Plastic containers for water: types, advantages and disadvantages + recommendations for selection

Vasily Borutsky
Checked by a specialist: Vasily Borutsky
Author: Anton Bondar
Last update: May 2024

Water supply outside the city is unstable, so residents need to create an additional reserve of water for irrigation, bathing and other domestic needs.

In addition, tap water outside the city may be unsuitable for food purposes and owners of country houses should take care of creating a reserve of drinking water. To store liquid, it is most advisable to use plastic containers for water.

In this material we will talk about the varieties of plastic water containers, the technology for their manufacture, and also give some useful tips for choosing.

The technology of manufacturing plastic containers

Thanks to the technology for the production of polymer containers, they can store technical, drinking water for a long time. Therefore, they are in demand both in summer cottages and for housekeeping in a private house.

Water tanks are made using seamless technology. The material for the manufacture is plastic in sheets, which, according to international quality criteria, is environmentally friendly, safe and durable. It is convenient when creating products, as it is easy to cut and weld.

Plastic water tanks
Plastic containers for water, unlike metal barrels, are suitable for storing aggressive substances without additional processing. They are lightweight, practical, durable, do not require periodic maintenance and repair of seams

For the manufacture of tanks, plastic sheets are heated, given the desired shape and fastened by seamless welding using welded rods.

The heated material is plastic, easy to mold. Therefore, at this stage, the installation of additional parts.

Depending on the purpose of the storage tank, it can be equipped with:

  • fittings;
  • bends;
  • flanges;
  • locking ceilings;
  • pumps;
  • handles for transportation;
  • drain;
  • heating element;
  • stiffeners;
  • legs.

After giving the product the necessary shape, the finished tank should cool. After solidification, it is ground at the junction of the sheets and the installation of additional elements.

Safe plastic containers
Polyethylene water tanks do not have a negative impact on humans and are safe for the environment, and affordable cost is an additional argument in their favor

Polypropylene containers must be purchased in accordance with their intended purpose, therefore, before choosing a container for a summer cottage or for agricultural purposes, it is necessary to determine the complete set.

At the request of the customer, the tank can be equipped with additional accessories:

  • float, to visualize the liquid level;
  • galvanized metal frame for extra strength;
  • case and pallet, for outdoor use;
  • lid with air valve to preserve the properties and freshness of drinking water.

Fair manufacturers use certified equipment and materials. The consumer, in this case, receives the product without additional seams, from a material of a homogeneous fraction. Such a product will be durable, environmentally friendly and reliable in operation.

Production of plastic containers
Operational properties and the service life of plastic water tanks depend on compliance with production technology and the quality of materials.

Violation of technology in the production process reduces the service life of plastic tanks. Some products are initially unsuitable for use. To avoid such troubles, the company must issue a certificate of quality for the goods.

Pros and Cons of Plastic Tanks

The advantages of plastic tanks are related to the material from which they are made.

Therefore, the main advantages of polyethylene containers for water are:

  1. Low cost. Due to the unstable situation in the financial market, the price of raw materials is increasing. Prices for finished products have the same trend, but in comparison with tanks made of other materials, the cost of plastic products is much lower.
  2. Light weight. Transportation, loading containers made of polypropylene can minimize energy consumption. Plastic barrels for transporting liquids, mounted on the frame or in the car body, reduce the load, facilitate the installation and dismantling of the transportation system.
  3. Plastic is resistant to decay, corrosion, detergents. In this regard, the product retains an attractive appearance for a long time.
  4. Material structure It repels UV rays, so the properties of water stored in a plastic container for a long time will not change, even if the tank was not in the shade on the street.
  5. Temperature Rangein which the product can be operated without loss of properties - from -40 to + 50 ° C.
  6. Term of use storage tanks for water from polypropylene, depending on operating conditions, location, and ranges from 25 to 50 years.

Plastic tanks can be installed in the house and on the street. Moreover, on the street, containers can be placed on the podium, on the ground or buried in the ground.

Underground placement reveals the first drawback: frozen groundwater can push the light structure out. Optimal grounding and a retaining structure are required to maintain the water storage.

Sealed Water Tanks
The manufacture of water tanks by the method of seamless welding determines their absolute tightness. Strong adhesion of joints prevents them from diverging

If the outdoor temperature has long been close to the lower limit, you should move the tank to a heated room. For the winter period, it is necessary to completely drain the water, since its possible expansion will lead to deformation of the walls of the bowl.

If you use water from a polyethylene tank that is not intended for food purposes, you can be harmful to your health, since the interaction of technical plastic grade 03-07 with water, and when heated, releases hazardous substances - bisphenol and formaldehyde.

With proper operation, these shortcomings will not affect the quality of the water in the tanks.

Varieties of Plastic Tanks

Storage tanks for water from polymers vary in shape, volume, color, material and purpose. Choosing a suitable tank, it is necessary to analyze what characteristics of the product will be optimal for meeting household needs.

Material for manufacturing

For the manufacture of containers used light polymers: polyethylene and polypropylene. Polyethylene products are used in everyday life for storing drinking and industrial water.

Polypropylene tanks Suitable for use in industrial plants and factories. Dense, stable containers for technical and chemical liquids are smelted from polypropylene sheets.

Capacity with stiffeners
Tanks with even thin walls cannot be called particularly strong, and if you need a design that is resistant to deformation, choose tanks with thickened walls and stiffeners

Plastic barrels for drinking water are made from pure food grade polyethylene. Such material ensures the preservation of the chemical composition of water, prevents the multiplication of putrefactive microbes and bacteria.

There is a technology when the base material is coated with a special antiseptic coating on the inside of the tank. The inner, white layer protects the liquid from flowering and bacteria, and the outer, blue layer creates a barrier to the penetration of sunlight.

Abrasive cleaners must not be used to treat double-layer drinking water storage devices so as not to damage the integrity of the thin coating.

Color difference in containers

Polyethylene containers are available in four color options: white, blue, green and black.

Blue tanks universal and used for storing food and industrial water on the street and indoors. Since a dense layer of dark blue plastic does not transmit UV rays, water, even during prolonged storage, does not lose its chemical properties and does not bloom.

Polyethylene green container, similar in properties to products in blue and dark blue. The choice of a green or blue tank is based on the personal preferences of the buyer.

Green barrel for water in the garden
Green water tanks look harmoniously in the front garden, garden and vegetable garden, therefore they are often used for watering

White cans should be stored indoors without natural light, since light plastic does not protect the liquid from possible reactions. The white walls of the tanks have an advantage over the colored ones only in that you can control the amount of liquid in the tank.

Black containers designed for watering or for arranging a summer shower. Such products do not allow UV rays, they are very warm in the sun. Therefore, underground tap water quickly heats up and becomes suitable for bathing and watering garden crops.

Volume and shape of the drive

Storage tanks have different capacities. The smallest hold 20 liters of water, the largest - 10 tons.

For the transport of drinking water to the country, it is advisable to purchase containers of 20-50 liters. For arrangement summer soul tanks of 100-200 liters are in demand.

If tap water is unstable, then for irrigation and domestic needs a container with a capacity of 1000-2000 liters is suitable.

Plastic tanks of different volumes
The wall thickness of containers with a volume of 20 to 1000 liters is in the range of 4 to 6 mm. For tanks from 2,000 to 10,000 liters, from 6 to 10 mm

Tanks for 3, 5 and 10 cubic meters of water are used for industrial purposes and for transporting liquid, bulk cargo in special vehicles.

Polypropylene water tanks have a different shape. Therefore, both the owner of the cottage and the summer resident will select the best option for the bowl, based on the capabilities and purpose.

Cylindrical tanks occupy a minimum of space, therefore they are operated in bathhouses and houses.

Rectangular universal containers for storing liquids can be located underground and on the surface. A vertically standing rectangular tank saves space.

Cubic tanks They have a large volume and a wide throat opening convenient for filling. When installing the lower crane and installing the barrel on the podium, a complete drain of water is possible.

Elliptical tank for a summer shower
To equip the summer shower, you should purchase horizontally oriented tanks made of black plastic, to increase the surface of natural heating

Flat elliptical or elongated conical tanks are installed on the roof of the summer shower. The shape, when the lower part is wider than the upper, allows you to increase the pressure of the liquid. For ease of filling, such containers are equipped with a wide neck opening.

This variety will allow you to install containers for water in any free corner without losing usable space, even if the cottage or plot has a small area.

The use of plastic tanks in the country

Living in a private country house or in the summer at the dacha, the owners of the plots have to adapt to the field conditions. A serious problem for summer residents is water supply organization plot.

The low price determines the demand for plastic tanks. Such containers are used to collect rainwater, irrigate the lawn and irrigate agricultural plants, arrange seasonal showers and drink.

Water tank with submersible pump
Special containers for irrigation are equipped with a pump to create the pressure of the outgoing water. If necessary, the pump can be equipped with any universal drive

In addition, individual tank models are used for the device. autonomous sewer. For people permanently living outside the city, in the absence of a sewage disposal channel, the installation of this engineering system is necessary.

Tips for choosing a polyethylene drive

For the manufacture of tanks, durable synthetic material is used - plastic, which determines the long-term operation of the products.

If its quality and manufacturing technology of products does not meet existing standards, then the capacity will serve half the guaranteed period or, with little physical impact, will immediately become worthless.

Therefore, when buying a plastic tank, you must consider the tips that will help you to get a really high-quality product.

Tip # 1 - Certificate of Conformity

When buying a storage tank for water, it is important to obtain a quality certificate for the products. Since the information in the document indicates that the product is made of certified raw materials, in good condition.

Plastic Tank Quality Certificate
A conscientious manufacturer of containers, along with a technical passport that contains operational properties, provides a certificate of conformity for products

Obtaining a certificate of compliance is important when purchasing a drinking water tank. If the bowl was made of plastic grades 03-07, under certain conditions it emits life-threatening substances. Therefore, before paying, you must make sure that the container was cast from the primary food grade polymer 01 and 02.

If this document is available to the consumer, it is easier to return the product to the seller if there are claims to quality.

Tip number 2 - appearance

When you inspect the water tank, you need to make sure that there are no uneven walls. For this, special attention should be paid to the convex parts of the container, and if in any section the plastic has a lighter shade or bends at the touch of a finger, then it is better to refuse to buy this product.

Correct seams and joints on the tank
Internal and external grooves, transitions from the neck of the tank, stiffeners and legs to the walls of the vessel must be smooth and neat

In addition, it is important to ensure the quality of the seams, or rather, in their absence. High-quality joints are almost invisible, as they are performed by the method of seamless welding. The certified product excludes additional seams.

The attachment points of additional elements: bends, flanges, drain, handles, etc., must be carefully sanded.

Tip number 3 - easy transportation

If it is planned to transport water to a summer cottage, then plastic tanks equipped with special grooves should be considered.

By means of one or more notches in the base, the container is strapped and secured in the trunk, in the car body.

Plastic containers with grooves
Internal and external recesses allow to fix the tank on the car. Through the grooves, the containers are attached to the retaining structure underground

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Appointment of plastic containers depending on volume and shape:

How to install the inlet and outlet fitting in a plastic container:

A lot of problems in the country house and in a private house can be solved with the help of plastic containers for water. The low price of plastic products, lightweight and durable construction contribute to the widespread use of plastic barrels indoors, outdoors and underground.

If the demand for water changes, you can change the tank without significant investment.

If you still have questions about the topic of the article, you can ask them in the block below, and we will try to give them an extremely clear answer.

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Visitors Comments
  1. Sergei

    I live in the countryside. I only have a plastic barrel at home. In the courtyard are all metal. Although they are covered with rust, they are strong, they do not crack like plastic from accidental contact or impact. In addition, they have another significant minus. Under the influence of heat, and in our country it happens at forty degrees in the summer, they lose their shape and bend. Although such barrels are inexpensive, they have a short lifespan. Even if I see that the price for them is cheap, I bypass them in stores.

    • Expert
      Vasily Borutsky
      Expert

      Plastic, of course, is different, but at 40 degrees the barrel should not be deformed. The softening of most types of plastic occurs at 80 degrees Celsius and above. And plastic has many advantages - both price and durability. So in vain you slander him.

  2. Vladimir

    I put a polypropylene barrel of blue color with a capacity of 50 liters on an outdoor shower. Despite the color, the walls still pass part of the sun's rays. Water begins to bloom on the third day. A layer of green flakes forms on the walls. And the neighbors have an iron barrel of 200 liters, and there is no such problem. Maybe this is due to the fact that my tank lid does not close tightly? So the neighbors also closed plywood sheet. In short, the tank needs to be changed, but for what?

    • Expert
      Vasily Borutsky
      Expert

      Hello. You understand that sunlight only accelerates the development of phytoplankton, already contained in water from air or a liquid medium. To prevent early flowering, use special reagents, buy black Eurocubes or paint an existing barrel in black.

      Closing a better barrel is, of course, necessary. Flush the tank supplying hose before these procedures. Also, if the reason is the high organic content in the water, they disinfect the wells and install filters.

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