Installation & Receiving Instructions for Polyethylene Tanks:

1. Upon delivery, immediately inspect your tank(s) for any damage that occurred during shipping or any material defects. If you notice that damage has been incurred or your tank is defective, a note must be made on the delivery driver’s BILL OF LADING & YOUR PACKING LIST.


2. While unloading your tank from the delivery truck or trailer you must be sure to avoid any sharp objects that could damage your tank. Even an experienced Fork Lift operator can puncture a polyethylene tank with fork lift blades. The appropriate precautions and safety controls should be taken. It is also important that you do not let your tank be rolled over on the tank fittings. Larger polyethylene and plastic tanks should be removed from the truck, flatbed, or trailer with a suitable lifting device such as a crane. See OSHA regulations 29CFR 1910.178 – 1910.189 for hoisting and lifting standards. The unloading area should be devoid of any materials that could possibly damage your tank such as sharp objects and rocks.


3. Always completely & firmly support the bottom of your tank. Whenever you do not have to consider environmental factors such as wind or seismic activity, we recommend an even and compact bed of sand, fine soil or pea gravel for tanks with a base load bearing capacity of 800 lbs. or less. Tanks with a greater load capacity should have a reinforced concrete base. We recommend that tank stands be mounted on top of a concrete base. Stands should be bolted to avoid tank movement due to external environmental factors. It is generally agreed upon that concrete pads provide the best foundation for your tank(s).


4. You should install your tank in area that is easily accessible for ease of maintenance.

Chemical Storage Tank Precautions


5. You should always perform a hydro test by filling your tank with water prior to use for chemical storage. This is to ensure you that your tank will not cause material loss through improperly secured fittings, manufacturing defects or damage that occurred during transport. TEST YOUR TANK FOR A MINIMUM OF 5 HOURS.


6. Plastic bulkhead fittings on a tank are only meant to be hand tightened with an additional ¼ (quarter) turn. Excessive tightening of fittings can cause your tank to leak. If you do notice that a fitting is leaking you should disassemble the fitting and make sure there is no foreign material between the gasket surfaces which is causing the fitting not to have a proper seal.


7. Rectangular tanks should have supported sides. Tanks that have a height equal to or greater than 18” inches must have supported sides. However in certain circumstances and specific situations tanks that have a smaller height may contain material with a high specific gravity or may have elevated temperatures and these tanks should also have side supports.


8. Heavy equipment should never be mounted on the sides of your tank. Keep fittings free of any additional weight as this may damage them and cause them to leak. All pipes and valves should be fully supported.


9. Expansion joints should be used to prevent damage from occurring due to the natural expansions and contractions of tank piping and the tanks themselves.


10. Polyethylene tanks are not designed for vacuum or pressurized applications. Polyethylene tanks should only be used for atmospheric storage of chemicals.


11. When and if you are using an immersion or insertion heater you should make sure they never come into contact with the walls of the tank. Do not generate heat close to the tank wall and use liquid circulation for heat dispersion. An 18” inch space from tank walls is the minimum distance for spacing / heater dead zone.


12. Make sure that your tank, its fittings, and fitting gasket material is the appropriate and compatible material for your chemical storage application. Contact our staff if you have any questions about chemical storage or for specific chemical compatibility not referenced in the chemical resistance charts. Compound chemicals, varying temperatures as well as chemical concentrations may affect polyethylene tanks differently. You, as the end user, must confirm for yourself whether or not polyethylene is the appropriate material for your specific application. WE DO NOT WARRANTY OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for the information provided about polyethylene / chemical compatibility. It is your responsibility to confirm this information with your chemical supplier(s).


13. Tanks should be protected from impact. Especially when tanks are kept at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.


14. NEVER ENTER ANY TANK ALONE. Consult OSHA Guidelines and regulations for approved procedures to ensure you that you are taking the proper and appropriate precautions.


15. Tanks are listed in nominal sizes and the calibrations on molded polyethylene tanks are only approximations but provide a close indication of volume. Polyethylene and plastic tanks naturally expand and contract – this will affect volume. Tanks will expand and contract more or less depending on the volume of the tank, the tank’s wall thickness and what specific gravity the contents being stored possess. Internal temperature and external ambient temperatures also affect expansion and contraction of polyethylene tanks.


16. WARNING: CHEMICALS ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS AND PROPER PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN. Using a container that is properly designed including properly designed and secured fittings, pipes, valves and pumps will minimize risk.


17. Polyethylene tanks must be VENTED. These tanks are not designed to handle pressure or a vacuum. A vent is necessary because as a tank is filled or emptied of its liquid an equal proportion of air must be displaced simultaneously. Discharge of a tank without a vent would cause a vacuum to occur and pressure would be correspondingly created. A generally accepted rule concerning vent size is that it should be the same size as the tank’s largest inlet or outlet. Use proper precautions when chemical fumes are present. These fumes can be as dangerous and corrosive as the chemical that is being stored in the polyethylene tank.


18. MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS (MSDS SHEETS) – These sheets contains facts that are required you implement into your tank design. Law requires that whoever your chemical supplier is provide you with this information freely upon your request.


19. Rotationally molded tanks inherit surface characteristics from the tank mold. It is normal for bumps and dents to occur. These surface characteristics have no effect on the structural integrity of the tank.

Please call us at 866-310-2556 or visit our customer service page if you require any additional information:

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