Common Differences Between Fiberglass And Polyethylene Water Tanks

Common Differences Between Fiberglass And Polyethylene Water Tanks, Explained

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Industrial uses for water are as wide-ranging as they are common. Pretty much any manufactured product out there requires water at some point during the production process. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), water is used for industrial purposes such as processing, fabricating, diluting, washing, cooling, and transporting.

With industrial water use come industrial water tanks. Tanks come in a variety of different materials, sizes, and shapes. Two common materials for water tanks are fiberglass and polyethylene.

Here are some common differences between the two materials.

Strength

Fiberglass tanks have high structural integrity because their tank fittings are of the same material and are integrally bonded to it. This means that potential leakages are also reduced.

Moreover, fiberglass tanks have a high strength-to-weight ratio. This allows them to be placed practically anywhere with relative ease.

Also, fiberglass tanks can be used without fear of rust or rot over time.

Polyethylene tanks, while strong and light-weight, will require more maintenance in the long run.

Design

Installing accessories on fiberglass tanks is a breeze. Unlike other materials where the accessory installation is limited to flat areas on the tank, fiberglass tanks have considerable design freedom allowing accessories to be installed practically anywhere.

What’s more is that fiberglass tanks can be designed with an internal sloped bottom allowing efficient and total drainage. In addition to this, they can easily have hold-down systems installed for seismic and wind loads.

Maintenance

Fiberglass tanks will last you longer. Why, you ask? Well, because they have a longer tank service life. You will find that compared to polyethylene tanks, fiberglass ones reduce the tank replacement timeframe. They also minimize the potential for catastrophic failure.

While polyethylene tanks often require expansion joints due to swelling, fiberglass tanks are sturdy and have an extremely low coefficient of expansion.