Receiving and Installation Of Your New Tanks

Directions for receiving and the installation of Polyethylene and Fiberglass Plastic Tanks. You have one opportunity to list any potential damage, “at time of receiving”. Product Receiving of your tank product is critical to your warranty, follow this procedure to insure a long lasting plastic tank installation.

Attention: Upon receiving your tank delivery and prior to installation please follow this directions to your best advantage…

  • At delivery inspect your tank immediately for defects or shipping damage. If there is any discrepancies, note the nature of the damage on the delivery drivers ill of lading and packing list. Call us immediately with any problems, that we may include corresponding notes in your file for subsequent action.
  • When unloading your tank from the delivery truck, avoid contact with any sharp objects, ie Fork Lift forks can cause significant damage if these instructions are not followed, protect your tank side walls and bottom from any direct contact with the fork lift points.
  • Do not allow the tank to roll over the fittings – process connections.
  • Large tanks should be removed from the trailer using a crane, cherry picker or Luhl
  • OSHA regulation 29CFR 1910.178 addresses specific standards for hoisting and lifting standards. Keep unloading area free of rocks and other sharp objects as they may penetrate the tank bottom.
  • If the tank is laid on its side, prevent it from rolling with chocks or other bracing Installation:
  • Support the tank bottom firmly and completely, Concrete pads of adequate design are the best foundations. When seismic and wind factors are being considered, special design must be generated specific to the geographical area.
  • Compacted Sand, Pea Gravel or hard packed soils may be used to install your tank, again special focus on no sharp objects in this material to prevent damage to the tank bottom.
  • Steel stands for cone bottom tanks point load their respective weights on small areas of you foundation, therefore specific design to spread this load should be integrated into the concrete pad for this type of tank.
  • Testing your tank with water is called HYDRO TESTING, fill the tank with water or process friendly liquid, prior to bringing a new vessel online. Ascertaining leaks at this time is standard and repair simple, compared to dealing with problematic issues of a operating process. Test periods vary but 4-24 hours is standard.
  • Plastic bulkhead fitting are designed to be hand tightened plus a 1/4-1/2 turn, this will vary with the size of the fitting and durometer of the gasket material. Over tight can cause leaks also, no large pipe wrenches are to be used.
  • Rectangular Tanks, support the side walls above 18″ as they are not produced to be self supporting.
  • Temperature above ambient can soften a plastic tank, reducing its ability to remain rigid, causing side wall deflection.
  • Do not mount heavy equipment or weights on plastic tanks. Full support pipes and valves, mixer bridges shall be used on all process mixer installations, as tank tops are not designed to handle additional torque.
  • Expansion joints are recommended on all pump and process connections to isolate stress from the tank wall.
  • Tanks are designed for atmospheric storage of water and chemicals relative to their specific gravities at ambient temperature, never vacuum or pressure.
  • Insertion heaters shall never touch the tank wall, SPECIAL design of heaters shall only be approved after review by TanksystemsCom technician. Heat shall not be generated within 18″ inches of tank wall. Level switch shall be integrated into heater design to remove power from heater at point liquid leaves the level switch, approximately 12″ inches above heater point of insertion.
  • Gasket and plumbing material compatibility shall be reviewed and approved by client personel, the TanksystemsCom chemical resistance chart is for general range and not specific to chemical compounds, special focus should be applied to temperature of process liquid and it specific gravity, polyethylene has a variable ability to maintain chemical resistance with regard to a given chemical. IT IS IMPERATIVE that your chemical engineer or chemical provider approve any vessel tank materials.
  • Protect your plastic tanks from possible impact with equipment or vehicles.
  • DO NOT ENTER A TANK ALONE, take OSHA approved guidlines into consideration before entering a confined space, for these OSHA procedures, as confined space may be very DANGEROUS. Special concern to entering after a vessel – tank has contained a chemical
  • Tank sizes are nominal and molded in calibrations are approximate
  • ATTENTION CHEMICALS ARE DANGEROUS, cross reference materials of construction and compatibility on all pipe, valves, fittings, gaskets ane other materials that may come in contact with your chemistry.
  • Venting – Polyethylene plastic tanks are not designed for pressure or vacuum, the rule of thumb or margin of safety is, design your venting size to equal the largest inlet or outlet on the vessel. SPECIAL NOTE, chemical fumes can be DANGEROUS, venting into a fume scrubber, local or remote is standard, atmospheric venting carries a responsibility to vent where operators will not come into direct contact with the area.
  • MSDA Sheets or Material Safety Data Sheets, are required to be provided by your chemical vendor, this MSDS material provide you with all warning information to help keep you safe, you should review with your safety personnel this information.
  • Cosmetic incongruities or blemishs are the result of rotationally molding a plastic tank, these imperfection are transferred to the final product from the mold and have not negative effect on the quality of your container…

Call us today if you have any questions or if we may be of further service.

Gene Vincent 800 537 9444