Water tanks.., choose what kind of material ? Plastic,Stainless or Concrete?

[heerhugo]

Hi,

I need a watertank on my project. If you ask many people you get many different questions.
The balinese always stick by there experience, so they all say concrete.
Anybody experience with the different materials of a watertank?
To my knowledge the plastic one isn't the best option.

So it will be concrete or stainless.... i need a big one for my project, about 3000 liters.
I still have to build a tower, but what will be on top??

Thanks again,

Hugo

[balidavo]

concrete advantages - it will keep the water cooler and if made correctly , it will be strong if made correctly . do not skimp on the reinforcement as there is a lot of weight involved ..., and make sure the concrete is mixed evenly between the batches and strictly - no cold joints ( ie; where an unfinished concrete pour gets too dry , begins to harden ) as youll get leaks plus its a weak point in the concrete and also aids the reinforcing steel in rusting under the concrete . The pour need a lot of pre-prep and pre-planning to get it right ( should be the same advice for any concrete pour actually )

Ive heard the stainless steel tanks rust after a while as the nickel content ( quality ) isnt that great.

Plastic is cheap , many sizes available ... I dont know how UV stable they are over the years though ..., Im on town water atm , and previously had conrete tanks ..

- anyone else got an oppion on this ?

[gilbert de jong]

just wondering...why build a tower?

[goldminer]

We use mostly plastic/synthetic tanks out here in the desert, uv dont seem to be a facter. There are lots of different types available, sizes etc. Not sure if able to source in Bali.

[balidavo]

just wondering...why build a tower?

higher the tower , better the water pressure . Plus the tower doesnt need electricity for the water to flow either , so if theres a power outage you still have your water flow happening . Unless you have town water , only the the pump needs electricity to fill it up the tank , which is usually has a weak water pressure unless you spend big money.

The are losmons behind us who just installed a large tower , as the water pressure from the town supply goes down to a trickle in the peak tourist season from all the extra water users . The tower will solve that problem.

We use mostly plastic/synthetic tanks out here in the desert, uv dont seem to be a facter. There are lots of different types available, sizes etc. Not sure if able to source in Bali.

a quality UV stabiliser additive in the plastic is a massive factor , without it the plastic will go brittle and break/crack from being in the sun in no time at all , just like those cheap plastic bucket they sell here .

They sell plastic tanks in Indonesia of many sizes ( small to huge) and they are very popular because they are cheap and lightweight and easy to transport ..., they are usually yellow in color , and ive occationly seen orange ones .

[goldminer]

I guess ours must have the staberlizers in them, cos they are fine....they also hold some pretty nasty stuff...caustic, cyanide, acid.

[mat]

I am considering the same options. My builders supplier says that stainless is better than plastic, as plastic needs to be protected from the sun because of algi [spelling?] growth.

[balidavo]

I am considering the same options. My builders supplier says that stainless is better than plastic, as plastic needs to be protected from the sun because of algi [spelling?] growth.

This depends on the quality of the stainless steel , which here isnt that good , and " ive heard " ( ie; from people ive spoken to and bali advertiser fixed abode articles have also commented on this . ) that the tanks here rust out after a while .


Regarding algae growth ......, For algae to grow , it needs sunlight ..., which can penetrate the plastic . A coat of Paint , on the outside of the tank will stop the sunlight penetrating.

if ... Painting the tank - Points to consider are ....,

..., make sure the paint is meant for plastics (ie; has an additive to give more flexability , and a primer is a good idea too ) , as it needs to be flexable ( just like the plastic is ) otherwise the paint will peel off . For pre preparation , you will need to rough up the plastic tank with sandpaper (600 grit wet and dry paper should be enough ) and thoroughly scrub the tank after sanding , and dry before you paint , thus making sure to leave no dust or soapy residue .
This is so the paint has something good to bind to , plus when new , the plastic usually has an oily surface from the mould releasing oil which needs to be removed before you paint .

If you cant locate the flex additive, then at least make sure its a top quality acrylic paint ( like dulux) or perhaps a polyurethane paint would work also ..., and definatly do not use enamel .

[gilbert de jong]

if one wants to build/make what Hugo is doing, for sure there's a generator wich in case of powerfailure will keep the water running, lights burning and everything else running as normal.
i.e. hot water, AC etcetc..
would be nasty thing to look at such a massive tower..imho.

[heerhugo]

a quality UV stabiliser additive in the plastic is a massive factor , without it the plastic will go brittle and break/crack from being in the sun in no time at all , just like those cheap plastic bucket they sell here .

They sell plastic tanks in Indonesia of many sizes ( small to huge) and they are very popular because they are cheap and lightweight and easy to transport ..., they are usually yellow in color , and ive occationly seen orange ones .

Thansk for all the reply's. My biggest issue with the plastic ones is the growth of algae. But if i reed correctly is it the problem of UV.
After some searching i found this (and use google translate):


Ultra Violet radiation can damage the structure of the polymer material or plastic products are not protected. Impact on the damage caused perubaha color, cracks, and finally broke. EXCEL succeeded in doing research, and find solutions to improve durability and reduce damages caused by UV radiation up to 1000 kLy. Based on measurements of ultraviolet radiation using weather instruments "Weather - 0 - meter or Xenon Tester". Climate Indonesia largely on average received 140 kLy ultraviolet radiation (140,000 Ly) per year. Products manufactured EXCEL rotational molding system with multi-layer on the walls added proper pigmentation characteristics will provide a stronger and more resistant to UV radiation. This factor is known as the Life Extension Factor (LEF) or the extended life that distinguishes pigments / colors other than resistance to UV radiation.


Tanks 1 & 2 layers (Single & Double Layers) , as a chemical storage is equipped with a wall 1 & 2 layers have a high density so that it can accommodate / store chemicals safely, inelastic collisions and resistant to UV radiation. Tank 3 (Triple Layers) , as a drinking water storage areas are equipped with three layers, the inner layer of white deluxe provide better protection against the growth of mildew / mold, pigmentation on the outer layer will provide resistance to UV radiation.

Polyethylene, Polypropylene Stainless Steel Technologies &
Polyethylene is the best raw materials to manufacture the storage tank and transportation. Density Polyethylene copolymer of material varies by function. Excel uses quality raw materials polyethylene HDPE (High Density Copolymer) which has a better ability to follow the shape of the mold so it is suitable for process Roational Moulding (ROTAMOULD) ROTAMOULD System? ROTAMOULD (Roational Moulding) is a production process by applying the method of low pressure and high temperature to produce plastics by using polyethylene powder, heat, and rotation. The end result of this process is the product of the diversity of shapes and sizes. Rotamould also known as Moulding Biaxial because the process of spinning steel printer with two directions at the same time so that the raw materials move to follow the shape of the mold. The ability of two shaft allows manufacturers to produce products without a connection.

source : Water Storage Tank | Chemical Storage Tank | Graha Excel Plastindo

Greetings,

Hugo