MAINTAINING YOUR TANK WITH FRESH PAINT AND CLEANOUTS

Exterior paint is exposed to the elements – breaking down over time due to exposure from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, rainwater, and wind. Natural elements can corrode steel to the point that a tank is beyond repair if it is not repainted often enough.

When water interacts with steel, rust occurs. Rust weakens steel and causes it to corrode. Paint adds another layer of protection between the elements and bare steel. A fresh coat of quality paint keeps the rust at bay and helps ensure the structural integrity of a storage tank. Addressing coating deficiencies early on is better than letting the problem snowball into a larger issue.

Lead paint can be hazardous to remove and requires containment, which also makes it more expensive to remove.  A shroud can be placed around the tank to prevent harmful lead particles from escaping into the air.

How long a coat of paint lasts depends on a lot of factors. An interior paint coat could rust in eight years or less or look fantastic after 20 years. It all depends on the tank’s location, the quality of water in the tank, and the chlorine concentration, plus other factors.

Painting a tank every 15 years or so is cheaper than not doing it for decades. That’s because a storage tank that’s left unmaintained will corrode, sometimes to the point where no amount of maintenance will save it. Instead, a tank that could have lasted several decades might need to be replaced after a much shorter lifespan.

Cleanouts and pressure washing tanks can help get rid of harmful residue and keep the paint in good condition.

Nobody wants to drink dirty water. Removing sediment helps keep the water clean for consumption if stored in a potable water tank. Even if stored in a fire protection tank, it’s still better if it’s free of sediment since it can clog up a sprinkler system and render it useless.

Cleanouts help keep a tank functioning. Tanks can get pretty gross on the inside if left alone. A mixture of dirt, mud, bacteria, and even animal carcasses can find its way into a tank. Removing sediment from storage tanks helps keep it from becoming contaminated. Some tanks collect more sediment than others because there are different water sources. Think about most rivers and lakes. They can be pretty muddy and even grimy. If water comes from a river or lake, chances are that more sediment will settle to the bottom of a tank than if that tank’s water source was coming from a clearwater well.

Tanks can have anywhere from a thin layer of sediment that’s only a fraction of an inch to as much as a foot in between cleanouts. ROVs can be used to clean out the tank. If there’s a lot of sediment, a vacuum truck will likely be necessary to get up all the dirt and mud.