Category: Steel Rainwater Tanks

Here are five steps you need to consider when choosing your steel rainwater tanks.

Design the largest tank possible that will fit into your available space.

Your aim should be to choose the largest tank possible to fit the area you have available for a rainwater tank. The more water you store, the longer your rainwater will last.

You need to harvest as much rainwater from your roof as possible, directing the water into your tank. This will ensure you are maximising the storage capacity of your steel rainwater tank.

Normal Garden Hosing Can Use Up To 1000 Litres Per Hour Of Stored Rainwater

Using rainwater in the garden can empty a steel storage tank very quickly. Be aware that a 5000 litre water tank will provide approximately 5 hours of watering time in the garden. With this in mind, ensure that the capacity of your tank is going to match your water use requirements.

One Square Metre Of Roof Will Provide One Litre Of Water For Every Millimetre Of Rain

This is why you need to maximise the roof area feeding your rainwater tank. The more roof are you harvest rain water from, the quicker your Steel Water Tank will fill.

1000 Litres Of Water Stored Is Equal To One Tonne In Weight

When considering the location of the tank be sure not to place the tank in an area with unstable ground or locate it to close to existing house footings. The tank base is one of the most important components of a good installation.

A base may be made from either reinforced concrete (preferable) or from a treated timber frame filled with either crusher dust or very fine blue meta. Be sure to view our self installation section to obtain further information or send through a question in the comment section.

The Leaf Strainer On The Inlet Of The Tank Will Need To Be Accessed Regularly

All of our Steel Rainwater Tanks have been fitted with a quality leaf strainer which will collect any debris prior to the water entering the tank. This ensures only clean water is stored in your water tank.

With this in mind, you need to consider the location of the water tank and the location and height of the inlet to the tank when designing your steel storage tank, and also when deciding its location.

 

Once a decision has been made to purchase a rainwater tank, many options then become available to you. The most commonly used materials for water tanks in the Australian market are Steel and Polyethylene. Other less popular options include the use of materials such as fiberglass, PVC bladder tanks and concrete.

When comparing,  each type of material has its strengths and weaknesses, although the modern steel water tank has some outstanding features:

Strength Of Steel Rainwater Tanks

The strength of steel itself, gives a steel rainwater tank some major benefits over rain water tanks built with alternative materials. Steel slimline tanks do not stretch or bulge when full. The strength of steel ensures that the custom made steel slimline rainwater tanks can easily hold the large forces generated by tonnes of water. All of the Kingspan range of water tanks have engineer certification.

The strength of the rainwater tanks ensure that they will not deteriorate over time under the harsh Australian sun, as it may with other materials.

The difference between Steel and Poly/Plastic rainwater tanks.

There are quite a number of very important differences between steel and poly/plastic rainwater tanks:

• One of the most major differences is that the steel rainwater tank option is 100% UV-proof.  This basically ensures that the steel water tank will not degrade in sunlight. Plastic or polyethylene rainwater tanks are affected by Ultra Violet light and can break down over time, losing both strength and their colour.

• Steel tanks are custom made to almost any dimensions, which means you can have a steel rain water tank built specifically for the space you have available in your home, maximising the amount of rainwater you can harvest. Due to the fact that plastic or poly rainwater tanks are made from a mold, generally they are available in a very limited range of sizes.

• The strength of a custom made steel water tank ensures that they are not subject to bulging or stretching when full of water, and as a result, the steel slimline range of water tanks take up considerably less space than the plastic tank option.

Steel Rainwater Tanks Have Long Life

In the early days of rainwater tank production, the tanks were generally made from plain galvanised steel, which had no additional corrosion protection. This is now a part of history, as with the modern steel rainwater tanks, as they are now made from Bluescope Steel Aquaplate and have a long life polymer coating. This new technology of polymer coating can be found on the inside of the tank walls and on both sides of the base (inside & out).

By using this process it ensures that the water never actually touches the steel directly which greatly reduces corrosion. This allows Kingspan to comfortably give a 20 year warranty against corrosion. So the strength of steel as a material, combined with the longevity of the modern polymer coating technology gives you the best of both worlds.

Steel Rainwater Tanks Are Stylish and Elegant

The steel tank not only has that iconic appearance, but due to the fact that it is custom made for the space available, it is generally less bulky, and gives a greater water capacity for the space you have available. Many customers agree that a steel tank option is much more aesthetically pleasing than the polyethylene tank options, and this is why it is the choice of tank for many architects when designing a water harvesting system.

The same applies for the steel round tanks, where the much flatter roof structure of the round steel tank, means more water is stored right to the top of the tank, compared to the unused air gap which is found on the domed roofed tanks in the plastic range of water tanks.

Sustainability Of A Steel Rainwater Tank

All the steel that is used in the production of a Kingspan steel rainwater tank is made here in Australia. Steel can be a very long lasting material, especially when it is coated with a zinc galvanising or Bluescope Steel Colorbond finish. It is also important to remember that if your tank is no longer needed at any time, that the steel is completely recyclable, and may be very easily reclaimed and reused again, making a steel rainwater tank one of the best environmental alternative.