# tinaco



## mr g53 (Jun 19, 2017)

Saw a thread on tinacos. I have never heard of these things until now. I know its a water tank. Why do you need these things? & what do they cost?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

mr g53 said:


> Saw a thread on tinacos. I have never heard of these things until now. I know its a water tank. Why do you need these things? & what do they cost?


Tinacos live on the roof of most buildings. They are filled by a connection to the water supply system. And gravity provides the water pressure to the faucets in the house. The water supply does not provide sufficient pressure or volume to go directly to the faucets like it does in some countries.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Tinaco are on the roof and aljibe are usually underground.. The reason you need those is that water is not neessaraly distributed everyday. In Chiapas we get it 3 times a week.. In Ajiijic, Jal. we get it everyday but as TundraGreen says the pressure can be low depending on where you are located.. The advantage of the Tinaco is that it works by gravity, if you have a aljibe you need electricity but it can be way bigger than a tinaco .. I have both.. Some people have several tinacos..
Both should be cleaned every 6 months or year depending on the water you are getting.


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## mr g53 (Jun 19, 2017)

I am a building superintendent in NYC. Wouldn't a water pressurizer/circulator work?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

mr g53 said:


> I am a building superintendent in NYC. Wouldn't a water pressurizer/circulator work?


Not if there is no water in the supply lines, and not if there is no electricity. Gravity works!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

mr g53 said:


> I am a building superintendent in NYC. Wouldn't a water pressurizer/circulator work?


Some people, mostly from north-of-the-border, do install pressurization systems. It is expensive and you still need a tinaco to provide an adequate supply of water to the pressurization system. The pipes coming into houses provide enough flow to meet average needs, x liters per day. They do not provide enough volume to meet instantaneous needs, x liters per minute.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

TundraGreen said:


> Some people, mostly from north-of-the-border, do install pressurization systems. It is expensive and you still need a tinaco to provide an adequate supply of water to the pressurization system. The pipes coming into houses provide enough flow to meet average needs, x liters per day. They do not provide enough volume to meet instantaneous needs, x liters per minute.


We are from NOB  but we inherited our pressurization system. The first year we rented and even with those low-flow shower heads we could not get decent pressure. Color me finicky but when I walk out of the shower I like to feel clean and not all slimy.

I don't really understand all the plumbing etc we have on the roof. I'm not sure if the same pump is used to bring water to the roof AND drive the pressurization tank. The tank itself is fiber-glass and having been exposed to direct sun for many years looks due for replacement. The pump is getting a little loud at times. Within the last year we priced a replacement system. It was very affordable (with a more energy efficient pump) - it is on the list.

Edit : btw - our 'rain harvesting' wireless tinaco water level gizmo is perhaps one of the best $100 USD investments we have ever made !


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

mr g53 said:


> I am a building superintendent in NYC. Wouldn't a water pressurizer/circulator work?


Some houses do have pressurized systems, but they are not the norm. You have to be cautious if retrofitting a pressurizer onto an older system, as not all plumbing systems in Mexico are/were designed for higher pressures and pressurizing them could cause leaks in the pipes.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

If all other plumbing is working properly, I haven't found the water pressure created by a tinaco to be that bad at all. Any house that I have been in with bad water pressure turns out to have some goofy plumbing going on that is the real culprit.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

horseshoe846 said:


> We are from NOB  but we inherited our pressurization system. The first year we rented and even with those low-flow shower heads we could not get decent pressure. Color me finicky but when I walk out of the shower I like to feel clean and not all slimy.
> 
> I don't really understand all the plumbing etc we have on the roof. I'm not sure if the same pump is used to bring water to the roof AND drive the pressurization tank. The tank itself is fiber-glass and having been exposed to direct sun for many years looks due for replacement. The pump is getting a little loud at times. Within the last year we priced a replacement system. It was very affordable (with a more energy efficient pump) - it is on the list.
> 
> Edit : btw - our 'rain harvesting' wireless tinaco water level gizmo is perhaps one of the best $100 USD investments we have ever made !


Low flow shower heads do not work well at all with gravity system. But I have found a type of shower head that works fantastic for that. Hecho en Mexico. Is made almost completely of plastic. I found them at Mega, but here is the email address to find a distributor in your area- CUMNDA-Ecológica Tel.# 336 860 6829 

I was skeptical when I bought it, but figured all I would lose by trying it was the 150 pesos they cost at the time. Milagro de milagros, it actually works as advertised. When they eventually get plugged up from hard water, just remove, soak in a container of white vinegar for a few hours.


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## mr g53 (Jun 19, 2017)

*tinacos*

I live in NYC, water pressure here almost knocks you over! guess i'll have to live w/ low pressure.Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where Kramer buys hi flow showerheads out of the trunk of a car.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

mr g53 said:


> I live in NYC, water pressure here almost knocks you over! guess i'll have to live w/ low pressure.Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where Kramer buys hi flow showerheads out of the trunk of a car.


I remember that episode!

There's low water pressure, and there are those days when there is no water pressure at all!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

In both of our places we have a water pressure system and no problem with low pressure, it all depends where you live.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

My husband, a Mexican who lived with gravity-fed systems most of his life, has decided he quite likes higher water pressure and is looking at possibly installing a pressurized system in our house.

Here's a link to an "on-demand" pressure pump which can be activated only when needed, to avoid having the water system constantly pressurized, saving electricity and pressure on the water pipes. Essentially you use it for situations where you need higher pressure, e.g. taking a shower, running the washing machine, etc. as long as your okay with low flow for smaller things like washing your hands.

https://www.bombas-vars.com/presurziadores


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

ojosazules11 said:


> My husband, a Mexican who lived with gravity-fed systems most of his life, has decided he quite likes higher water pressure and is looking at possibly installing a pressurized system in our house.
> 
> Here's a link to an "on-demand" pressure pump which can be activated only when needed, to avoid having the water system constantly pressurized, saving electricity and pressure on the water pipes. Essentially you use it for situations where you need higher pressure, e.g. taking a shower, running the washing machine, etc. as long as your okay with low flow for smaller things like washing your hands.
> 
> https://www.bombas-vars.com/presurziadores


I can understand wanting higher pressure for a shower, but why for a washing machine? It fills with water, agitates, drains, spins, fills with water again, rinses, etc. What would be the advantage of high pressure?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

surabi said:


> I can understand wanting higher pressure for a shower, but why for a washing machine? It fills with water, agitates, drains, spins, fills with water again, rinses, etc. What would be the advantage of high pressure?


It fills faster, but who stands around waiting while the washing machine runs?


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## Sirpete (Jun 25, 2017)

I put a on-demand pressure pump on my water system here and for showering and a little more oomph on the toilet flush.
I am very happy with it.
Found it at Home Depot in PV.

TTFN
Kirby


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Sirpete said:


> I put a on-demand pressure pump on my water system here and for showering and a little more oomph on the toilet flush.
> I am very happy with it.
> Found it at Home Depot in PV.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the forum, Kirby.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Sirpete said:


> I put a on-demand pressure pump on my water system here and for showering and a little more oomph on the toilet flush.
> I am very happy with it.
> Found it at Home Depot in PV.
> 
> ...


Okay, I have the same question for you as I did re why one would need a pressurized system for a washing machine. A toilet flushes from the water already in the toilet tank. A pressurized water system would not give the toilet flushing any more "oomph".


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

surabi said:


> I can understand wanting higher pressure for a shower, but why for a washing machine? It fills with water, agitates, drains, spins, fills with water again, rinses, etc. What would be the advantage of high pressure?


I'll have to ask my husband. He's the one who said he wanted it for the washer. He spends far more time in Mexico than me, since he's working on our "house in progress" while I'm in Canada still working to pay the bills. I think it's both to speed up the filling of the machine, and to still have decent enough pressure to use water elsewhere while it is filling. If we have it hooked up to the tinaco to use for showers, not a big deal to turn it on while running a load of wash. We don't have one yet, but it's on my husband's wish list - and he's NOT generally a "gotta have the latest gadget" kind of guy. In Canada he's often been called the "Mexican McGyver" in that he finds all sorts of ways to fix things with whatever is at hand. But that is pretty common throughout Mexico, isn't it?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Some folks just do not understand how things work & will buy anything, then imagine that they have made improvements. It is the American way & keeps the merchants happy.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

ojosazules11 said:


> My husband, a Mexican who lived with gravity-fed systems most of his life, has decided he quite likes higher water pressure and is looking at possibly installing a pressurized system in our house.
> 
> Here's a link to an "on-demand" pressure pump which can be activated only when needed, to avoid having the water system constantly pressurized, saving electricity and pressure on the water pipes. Essentially you use it for situations where you need higher pressure, e.g. taking a shower, running the washing machine, etc. as long as your okay with low flow for smaller things like washing your hands.
> 
> https://www.bombas-vars.com/presurziadores


I have installed those pumps, they work very very well
If you want good water pressure at home
If you live in a 1 story house
If you live in an apartment with low water pressure and you have an automatic water boiler
If you use single lever controls for shower
If you wash a lot of clothes


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

surabi said:


> I can understand wanting higher pressure for a shower, but why for a washing machine? It fills with water, agitates, drains, spins, fills with water again, rinses, etc. What would be the advantage of high pressure?


Much faster washing cycles


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> It fills faster, but who stands around waiting while the washing machine runs?


Nobody, I guess, but if you have a large amount of clothes to be washed, faster washing cycles would help


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## Sirpete (Jun 25, 2017)

surabi said:


> Okay, I have the same question for you as I did re why one would need a pressurized system for a washing machine. A toilet flushes from the water already in the toilet tank. A pressurized water system would not give the toilet flushing any more "oomph".


Not all of the water for a flush comes from the reservoir tank. There is usually a bypass hose that funnels some water (while refilling the tank) into the bowl via the overflow bi-pass tube.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

citlali said:


> Tinaco are on the roof and aljibe are usually underground..
> 
> Both should be cleaned every 6 months or year depending on the water you are getting.


If my understanding is correct, a Tinaco commonly has a capacity of 1000 liters.

You can use household bleach (non commercial strength) to purify water.

40 ml (which equals 1.33 ounces) of household bleach will purify 1000 liters of "relatively clean" water. The purification takes a couple hours to complete (assuming the temperature of the water is at least 10 celsius), and the bleach will break down and completely cease to be bleach within a day. If your skin is very sensitive, you would be wise to wait a full day before taking a shower/bath.

Use double the dose of bleach if your water might have animal contaminants in it. In this case, wait about 3 days before you use the water for anything other than general external purposes (definitely do not cook with or drink it - not that most expats in Mexico do, is my understanding). Note, my practice is to do this just before heading out of town for a few days or more, ensures the water is nice and fresh when I return.

Measure carefully, the last thing you want is to put too much bleach in, the water will be unusable for most purposes for a long while. 

It may seem like you are adding a very small amount of bleach ... but that's exactly what makes bleach, bleach.

I've used the above amounts to purify rainwater gathered into a cistern (adjusting for the amount of water in the cistern, of course), with great success.

If you want to verify the above, see below.

https://www.watertiger.net/disinfect-wells-and-tanks/


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

UrbanMan said:


> If my understanding is correct, a Tinaco commonly has a capacity of 1000 liters.
> 
> You can use household bleach (non commercial strength) to purify water.
> 
> ...


It's a little different 
You empty your tinaco, scrub it with a plastic brush, clean it or sanitize it with chlorine bleach, and fill it up with water again
Some places, where water is very hard, you may end up with a bucket of sediment. I will post a picture next week. Just finished a job in Querétaro where we had to clean and sanitize 120 tinacos


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Since tinacos are on the roof some of them are not easy to access. I sure to not climb on the roof to put chlorine in ours.. We have a man clean it every 6 months, sanitize it and that is it..


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

I am not well versed on Tinaco set ups in Mexico. If the cleaning process yields plenty of sediment after just 6 months, then possibly somewhere in the process there is not a filter ... I'm comparing this to a typical system where rainwater is gathered into a cistern, which generally have filters (but even they need to cleaned ... but typically only once every few years).

If the sediment build up is calcium or lime, bleach might help address this, as bleach dissolves both. However, this is a theory, I'm not sure if 40ml of bleach would make a huge difference in 1000 litres of hard water. Can't hurt, though.

Re: accessing a rooftop Tinaco ... how does the water get there? Is there a way to insert the bleach into the feedline? Or maybe just pay some guy 50 pesos to go up a ladder and do it for you. Maybe your landscape guy would like an extra 50 pesos ...

Having said all this, if the current way works, prolly no real need to change. If your water is smelly, or you are worried about it for some reason, its an option.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

UrbanMan said:


> I am not well versed on Tinaco set ups in Mexico. If the cleaning process yields plenty of sediment after just 6 months, then possibly somewhere in the process there is not a filter ... I'm comparing this to a typical system where rainwater is gathered into a cistern, which generally have filters (but even they need to cleaned ... but typically only once every few years).
> 
> If the sediment build up is calcium or lime, bleach might help address this, as bleach dissolves both. However, this is a theory, I'm not sure if 40ml of bleach would make a huge difference in 1000 litres of hard water. Can't hurt, though.
> 
> ...


Most modern tinacos do come with a filter. It would be of little use to add bleach or install a bleach pump since water is used everyday, in fact, I think it would hurt water quality used for washing clothes, cooking, showering, etc. Sediment build up comes when, as usual, people neglect to use filters and clean their tinacos often. My guess is that they just don't think about it. Just as with many other maintenance issues


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

GARYJ65 said:


> It would be of little use to add bleach or install a bleach pump since water is used everyday, in fact, I think it would hurt water quality used for washing clothes, cooking, showering, etc.


Water just sitting there in a roof top tank, warm all day, stuff can grow, essentially establishing a permanent presence. Bleach can address this. Agree though, with new water coming in, the beneficial affect will wear off in not too long a time

40ml, in 1000 liters, would have no affect on clothes washing, and none on showering unless someone has ultra sensitive skin. Cooking, I'd always use delivered water specifically issued as good for drinking.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> Water just sitting there in a roof top tank, warm all day, stuff can grow, essentially establishing a permanent presence. Bleach can address this. Agree though, with new water coming in, the beneficial affect will wear off in not too long a time
> 
> 40ml, in 1000 liters, would have no affect on clothes washing, and none on showering unless someone has ultra sensitive skin. Cooking, I'd always use delivered water specifically issued as good for drinking.


I agree that if one is putting bleach in their tinaco, they might want to use delivered drinking water for cooking. Otherwise, it's not necessary to use drinking water for anything which cooks for at least 20 minutes. I do use drinking water in the kettle for making tea or coffee, as it is only brought to a boil, which isn't enough to kill off some bacteria and viruses.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Municipal potable water already has been treated and has chlorine on it
It's not really necessary to add more, perhaps some bacteria may live in it, some people, like myself, install a filtering system.
Having everything super clean is not always good
I have found that Americans are very afraid about bacteria. I say afraid, some people may say it differently.


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## Sirpete (Jun 25, 2017)

Where I live, they add chlorine into the water . . . when they can afford to buy. It is very hit and miss to wither it gets added. Also with the number of leaky pipes they have to distributing the water, who knows what leaks back into the pipes. Remember they are not pressurized all the time, only when turned on and the pumps are working.
So, I throw a slow release chlorine puck into my aljibe (12,000 lt.) every 4- 6 months.
The water is not used for cooking or drinking. 
I don't know if it real does any good or not but . . . . 

TTFN
Kirby


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Sirpete said:


> Where I live, they add chlorine into the water . . . when they can afford to buy. It is very hit and miss to wither it gets added. Also with the number of leaky pipes they have to distributing the water, who knows what leaks back into the pipes. Remember they are not pressurized all the time, only when turned on and the pumps are working.
> So, I throw a slow release chlorine puck into my aljibe (12,000 lt.) every 4- 6 months.
> The water is not used for cooking or drinking.
> I don't know if it real does any good or not but . . . .
> ...


TTFN = ???


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## Sirpete (Jun 25, 2017)

Isla Verde said:


> TTFN = ???


Ta Ta For Now


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

ta ta jesus I have not heard that one since 1968..


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I cook with tap water anything that boils more than 5 minutes or stews.. I have a filter but no fancy system and we and our guest are ok.. I have a aljibe and tinaco that get cleaned but nothing else..


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I like living dangerously - I brush my teeth with tap water!


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