an estimate for bringing the 90-gallon back into commission as a reef aquarium. The tank wasn't big, so I wanted to make sure that I made up for this by equipping it with great filtration and very bright lighting, all without causing too much heat to build up inside the cabinetry.

In Wall Reef Aquarium

In many cases, a chiller would be used to make certain the water temperature does not exceed 80° to 82°F, but not only was there zero space to add a chiller, it is also a huge mistake to put a chiller in a tight, enclosed, poorly ventilated space. A chiller dumps the heat that it removes to cool the water down, just like a window air conditioner, so it will seriously heat up the air in the cabinet. Also, the cooler the air it's allowed to draw in, the more efficiently it will cool the water.

Lighting

Right away I knew I was going to use LED lighting on this system. LEDs have come a long way since even a couple of years ago, and using T5 fluorescents or metal halides wouldn't have worked because too much heat would have been created inside the cabinetry. LEDs do produce some heat, but much less than either of the aforementioned light sources. When left on for an hour, a 150-watt metal halide bulb would burn your skin if touched, T5 fluorescents would be uncomfortably hot, and LEDs would only be warm to the touch.

There was already a bathroom exhaust fan installed in the ceiling inside of the cabinetry, which is great for removing lingering heat and humidity. Remember that the cooler you keep the area around an LED fixture, the longer you can expect to have them around functioning properly. When I called in to order the LED fixtures I was going to use, the manufacturer alerted me that a second-generation version was coming out that was brighter and would actually cost a little less. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be ready to ship for two months, I informed the new client about this and got him to see the virtue of being patient for this lighting system. Since I usually want the system to run for a month or so anyway before adding corals and other livestock, we could afford to wait for the lights.

Filtration

The former homeowner took all the filtration in the move, but that was fine because we had decided to upgrade anyway. For a year prior to setting up this reef system, I had been slowly adding solid carbon dosing to my clients' saltwater fish-only and reef systems to great effect. Solid carbon dosing is a method by which biodegradable plastic-like pellets are fluidized in a media reactor. The material the pellets are made from acts as both food source and colonizing surface for beneficial bacteria that consume nitrate and phosphate on a 1:1 basis.

It is important to place the effluent from the media reactor that you are using to fluidize the bio-pellets close to the intake of a protein skimmer. The bacteria are sloughed off of the surfaces of the pellets as they collide and are easily picked up by the skimmer, thus removing them, along with the nitrate and phosphate they utilized from the system.

Choosing an external main pump in this situation was easy, since it is very well known that submersible pumps transfer much more heat to the aquarium water than do those that are mounted outside of the sump (a sump is a glass or acrylic tank that sits underneath the aquarium and houses all the filtration). I sized the main pump, choosing one that was pressure rated rather than volume rated.

Electric shutter exhaust fan

Heat Guns – More Than Just Safely Removing Paint

Uses Of Heat Guns

Apart from removing paints, heat guns are often used in home and workshops for various other purposes. A few among them are mentioned below:

1. You can buy heat gun online for removing old floor tiles, bumper stickers, decals and several other materials that are fixed with glue.

2. Floor tiles are fragile when cold and can break down when cut to fit into clenched places such as around pipes or molding. Heating the tile with a heat gun makes the process of cutting much easier and more precise.

3. Heat gun is often used to soften the putty around doors and windows. This makes the compound easier to scrape off.

4. To thaw frozen pipes, buy a heat gun, easily available online, as it is much safer than a torch with an open flame. Be careful on soldered joints as the gun can heat the solder if held in place for too long.

How To Use a Heat Gun?

Heat gun is known to remove paint quickly, thereby creating less of a mess than a chemical remover. The gun can work both on latex or oil-base finishes. However, it cannot remove a stain that has soaked into wood.

Install the nozzle before turning the heat gun on. Generally, there are two types of nozzles - one with wide-flare used for most paint-removing jobs, and the round nozzle that works great where heat must be more localized. It is up to you to determine which nozzle is best for a particular job. However, if you need to change nozzles later, cool it for at least five minutes before removing the hot nozzle.

It is necessary to heat only a few square inches at a time and scrape the softened paint off immediately. Prevent the use of nozzle in one place for too long. This will char the paint and wood.

Safety Tips

Once you buy a heat gun online and start using it, you must be aware about the safety precautions you need to follow.

1. You must wear a respirator mask to protect yourself from fumes of the paint.

2. While using this tool, it is necessary to work in a well-ventilated area. That said, opening a window must not be the only option. Either work outdoors or turn on your exhaust fans.

3. Wear a separate set of work clothes and make sure they cover your arms and legs. Be extra cautious by wearing gloves and safety goggles.

4. Heat guns reach high temperature sometimes. Stick to the handle and don't touch the airflow of the tool or the barrel.

5. If you are using an extension cord, make sure it is a heavy duty cord that can carry the load.

6. It is vital to remove paint that has stuck into the nozzle, or else it may create a fire hazard.

Whether you are a professional or have started using this efficient tool from some time now, following the above mentioned safety tips will ensure that neither your work nor productivity gets hampered.

Full PP material window mounted exhaust fan