Water storage tanks fulfill various functions, including sustaining water service pressure, offering emergency storage supply and pressure during power outages, and providing equalization volume to accommodate peak demands like fire flows and high water usage periods throughout the day. Maintaining consistent flow rates is often preferred for wells, water treatment plants, and pump stations. Rather than adjusting treatment and pumping rates in real-time to meet instantaneous demands, equalization storage volume ensures steady operations by balancing fluctuations through filling and draining storage volume.
When choosing a new water storage tank for your community or industry, several factors need consideration.
Traditionally, many water utilities have maintained storage tanks at full or nearly full capacity to prepare for peak water use periods and emergencies like fires, resulting in storage facilities with greater capacity than needed for non-emergency use. Additionally, some older storage facilities have overflow elevations lower than the system pressure, requiring pumps to transport water from the tank to the distribution system. Stagnant water in a tank can lead to water quality issues such as residual loss, thermal stratification in summer, and ice formation in winter due to extended residence times.
Regardless of the tank facility type, it’s crucial to match the overflow elevation to the system pressure to allow the water surface within the tank to adjust according to system pressure. The water level in a storage tank typically fluctuates daily due to a fill-and-draw cycle, varying based on the storage facility’s size, real-time system demand, and distribution system location.
To ensure proper tank turnover and mixing, it’s essential for the water level in the tank to fluctuate several feet before the pump station begins operations or additional pumps are introduced.
Corrosion poses a significant financial challenge for industrial facilities nationwide, with costs totaling hundreds of billions of dollars annually. However, there’s good news: corrosion can be prevented through established maintenance practices, such as the application of protective coatings.
Corrosion protection for storage tanks is crucial in preventing leaks, environmental disasters, fires, explosions, workplace injuries, unexpected downtime, and costly repairs. Choosing the most effective coatings and application techniques for your storage tank is one way to provide this protection.
Enhancing Tank Performance and Longevity
Identifying solutions to any problem requires a thorough understanding of the issue and its underlying causes. Corrosion, in its broadest sense, entails the deterioration of metals due to their interaction with the environment. When corrosion affects a storage tank, its contents—ranging from produce to potable water, chemicals, crude oil, clean petroleum products, and other substances—undergo a chemical reaction upon contact with the tank’s surface, resulting in internal corrosion and rust formation.
Tank lining serves as a solution not only to address existing corrosion but also to prevent its occurrence. This involves the application of coating products to the interior of storage tanks, commonly used to protect tanks from damage caused by corrosion and to maintain their structural integrity.
Protective linings not only uphold the operational efficiency of storage tanks but also significantly reduce overall maintenance costs and extend the lifespan of storage solutions such as silos, bins, and containers. Additionally, most tank linings possess antifungal and antibacterial properties, which can inhibit the growth and spread of microorganisms, thereby preventing premature spoilage and associated health and safety risks.
A Comprehensive Guide to Lining Materials and Applications
Several tank liners are available on the market, each with its own set of characteristics and advantages:
Epoxy
Epoxy tank coatings consist of epoxy material known for its chemical resistance. These coatings are robust and aggressive, making them suitable for use in high-temperature environments. Epoxy’s moisture resistance and lack of solvents make it an ideal option for water tanks.
Epoxy linings come in three primary formulations: Epoxy Novolac, Bisphenol A, and Bisphenol F, each offering distinct advantages. Epoxy Novolac provides excellent chemical resistance, while Bisphenol F offers more versatile functionality, and Bisphenol A boasts higher viscosity and resistance to high temperatures. Epoxy Novolac is also solvent-free, making it particularly suitable for eco-friendly projects.
Polyurethane
Polyurethanes are engineered to withstand a wide range of chemical and mechanical pressures, including abrasion, puncture, and corrosion. Their exceptional durability makes them highly effective in protecting against diverse elements, even in the most challenging environments. Particularly suited for concrete structures, polyurethanes offer flexibility while remaining robust, making them a versatile choice for various applications.
Fluoropolymers
Fluoropolymers exhibit advantageous properties, including a low friction coefficient, high impact tolerance, good tensile strength, and exceptional resistance to corrosion, permeation, abrasion, and high temperatures. These qualities make them well-suited for lining storage tanks, as well as other components such as transport vessels and pipes.
Vinyl Ester
Vinyl ester liners, made of vinyl, offer high levels of resistance to chemical infiltration and contamination. Due to their exceptional resistance to temperature and chemical damage, these liners are widely used across various chemical industries.
Cementitious Liners
Cementitious linings are divided into two main types: epoxy and polymer-modified cementitious linings. These materials find widespread use in lining concrete tanks used for water treatment and chemical storage. They are particularly suitable for waterproofing retaining or collection structures submerged underwater.
Zinc Tank Liners
A zinc tank liner, made from zinc silicate, possesses anti-corrosive properties. Its additives and binders can function as an effective waterproofing material. With a high zinc dust content, these liners promote zinc-to-zinc contact, creating cathode-like protective layers similar to those seen in galvanizing. Although these linings are non-porous, their cleaning process may pose challenges. Nevertheless, they remain capable of safely containing chemicals.
Our services are well-established and trusted in Crockett, Grapeland, Kennard, Latexo, Lovelady, Ratcliff, HOUSTON, TEXAS.
We also provide reliable services in Longbeach, as well as neighboring cities, towns, suburbs, and localities such as Lakewood, Rossmoor, Lincoln Village, Seal Beach, Hawaiian Gardens, Los Alamitos, Cypress, Bellflower, Carson, La Palma, Paramount, Cerritos, East Compton, West Carson, Compton, Norwalk, Stanton, Westminster, Lomita, Downey, Lynwood, Rolling Hills Estates, Cudahy, CALIFORNIA.
Our friendly and experienced customer service team is here to help you!
Call Tanks Liners by American Tanks at +1 800 656 0167
Or email at info@americantankliners.com
1305 W 11th St #4087 Houston, TX 77008 USA
3711 Long Beach blvd Suite 4057 4th Floor # 1079 Long Beach, CA 90807 USA
