Steel or Plastic Tank for Investment Property?

[Fourex]

I require a 5000 gal tank for an investment property to meet council requlations. Will be going on an older style timber house in a rural area close to town centre.

Can not decide to go for a Steel or a Plastic Tank.

Can I ask the forum members for their choice between the two and why.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Propertunity]

Can not decide to go for a Steel or a Plastic Tank.

What is the difference in price?

 

[Gee Cee]

Usually the plastic tanks are round and about $800.
Steel are slim line and about 3 metres wide and 800 mm wide. At $ 2k +.
If you have the space go round plastic.
If not pay the Extra and go steel slim line.

 

[Fourex]

Propertunity,

Steel price is $ 2450 Size Dia 3480 Height 2350 mm 23000 Litres
Plastic price is $ 2495 Size Dia 3350 Height 3000 mm 22500 Litres

Both includes delivery to site. Space is not an issue being a 1000 m2 block.

 

[jaycee]

Is fibreglass an option ? Don't know how they compare in price, has been 16 years since I sold one and cant remember what they were worth

 

[Propertunity]

Well I was born in T'ba and still remember the galvanised tanks on tall wooden tank stands. I guess for me it is no contest - steel over plastic. Plastic does not stand up too well to bush fire. Also some cheaper Chinese imports have split.
Steel I think would be more in character for the place and no price diff.

 

[morty]

I'd definately go plastic. We install them all the time on houses and farms in our area and no-one uses steel anymore. I think there are too many old rusted out steel tanks around for people to want to take that option again.

Cheers
Morty

 

[RumpledElf]

What Morty said.

All our tanks are Polytanks from the local Elders. Being mildy anal, all mine are the same non-default colourbond colour. They have 10 year warranties. Bought over a few years the price has gone up every year. The polytanks need a fine gravel base to put them on (we use crushed gravel - the fine sort you use as a base under pavers) and the metal tanks need a somewhat more elaborate stand so take more effort and expense to install. The standard metal tanks rust, split, leak out of the joins etc, and the lined metal tanks cost even more than plastic tanks.

 

[kinga4610]

Poly tank gets my vote. You have plenty of suppliers in Toowoomba too. Poly (plastic) also have a huge range of colours.

For the base (bed) where the tank is to go all we have done is mixed crusher dust with dry cement powder racked through and then level with a board. We have installed 4 tanks in the last 5 years. With a steel tank you would need to build a tank stand of some sort.

Kinga

 

[our obsession]

We have many rainwater tanks, concrete, steel, fibreglass and the polytanks.

Polytanks for longevity and cost, (we have found).

They have withstood extreme weather conditions, the steel rusted out, (older type tanks, maybe new steel tanks with the lining okay, but we aren't bothered), concrete the shortest lifespan, a sad attrtion rate, fibreglass not lasting as long and in good nick as polytanks either.
Last count was 40 tanks and rising..so been through a few

http://www.rainwatertanksdirect.com.au/rainwater-tanks/

Seems like a good site, we buy ours from local produce/agricultural store, last polytank we purchased for an IP, (farm ones are much bigger), a few months ago was 4500 low profile (put it on a stand, steel tank had rusted/busted), 1045 dollars.

 

[Fourex]

Thank you all for your imput.

I have decided to go for the poly tank, although I do agree with Propertunity that the steel ones look better. Handy website our_obsession will keep that one in the favorites for next time.

Also was able to get the poly supplier to come in under on price. Just goes to show you can get some good discounts in the current market.

Cheers!

 

[topcropper]

concrete the shortest lifespan, a sad attrtion rate, .

I wonder why you've not had much luck with concrete? We have 14, all 25 thousand litre ones, the oldest probably 30 years old, and not a problem with any. We also have some poly ones.

We like concrete as it seems to taste better and the water seems to be cooler.

Around here, the hobby farm people are going for plastic lined 100,000 plus litre steel tanks to catch rain water for drinking and home water. Thats big! Then they put down a bore for stock and garden and toilet and they basically have unlimited water.

See ya's.

 

[our obsession]

TC:

I wonder why you've not had much luck with concrete? We have 14, all 25 thousand litre ones, the oldest probably 30 years old, and not a problem with any. We also have some poly ones.

Good question..??

The big 4 concrete ones in paddocks are all intact, the ones here off/at the shedding seem to have developed small cracks, possibly then moisture into the steel reinforcement...and it all went on from there. They still hold water ok, just a slow leak.

Some folk in nearby towns have some, some are okay, and some have the same problems. Might only be one, two, three little cracks...not big gushy, oops their stuffed leaks.