xt7gxd0qsz5z https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7gxd0qsz5z/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.  journals kaes_circulars_004_553 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 553 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 553  2014 true xt7gxd0qsz5z section xt7gxd0qsz5z   '
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      Kg  BULK TANK I
U     at  Selection
I I Installation
_ g B o_ O eration
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  {   J Maintenance l
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'° ’ I  · ···· —-·-*' By JESSE B. BROOKS _
4 JAMES D. FOSTER
F ° ELMER C. SCHEIDENHELM
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ir   j  UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
I . _.`»   College of Agriculture
I \ ’ and Home Economics
IOM “ Agricultural Extension Service
» CIRCULAR 553 _

 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to express their appreciation to: The Dairy hg
Section of the Animal Industry Group, University of Kentucky; the cc
State Department of Health, Louisville, Kentucky, and the Bureau
of \Veights and Measures of the Department of Agriculture, Frankfort, SU
Kentucky. The above agencies collaborated and assisted in preparing in
this publication. fr
The following concerns furnished illustrative materials and in-
formation used: The Fall Cities Cooperative Dairyman, Louisville, St
Kentucky; Emil Steinhorst and Sons, Utica, New York; the United 0<
States Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh 30, Pennsylvania; Sunset Equip- HY
ment Company, St. Paul, Minnesota; The DeLaval Separator Com- ff
pany, Poughkeepsie, New York; Majonnier Brothers Company, Chi- S2
cago 44, Illinois.
The following references were used in preparing this publication; 0:
“Bulk Milk Handling,” Extension Circular No. 510, (1955), Uni-
versity of \Visconsin, Madison, VVisconsin.
“How to Select, Install, Operate, Maintain and Sanitize Farm Bulk
Tanks,” Extension Mimeo ID-7 (DH, AE, EC) (1955) Purdue Uni- I;
versity, Lafayette, Indiana. t]
“Bulk Cooling and Storage of Milk on the Farm,” Extension Bul- il
letin No. 899, (1955) Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
“Bulk Tank Milk Storage on the Farm,” Extension Pamphlet N0.
28 (1954) University of Maine, Orono, Maine.
“Bull< Milk Tanks on Ohio Farms,” Research Bulletin No. 776 C
(1956), Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio. "]
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  Bulk Tank Milk Storage
J By Jesse B. Brooks, James D. Foster and Elmer C. Scheidenhelm
The rapid increase in the use of bulk milk handling in Kentucky
iry ‘ has created a need for basic information for farmers who plan to
the convert to this system.
eau The purpose of this publication is to provide this infomation, with J
ort, suggestions and recommendations of all agencies who are interested
ing in seeing that the farmer does a good job of planning before changing
from cans to bulk tanks.
in· The bulk milk tank consists of a covered, refrigerated, stainless ·
ille, steel vat set in an insulating shell. The inside surface of the vat, which
ned comes in contact with milk, cools the milk as the tank is filled. The `
uip- milk is agitated to hasten the cooling, to blend previous milkings with
Om_ J fresh milk, and to provide a uniform mixture of milk that can be
Chi- sampled.
The cover of the tank has openings for pouring milk into the tank
ion; or for connecting the tank to a pipe line milker.
U¤i· MILK ROOMS FOR BULK TANKS ¤
Generally the milk room should be built so as to comply with the l
Bulk . . . .
Um- requirements of the local health codes or building requirements of ,
the milk buyer. Before building or remodeling milk rooms, farmers
should consult their local sanitarians and plant fieldmen. A typical i
B“l' milk room layout for bulk tank operation is shown in Fig. 1. I
t N0. Location I
The milk room should be placed close to the milking quarters in !
. 776 order to save steps, or length of pipe if a pipe—line milker is used.
The building site should be well drained to provide for draining
wastes from the building. If the milk room is to be added to a i
present building it is better to extend the room from that building
or build in a corner of the building in order to secure natural lighting I
and ventilation. Y
Size  
The size of room required will depend upon the daily production `
of milk, the size and type of tank, location of condensing unit, and
the amount of milk that must be held between truck tank pickups.
Since health regulations require that there be sufficient clearance on
all sides of the tank for thorough cleaning, these regulations will also

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    . . 4   ·‘‘‘’’‘‘   _____,__........»·»   .9;; i
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is de,   ··—·? ..   j,,._...,,;; .... ,.;,.=»=;i‘—-= 
nilk *5 F'9· 5-- When the condensing unit is attached directly to the tank, the
i¤¤k Gnd unit is referred to as a "self-contained" or "packuged" unit.

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    * ‘     »V»= Ei    ·-V=   ». wr   2 ..1  Il   -
i* €"?“?#iii*'?¥+-i°  `‘;‘       '   F ‘    =¥——. €   § ··· ~`.—   seP‘
 tif      Y °¤   PM ~··~  ~      the
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Fig. 6.- When the condensing unit is installed independently of the tank, 3i1`·
the tank and unit is referred to as a "separate" or "remote" type of 15 1*
installation. A window or Iouver near the condensing unit is desirable. th€
See Figure 7. Dui
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Fig. 7.-A bulk tank with a "separate" or "remote" installation of con- lm
densing unit. Warm air about the condenser may be expelled during the mu
summer. This air will help warm the milk room during the winter. use

 y 13
    units. These are usually easier and cheaper to install. The overall
  = length of the packaged unit includes the length of the tank plus the
  is l space required for the condenser.
Qgigf  Larger condensing units for larger tanks are usually installed
  separate from the tank. They may be installed inside or outside of
  the milk room. The choice in placing the unit may depend upon the
  size and arrangement of the milk room.
  Condenser Types
  » The term “condenser°’ should not be confused with condensing
  unit as the condenser is but one of the three-major parts of the con- V
  densing unit. There are usually three different types of condensers
  l .°`’‘‘   used on bulk tanks—air, water, and combination of air and water. -
Air-cooled condensers are almost universally used with ice bank
. tanks and will be found on most direct—expansion units up to 200
  gallons capacity. These condensers are more fool-proof and easier to
  install. To insure good performance and economical operation, an
tank, air-cooled unit must have an adequate supply of cool air. If the unit
pe O{ is located inside a milk room good ventilation will be needed during
mblg the summer months to remove the heated air surrounding the unit. |
During the winter, heat produced by the unit can be used to help I
warm the milk room (Fig. 7). '
A combination of air and water condensers may be used to ad- ‘
vantage where there is an adequate supply of good water. Usually
these units are run on air and water during the summer and on air i
alone during the winter. \Vater may also be used during the winter; I
however, the unit must not be exposed to freezing temperatures.
/ Should there be any danger of freezing, the water may be shut off l
_   ` and all parts of the water system drained. By using water the rate of !
 fn. Cooling is improved during the summer months. The combination
  ° air and water unit uses about 2 gallons of water per gallon of milk
  cooled. If the water supply on the farm is limited or if the Water .
;_ 4 contains excessive hardness, this type condenser should not be used.
  Water-cooled condensers are often used on large tanks of 5-HP cool- l
ing capacity and over. The water should be of good quality and free of §
salts which would collect inside condenser coils. They require from  
1 to 2% gallons of water per minute for each horsepower rating of the ·
compressor motor. Therefore the source of water must be adequate
to furnish the amount of water that will be needed. \Vater-cooled
units must be protected from freezing. The water from the cooler
af con. may be used for stock watering but should never be emptied back
ing the lUt0 the SOu1‘ce if the same source is furnishing water fOr LlOm€StlC
an use or use in the milk room.

 14
INSTALLATION OF BULK TANKS AND CONDENSERS rl
The proper installation of a tank is necessary if satisfactory opera- dm?
tion is to be obtained. The performance of bulk tank handling will plac
often be determined by how well the milk room is planned and modi- give
fied for this method of handling milk. The tank should be installed in P
by the dealer according to the manufacturefs recommendations. The
dairyman should not attempt to install the tank and refrigeration ,]
equipment himself. tank
Location of Tonk csh}
Where the milk is to be poured manually, locate the tank in the of tl
milk room so as to reduce steps and lifting. The outlet spout of the
tank should be placed near the hose port and front entrance door tn
the milk room. Most farm bulk trucks are equipped with a hose }
8 to 16 feet long. wit];
Never place the tank over a floor drain. To permit cleaning, the ghgi
tank should have at least 18 inches clearance from any wall or other Algg
equipment. Each service aisle or walk—way about the tank should be been
3 feet in width. Three feet of clearance should be provided between bulk
the outlet spout end of the tank and the nearest wall in front of thil dats
end (Fig. 1). Extra space may he needed with pipe line milkers tn pogg
facilitate cleaning the equipment. With cleaned—in-place pipe line chg;
milkers, the location of wash vats and bulk tanks should be related ]
so that the pipe lines can be moved from one to the other with ease and
Pipe-line milkers should have as few risers, elbows, or turns in the or ii
line as possible.
Regardless of the type of tank installed, the condensing unit should
be placed so that there will be good ventilation from screened I
windows, louvers, or doors. Of C
With tanks having “paekaged” c0nden.sin,g units, the choice nl be
location is limited but the condensing unit will be more efficient ll sfgc
placed in a position to receive good cross ventilation. A screenell com
louver or window close to the condensing unit will lower costs nl ]
operation, especially during the summer. If the house is ponrll legs
ventilated an extra exhaust type fan in a window near the condeiisvf mos
would help in hot weather. from
With tanks having separate condensing units, the condensing unll
may be located either inside the milk room near a window or loiivn H,
(Fig. 7), or it may be placed outside the room. In either case il
should be mounted in a clean, dry, well—ventilated area. If the cnn `
densing unit is placed in a “doghouse” or another room outside llr _ ,`
milk room the unit should be protected against extremely freezilli m h
temperatures. pml

 15
; The water to water—cooled units should be shut off and the unit I
_ drained if there is danger of freezing during the winter months.
’P€Ta· Dealers and manufacturers should be consulted before the unit is
§ will placed outside the milk room. Generally, most condensing units will
modf give better performance if placed inside the milk room as shown
talled in Fig_ 7_
. The Setting Tank in PI¤ce I
ration The tank should be mounted on a solid foundation or floor. The
tank should be leveled and kept level if it is to retain accuracy in
calibration. The legs should be sealed in place to prevent movement
in the of the tank on the milk room floor. ,
of the
oor to OPERATION OF THE TANK ·
i hose Every purchaser of a bulk tank should study and become familiar
with the manufacturer’s instructions on operating the tank. He
ig, the should learn how to manipulate the various controls of the equipment.
* other Also, he should learn how to clean and sanitize the tank after it has
uld be been rinsed by the tank truck driver. The state regulations on cleaning
3tW€€ll bulk tanks require that the tank be rinsed, washed with warm water,
of tliii detergent and brush, and finally rinsed with hot water as soon as i
ters to possible after emptying. A sprayer for sanitizing with an approved  
ie lim- chemical solution is recommended. I
related Information on materials, equipment, and procedures for cleaning ’
h ease. and sanitizing bulk tanks is usually available from the manufacturer E
in the or may be obtained from the local health authority.  
should MAINTENANCE OF BULK TANKS '
¢1`€€““‘l Manufacturers instructions should be followed for maintenance
of compressors, motors, condensers, and bulk tanks. Dust should not l
3i€€‘ (ll be allowed to accumulate on condensers as this will reduce the ,
cient il eHiciency of the condenser and possibly contribute to unsanitary
3I`€€ll€ll conditions in the milk room. `
costs d Don°t use steel wool, metal sponges, or abrasive cleaners on stain-
poorll less steel tanks. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations in re-  
1Cl€1*$*`l m0ving rust spots, milk and water stone, and other foreign particles  
4 from stainless steel surfaces. l
ng uml ‘
' loulfl HOW T0 OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN ACCURATE MEANS OF
hcflsclll MEASURING MILK FROM FARM BULK TANKS
dgecfclu · `SUl‘V€ys have shown that the determination of the amount of milk
Fremm IU farm bulk tanks as originally installed is inaccurate in a considerable
PYOPOYUOU of them, This is partly due to the fact that these tanks

 16
were not properly leveled and calibrated or gaged when installed. g
These operations of leveling and calibrating require both skill audi 5
patience. This is true becausepadjustments and measurements to the Set i
nearest 32nd of an inch must be made. Also 30 minutes may be re-
quired for the surface of the water being measured to become smooth, _ rl
free of surging and rippling and several attempts may be required mmf
before a verified reading is obtained, i.e., two or more readings fm ·
being the same. ]
Calibration is a process by which a value in pounds is determined 2
for each subdivision of the gage rod. These measurements and values E
are assembled in a calibration or conversion chart. In the calibration 4
process several systems are used, for example, leve
a. The tank is factory calibrated with a conversion chart accom- Equ
panying the tank. The manufacturer of course charges for this serv- 1
ice; however, it is generally considered a good investment. When E
such a tank is properly installed the chart should be accurate. To ho app]
on the safe side however it is recommended that a check of the con- {
version chart be made when the tank is installed. The check should Z
go up to the capacity of the tank; additions may be made in 25- or  
50-gallon lots. (
b. Some tanks are sold and the calibration done at the time nl _
installation by the dealer or manufacturer’s representative (the installn- Call
tion personnel). In this system the completion of the chart is usually ]
done at the factory from records sent there by mail. This system i> tank
satisfactory provided the calibration is accurately done. mug
c. Some tanks may be sold that are not factory calibrated and i
. . · . . . . . Ort
without the dealer or installer obligating h1mself to calibrate, 1.9-. ,
without calibration. (Some such tanks may have conversion charts E
that are duplicates for similar tanks; the accuracy of such charts is and`
questionable.) Unless arrangements can be made beforehand withn ,
well qualified person who can furnish assurance of satisfactory service. E
then this method of purchasing a tank should not be considered. sem
It should be realized in advance that accurate calibration is very mad
important. If not, measurements to determine the amount of mill
sold will also be inaccurate. l
of 1
Outline of Installation and Calibration Procedure {ECC
Before installing a tank read carefully the manufacturer’s instrut
tions and follow them closely. Decide on one of the following method?
of setting the tank legs: l
1. Make a small hole in the floor for each leg so as to prevrlll asu
shifting. this

 17
alled.» 2. Set on smooth floor.
. endl 3, Make good sized holes in the floor so that tank’s legs can be
0 the set in concrete. ‘
EOE; The next step is to level the tank; (follow manufacturer’s instruc-