How Do Water Towers Work?

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  • čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
  • Thanks to Pepperonin for supporting us on Patreon and making this video possible! Support us here: bit.ly/2qBHcvf
    When you think of public infrastructure, you probably think of roads, bridges, and possibly, water towers. These often massive structures are a staple of 21st-century urban planning, they're all around us... but have you ever stopped to think about how and why they work?
    We can all likely understand that water towers hold significant amounts of water high up in the sky, but their usefulness and engineering intricacies go much further than this.
    Water towers and their siblings known as standpipes come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes each with roughly the same goal, to keep water networks pressured.
    All images and videos courtesy of the creative commons or used in accordance with fair use laws. For questions or concerns, please use the contact section on our channel.
    Brittle Rille - Reunited by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
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Komentáře • 97

  • @antikoerper256
    @antikoerper256 Před 5 lety +48

    As someone who's european, I didn't exactly know why many US cities and towns have these, but now I do and I find it great!

    • @JAHamilton77
      @JAHamilton77 Před 4 lety +4

      They also tell you what city you are in lol

    •  Před 3 lety +3

      @@c.james1 We have them in Europe too, they're just not as frequent.

    • @mreggbird
      @mreggbird Před 2 lety +1

      @@c.james1 because our infrastructure is way better. Including ‘water ways’

    • @jessecartwright2552
      @jessecartwright2552 Před 5 měsíci

      France has the most water towers per capita out of any country Lol there’s no correlation between water tower usage and the development of a country, gravity’s free and useful.

    • @mtamech535
      @mtamech535 Před 2 měsíci

      As someone who lives in the states, 2.3 feet is a lot of head.

  • @Baretoes2010
    @Baretoes2010 Před 5 lety +49

    Another reason for water towers and determining the capacity is fire suppression. You have to have so much standby water pressure, even at its peak usage, for an emergency use like house fires.

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 5 lety +1

      Definitely. Got keep the system above 20 PSI on fire flow so you either need some massive backup pumps or storage in towers.

  • @ConcerningReality
    @ConcerningReality  Před 6 lety +7

    If you want to see more content like this or help us keep the videos coming, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Patreon.com/ConcerningReality There are perks to your support too! 😉

  • @GregSr
    @GregSr Před 5 lety +19

    Informative video. As an electronic tech, I see the water tower as a big capacitor.

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 5 lety +1

      Best way of looking at it!

    • @absolarix
      @absolarix Před 5 lety

      Yeah, that's a pretty good way of looking at it.

    • @golftrainingaids
      @golftrainingaids Před 3 lety +1

      OMG if water towers discharged like capacitors we'd all be in trouble!

  • @paulrisk606
    @paulrisk606 Před 5 lety +6

    That was truly fascinating.

  • @JoshFlorii
    @JoshFlorii Před 5 lety +6

    ive been looking at water towers for the last 2 years wondering about how they worked and finally got around to watching a video. well explained. i never would have thought the pump was at the plant side and it flowed all the way up the tower from pressure back in the system.

  • @sithrisarkuro7909
    @sithrisarkuro7909 Před 5 lety +6

    Holy crap, I came by this channel by chance, and the Nicole's State water tower you show is in my town of Thibodaux LA, its like 3 miles from me XD

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 5 lety +2

      Lol that’s awesome! I just used what video I could find that was free!

    • @aemondtargaryen972
      @aemondtargaryen972 Před rokem +1

      I was coming here to comment on that as well. My dad taught at Nicholls State.

  • @alamira.9635
    @alamira.9635 Před 6 lety +16

    Oh is the backround music from KSP?

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 6 lety +1

      It sounds like it, but I don’t think so. The song is linked in the description 🙂

    • @pedroved6057
      @pedroved6057 Před 5 lety +2

      yea it is

    • @LinusDropTips
      @LinusDropTips Před 5 lety +2

      @@ConcerningReality I listened to the music and it *IS* from KSP.

    • @t4kyawn
      @t4kyawn Před 4 lety

      first thing i noticed

  • @user-zd3ns6wx7y
    @user-zd3ns6wx7y Před rokem

    So is there a separate pipe pushing water to the top for storage and another pipe going down to supply the main?

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před rokem

      That would not be necessary - the key note is that water pressure is proportional to height with water towers. All a water tower does is convert pressure into water height, which in turn, stores that energy for later.

  • @narellebenson3047
    @narellebenson3047 Před 6 lety +8

    Guys please put the metric conversion under the imperoal.

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 6 lety +1

      We generally try to, it just got missed on this video. We certainly don’t want to show any hate to what is the best unit system, we’re just so used to imperial!🤦🏼‍♂️

    • @yourfriendjohnny8889
      @yourfriendjohnny8889 Před 5 lety

      Lern 'murican alredy

    • @somatia350
      @somatia350 Před 5 lety

      Your Friend Johnny pls don’t force us, maybe we should learn English and you learn another language? It’s only fair

  • @markuslangeland418
    @markuslangeland418 Před 6 lety +4

    Nice👌

  • @Nessun2023
    @Nessun2023 Před 5 lety +4

    1:12 so no head?

  • @heronimousbrapson863
    @heronimousbrapson863 Před 5 lety +2

    Most municipalities in Canada are phasing out water towers. I can't find any information as to what technology is replacing them.

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 5 lety

      Interesting... it would have to be either standpipes or pumping stations. Curious as to why though, perhaps something to do with climate.

    • @Afrocanuk
      @Afrocanuk Před 4 lety

      Tubmaster 5000 - I don't know why they would do that. Unlike pumps, water towers will keep water flowing in the event of power loss.

  • @laurenoney4169
    @laurenoney4169 Před 6 lety +4

    Are water towers loud then because of the rushing water?

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 6 lety +4

      If a water tower is making noise, it’s probably because that particular one utilizes pumps for extra storage capacity 🙂

    • @Baretoes2010
      @Baretoes2010 Před 5 lety

      It also gets loud when the overflow drain starts releasing water. Not as loud as pump stations. Best thing to do if you need a pump station is a composite tank with pumps located inside the pedestal.

  • @skridge
    @skridge Před 4 lety +2

    !!!!! Just watching this for curiosity. The water tower 12 seconds in is 20 mins up the road!!!

  • @jayedendunahee7479
    @jayedendunahee7479 Před 4 měsíci

    Ty

  • @newholland5478
    @newholland5478 Před 5 lety +4

    Subscribed because of Kerbal space program music

  • @mainpage725
    @mainpage725 Před 4 lety +3

    I was so used to seeing psi expressed in .433 psi per foot, i lost it when i saw 2.31 per foot but i got it lol

  • @pjwilliams3406
    @pjwilliams3406 Před 6 lety +3

    This video (and other water tower videos) makes me want to drink some water! :D

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 6 lety +1

      Water is great!😄

    • @turntsnaco824
      @turntsnaco824 Před 5 lety

      Being alive makes me want to drink some water

    • @supertanker9681
      @supertanker9681 Před 5 lety +1

      If you seen the water inside a tower you'd be shocked.its not as clean as you think

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 5 lety

      Yep, they occasionally have to clean them. Luckily all the residual chlorine takes care of any issues :)

    • @supertanker9681
      @supertanker9681 Před 5 lety

      @@ConcerningReality indeed,i paint them for a living :)

  • @CarlosAM1
    @CarlosAM1 Před 4 lety

    The ksp music makes it better

  • @jjhanson3004
    @jjhanson3004 Před 5 lety +7

    1:11 I get that every night

  • @RedGrizzly76
    @RedGrizzly76 Před 5 lety +2

    1:15 lol

  • @ilabadoni1647
    @ilabadoni1647 Před 4 lety

    Yes

  • @theofficialgreenkane9645
    @theofficialgreenkane9645 Před 3 lety +2

    I always thought they were used to store dead bodies in horror films. Good to see them used for other reasons 😄👍

    • @marykibunja1912
      @marykibunja1912 Před 2 lety

      🤣🤣🤣🤣ooh my are you serious dead whaaat ...... that high🤣👌🤣

  • @Drakdodare
    @Drakdodare Před 10 měsíci

    dont know how i got here but damm is this interesting

  • @itzrally7
    @itzrally7 Před 5 lety +6

    Just don’t get Neil DeGrasse Tyson started on water towers

  • @ridestolenbmx100
    @ridestolenbmx100 Před rokem +1

    Really? No one noticed that he used the exact same song from Kerbal Space Program?!

  • @Afrocanuk
    @Afrocanuk Před 4 lety +1

    What is the average lifespan of a typical water tower?

    • @freecandynvan2816
      @freecandynvan2816 Před rokem +1

      My city is just now building a new water tower and it will be done in 2025. The tower it’s replacing was built in 1937. So with regular maintenance they can last for a long time

  • @mw2277
    @mw2277 Před 5 lety +5

    That water tower video shot with a drone is from my county 😂 small world.

    • @JOyo246642
      @JOyo246642 Před 4 lety +1

      Matt W wait, I thought that was Louisiana

  • @hunteroconnor549
    @hunteroconnor549 Před 3 lety

    I genuinely wanted to know the answer but i can’t stop laughing every time you say “head” so I’ll go be immature and uninformed somewhere else

  • @devuclear2269
    @devuclear2269 Před 5 lety +2

    This video made me play ksp

  • @Emperor_of_all_Badgers

    so like a ram pump

  • @mtamech535
    @mtamech535 Před 2 měsíci

    Those sibilances…ouch.

  • @spice4lyf799
    @spice4lyf799 Před 5 lety

    So water towers are essentially Hydro accumulators....Cool

  • @chickenandwaffles09
    @chickenandwaffles09 Před rokem

    Who knew

  • @kaws3076
    @kaws3076 Před rokem +2

    Yeah still don't get it

  • @vintagepipesnightmares
    @vintagepipesnightmares Před 5 měsíci

    Why they pump water up and don’t they just pump it directly to the city🤷‍♂️
    Why store excess water up there and not just store it where it comes from?🤷‍♂️

  • @aster4405
    @aster4405 Před 4 lety

    heheh, HW...

  • @m.s.aviation7065
    @m.s.aviation7065 Před 3 lety

    you know they have been around since like the 50's right?

  • @trapgeekstudio3677
    @trapgeekstudio3677 Před 6 lety +4

    First...

  • @helenohenzo2778
    @helenohenzo2778 Před 5 lety

    4:00 minute of what can be done in 5 seconds
    :
    water tower is a reserve for pick hours

    • @ConcerningReality
      @ConcerningReality  Před 5 lety +4

      Yes, but most people don’t understand what that means exactly. This is a video explaining in more detail 🙂

  • @ax2bxc
    @ax2bxc Před 6 lety +1

    Now, stop using feet and use meters

    • @yourfriendjohnny8889
      @yourfriendjohnny8889 Před 5 lety +3

      Interplanetary Transport System lern murican alredy

    • @amyforman1532
      @amyforman1532 Před 5 lety +1

      Boi learn customary units

    • @Afrocanuk
      @Afrocanuk Před 4 lety

      Singularity - Absolutely, they might as well throw in cubic metres while they're at it.

  • @drstone3431
    @drstone3431 Před rokem +1

    Finally a formula to help determine how much HEAD👄👅🧎‍♀ does one man needs in to satisfy his demand😂😜