click to enlarge
A water tower, or a reservoir, needs to have some means or regulating the height of water in it. This can be done by equalising the inflow with the outflow, by the use of an overflow or by regulating the inflow.
Often this is achieved by means of a float operated valve - much like those in toilet cisterns. As the water rises so does the float which operates a shut-off valve. When the water level drops so does the float and the valve re-opens.
Mind you, these valves are enormous - not the sort of thing you get at B & Q.
Here is our ("how's your leg?") pallet complete with valve:
Pat is standing alongside it to give a sense of scale. She is already working out how it might fit in with the tower's decor. You can see the look of sheer delight on her face. Just.
Special thanks to Northumbrian Water Ltd for this - at whose suggestion we have made an appropriate donation to Water Aid.
And here is the assembled ball cock:
Bess the dog has quite a collection of balls, to be found randomly all around the house. Right now the assembled ball cock resides under the bridge leading to the front door. Its big yellow ball is therefore visible from inside through the floor level windows. Bess has just caught sight of the ball for the first time. She did a double-take, leapt back and clearly thought all her Christmases had come at once.
All water supply tanks need a water-level opperated valve. As this tank was only used for filling steam engine tenders it is quite small. Those used in public water towers can be absolutely huge. I remember when they demolished the old Water Tower in Rhyl N. Wales the float was about four feet diameter and made of copper. I once knew a chap who collected these sometimes quite grotesque objects!
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