There is something about staying simple in life. Our whirling, churning, ever overturning world keeps us adding on and changing things around to keep up with everyone around us. Social media makes sure that we are pushed and prompted daily. The simplicity of life that was normal for those who lived hundreds of years ago is something that many pay a lot of money and take vacations just to experience that kind of simplicity today.

Plastic Tanks and the Beauty of Simplicity

One thing that has remained relatively simple, even in the modern age is the storage of water and other liquids. While we have moved from wooden barrels to metal cans, to the plastic tanks we use so frequently today, their designs have been simple and straightforward through the years. The purpose is to keep the water in and foreign elements out so that the contents inside stay pure and usable.

Accessories make a Difference

The reason that simplicity seems like such a fleeting thing is that we find ways to accessorize our simple solutions in efforts to put more of the work upon our products and technology and less of the work upon us. Some of these innovations hardly seem like accessories at all, because their role is so vital and we all have grown so accustomed to them. Others play important roles that we do not notice until there becomes a problem. Here is a list of essential accessories and poly tank fittings for your poly tank.

Lids

Lids do not seem like innovation to us since they have been in use for so many centuries. However, when it comes to poly tanks, there is a big difference between having a poly tank with or without a lid. Lids allow you easy access to the tank’s contents when you need it, and keep your contents safe and sealed away when you are not accessing them. Lids can be separate pieces or hinge-locked in place on your tank. They can cover the entire top or just a small hole above or on the side of the tank.

Lids allow you easy access to your tank contents while simultaneously keeping them safe. Any open-topped tank will not remain clean for long if it is not covered by a lid. Depending on the approximate size and purpose of your tank, you may need a lid that screws on, is bolted to, or is connected by a hinge to your plastic tank.

Breathers

Breathers are poly tank fittings that are sometimes built into lids, sometimes installed separately. Their purpose is to allow any gasses that build up in the tank to escape naturally through the vent. Some of these are just vents that allow air in and out both directions. Others may be designed only to let gasses escape from within without allowing anything from the outside to come in.

Breathers are important for tanks holding contents that build up significant pressure over time or that release gasses that could negatively affect the contents.

Siphoning Tubes

Lids are one way to get easy access to your plastic tank contents. Another way is by adding a siphoning tube. Siphoning tubes are often inserted into the sides of the tank and direct the fluid out of the tank. Some tanks use these tubes in conjunction with a valve to form a tap that gives you access to water in a drinking water tank or a tank used for irrigating indoor gardening. Other tanks use siphoning tubes, sometimes working with pumps, to release extra material out of the tank. Septic tanks are a good example of this use of siphoning tubes.

Siphoning tubes can be very helpful if you want to eliminate the top layer of your tank’s content because it will naturally be released every time the content reaches the level of the siphoning tube in your plastic tank. They may also function as vents for that content as well, releasing gasses as well as liquids. They can be equipped with valves to turn the flow on and off.

Bolts

Bolts may not seem like a logical plastic tank accessory, but they can be invaluable in keeping your contents safe and secure. They may be used to hold your poly tank in place either from the side – bolted into the wall, or from the bottom the bottom of the tank – bolted into the floor.

You can find these and other accessories here.

Matching Poly Tank Fittings for the Right Accessories

If you use poly tank accessories, you will need to be sure you have the right kind of poly tank fittings to attach them. Not all fittings are the same, nor do they all serve the same purpose. Getting the wrong type of fitting can cause your accessory to malfunction or even be entirely unusable, so it is important to know what they are, what they do, and how they work.

Bulkhead fittings:

Bulkhead poly tank fittings are a multipurpose type of fitting that can be used to create a sealed opening in a plastic tank. This is the kind of fitting you need for siphoning tubes in particular.

There are at least three different types of poly tanks on which you would want to use bulkhead poly tank fittings.

• Drinking water and irrigation tanks – Let’s face it, if you have done the work of purifying or treating the water for drinking or botanical use, you don’t want to waste it. Using an improper fitting may cause a leak around the siphoning tube, causing you to lose a large part of the water inside as you are transferring it from the tank for your own use.
• Gasoline – It is never a good idea to have a leak when working with gasoline or diesel fuel. Those kinds of leaks become major fire hazards very quickly, and if you are inspected by a Fire Marshall, you may be fined. Even in small tanks, make sure you have the proper fittings for your gasoline or diesel siphoning tube. The same goes for any other potentially hazardous chemical you may be holding in your plastic tank.
• Septic tanks – Septic tanks use siphoning tubes to direct the flow of effluent out of the tank and through an underground draining field which filters and cleans the water before returning it to the underground water system. When it comes to septic systems in general, you do not want leaks. Leaks anywhere in the system cause contamination, may cause erosion of the siphoning tube connection altogether, create polluted land and water on your property, and cause a terrible smell. Some metal septic tanks are completely buried underground, but many poly tanks can only be partially buried, which means that the siphoning tube may be above ground. Do you want your septic tank contents leaking down the side of your tank in broad daylight? Of course not! Nor do you want that pooling up around your tank, creating a toxic mess on your property. When using poly septic tanks, it is essential that you use a bulkhead-type fitting that seals the contents on both the tank and the siphoning tube.

J-Bolts:

J-Bolt poly tank fittings are bolts with a screw-in edge on one end and a solid hook on the other end. The hook is usually the same diameter as the rest of the bolt because it is used to hold heavy objects in place. The heavy objects, in this case, are your poly tanks.

Why would you want to hold poly tanks in place?

Anytime you are holding hazardous materials it is helpful to have them locked in place, especially if you live anywhere near a fault line. Earthquake damage is severe enough without having to worry about HAZMAT cleanup afterward. It is also a good idea to utilize J-Bolts to fasten tanks down if you are transporting them in trucks or vans. One big bump in the road could tip them over and cause you to lose their contents. We may also assume that tanks are simply held on the ground, but some tanks may fit better attached to a wall from their side. J-Bolts can help keep them in place securely and can be adjusted to bring them down off the wall for refilling or repair as needed.

Dual-line Tank Fitting Rings:

Dual-line poly tank fitting rings are used in tanks with multiple walls in them. Larger septic tanks are an excellent example of these, particularly those with risers. Often these tank fitting rings are not possible to install in a used tank but must be installed by the manufacturer as part of an order of a specialized tank or as a custom option.

None of the above accessories have many moving parts or need to be connected to WiFi to work properly. They are all quite simple by design. However, even for these simple upgrades on your standard poly tank, you need the correct poly tank fittings to ensure that your poly tank contents remain safe and secure for your use.