A plastic water storage tank is, at the end of the day, just a tank. It doesn’t need to hold water to serve a purpose. What you decide to place inside of your tank is entirely up to you—so long as you adhere to laws and regulations regarding the storage of chemicals, fuels, or other caustic materials.
Here we’ll take a closer look at some alternative uses for storage tanks. While plastic tanks can be used to store most chemicals, oils, fuels, and food, as well as water, the list of potential uses is ultimately up to you.
By far the most common use for a plastic water storage tank is for storing water. Tanks can be fixed to downspouts to serve as rainwater harvesters, or they can be supplied with municipal water for commercial or industrial purposes. In more rural areas, where there is no access to a well or municipal service, storage tanks are needed to provide a supply of water on hand whenever it may be needed. Even on properties with a well, a backup supply of water is helpful in the event the water table recedes.
All types of water can be stored in plastic tanks for whatever purpose. That includes saltwater, distilled water, wastewater (for septic systems), groundwater, rainwater, and snow. With a tank-sized supply of any of these types of water, you will have an on-site resource for cleaning, cooking, defrosting, cooling, or whatever need you may have.
Plastic polyethylene tanks are often used in industrial and manufacturing settings to store chemicals. Tanks are available in a variety of sizes, gauges, strengths, and specifications to meet temperature demands and location requirements. You can also find tanks to suit the resistive demands of specific chemicals.
Polyethylene is the preferred storage solution for chemicals because, unlike metal, it does not rust or corrode. In many cases, regulators require the use of plastic tanks for storing certain chemicals. They are often used to house fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceutical materials, and acids. Here are some other common chemicals used in plastic storage tanks:
But just because some acids can be stored in polyethylene doesn’t mean all of them can. It usually depends on the strength and resistive properties of the plastic. You also need to make sure that the tank’s various fittings and gaskets are also equipped to handle the extremes of whatever substance you plan to store in it. It’s always a good idea to first check with the chemical manufacturer to determine the grade or density of the polyethylene you will be using to store the compound.
Most kinds of fuel can be stored in plastic storage tanks. Mechanics, racetracks, industrial facilities, factories, or garages in remote areas all favor plastic storage tanks for keeping fuel at hand. As a durable, non-corrosive plastic, polyethylene can handle pretty much any type of fuel, including diesel fuel, gasoline, butane, ethanol, biodiesel, crude oil, and natural gas.
Again, you should always make sure the fuel you are using is compatible with the grade of plastic you plan to store it in. Also be sure to follow any guidelines or regulations for the proper storage of fuels. That includes making sure any gaskets, spigots, or other fixtures are equipped to handle prolonged exposure to combustible solvents.
A variety of oils can also be stored in water storage tanks. Much like fuel storage, plastic storage tanks can store automotive, transformer, mineral, and motor oils. But that’s not all. Plastic water tanks are also an ideal storage solution for cooking oils, fats, and greases. You can also store vegetable oils, spent grease, used frying oil, pork fat, soybean oil, olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, and any other food-related oil.
Because oil and fat accumulate in pipes and drains over time, causing blockages, they cannot be simply flushed away. They have to be either recycled or disposed of in landfills. This makes plastic storage tanks appealing to restaurants, cafeterias, and food processing facilities where it makes sense to store large volumes of spent oils to be disposed of in bulk. Some facilities make use of a grease interceptor, which is just an exterior plastic tank used to temporarily store wastewater, fats, and oils. Similar to the way a septic system works, interceptors provide enough time for the oil to separate from the wastewater, allowing for proper storage and eventual disposal of waste oils and fats. Plastic tanks work well as interceptors because they can be molded and designed in a variety of fashions and are cheaper than steel or fiberglass alternatives.
Having covered the more caustic and high-risk materials one might store in a plastic stank, it’s safe to say anything else you can imagine is fit for storage in polyethylene storage tank. If you have need for storing something, a plastic tank can fit it. Here are just a few more things you might store in a plastic tank: cleaning solutions, fermentable liquids (like cider or beer wort), manure, and animal feed.
You’re not even restricted to the concept of storage. As a malleable material, polyethylene can be molded into a huge variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to repurpose tanks for building shelters, roof coverings, tool sheds, or reservoirs. The possible uses are almost as endless as your creativity.
Whether you’re storing water, fuel, chemicals, or cooking grease, storage tanks can be built from a number of materials, including steel, concrete, plastic, and wood. In most situations, especially the ones described in this article, polyethylene plastic is superior.
The biggest advantage is that polyethylene does not rust, corrode, or degrade. Polyethylene plastic tanks are also cheaper than most other materials and can be molded into an endless variety of shapes and sizes. While metal can also be molded, it often needs to be seemed or welded together to make more complex shapes. The same goes for concrete, which needs to be molded and cured in block slabs.
Plastic, on the other hand, is formed from a seamless mold, which helps maintain its shape and strength while resisting cracks and leaks. Plastic storage tanks can also come in a variety of colors, allowing you to control the amount of sunlight exposure that the contents receive, while also giving you more flexibility in designing the aesthetic appeal of the tank. Finally, plastic tanks are far lighter than pretty much any other style. This will make them cheaper and easier to transport and install. You can bury them underground or plant the right next to your garage, and if you decide after some time you don’t like the location, simply move it. The light weight gives you plenty of leeway in deciding the layout and location of your storage area and components.
Of course, not all polyethylene tanks are created equal. There are different grades and densities that need to be considered, especially if you plan on using it to store chemicals, fuel, or other corrosive materials. These differences alter the chemical and heat resistance of the tank, as well as its structural durability. If you’re in the market for a tank that can store some heavy-duty compounds, polyethylene is still the way to go; just make sure that you acquire the right plastic for the job.
Whatever your storage needs, Go To Tanks has a huge variety of plastic tanks for storing water, chemicals, fuels, food, oil, and whatever else you can think of. Our tanks range in capacity from 20 to 10,000 gallons, and are available in a number of styles, shapes, colors, and strengths.
We have cone bottom tanks for fermenting beer, portable utility tanks for transporting small volumes of liquid, cistern tanks for septic and wastewater treatment systems, vertical water tanks for harvesting rain, waste oil tanks for intercepting grease, and dozens of other specialized tanks, vessels, totes, and accessories. Whatever you need, we can supply it.
Call 1-877-468-2657 today and we’ll help you find the right tank for your storage needs.
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