


Ideally, the door should face north to keep out the sun’s heat. The perfect location for a root cellar is nestled into an existing soil bank in a well-drained location 10 to 20 yards from your house. You can also punch through the partition yourself as part of the doorway-cutting process. Try to find a tank without a partition, or ask your supplier to remove it before delivery. Most septic tanks have an internal partition that must be opened or removed to build from these root cellar plans. Discounts for damaged tanks may be as much as 50 percent. Prices for new, undamaged 1,500-gallon tanks start at about $1,100, and 2,500-gallon models can be found for as low as $1,600. Don’t choose a low-profile tank because it will be much too short to work in. Standard 1,500-gallon tanks typically measure about 5-1/2 feet wide by 5-1/2 feet tall by 10 feet long, while a 2,500-gallon tank provides more than 6 feet of interior headroom. While you might be tempted to buy a 1,000- or 1,200-gallon tank because they’re common, you’ll get more food storage space and headroom with a tank that’s 1,500 gallons or larger. The capacity of septic tanks is measured in gallons, with different models being taller or shorter.
#DIAMOND CELLAR HOW TO#
Tank size is another detail you’ll need to consider when planning how to build a root cellar from a septic tank. You won’t need the plastic fittings or effluent filter found inside most septic tanks, so ask the supplier to remove these before delivery. As long as the tank is solid and sound, a chipped edge or a patchable hole won’t prevent it from being a root cellar. Suppliers sometimes offer discounts on these flawed tanks. A percentage of all precast concrete septic tanks end up with small manufacturing defects that prohibit them from being used for sewage treatment. You’ll want to buy an unused septic tank for this root cellar design, but look for a deal to avoid paying full price.
#DIAMOND CELLAR INSTALL#
By following the plans, you’ll cut an entrance, install a door, add a pair of vent pipes and cover the tank with soil to bring an old-fashioned, walk-in cellar into your modern life. And while there are myriad ways to store vegetables, our innovative root cellar plans show you how to build a root cellar by modifying a new, precast concrete septic tank. The cool, moist and dark conditions of a root cellar make it the perfect place to keep many fruits and vegetables crisp and delicious for weeks - even months - of storage. This modern root cellar design turns a never-used septic tank into outdoor walk-in storage. Stow your surplus with these underground root cellar plans. Make this root cellar by burying a new concrete septic tank into a hillside.
