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Help · Installation InfoInstalling Your Sulfuric Acid Tank
Follow these steps to handle, install and fill your tank safely and get the longest service life from it. Improper handling or installation can void your warranty.
Every tank: step by step
- Inspect on arrival. Check the tank and every fitting before you accept the delivery. Note any damage on the driver's bill of lading and the packing list, then contact us right away so we can correct it quickly.
- Unload carefully. How depends on the tank. Smaller tanks may come on a pallet and can be moved with a forklift; guard the tank against the forklift blades. Larger tanks should be lifted by crane or similar equipment using the molded-in lifting and tie-down lugs. Never roll the tank over its fittings or let its weight rest on a fitting, and set it down on a smooth surface free of rocks and sharp objects.
- Prepare the base. Set the tank on a level concrete base that supports it completely. We can supply site-specific foundation and tie-down specifications from a third-party engineer licensed in all 50 states; charges apply for this service.
- Secure the tank. Anchor it against wind, seismic movement and the motion of its contents. Tie-down systems are available.
- Leave room around it. Allow space for fittings, valves and plumbing, and room for routine work and maintenance.
- Connect the fittings and piping. Hand-tighten plastic bulkhead fittings; over-tightening can cause leaks. Support all fittings, valves and piping on their own so a fitting never carries the weight of pipe, and use flexible connections or expansion joints so the tank can expand and contract. Accessories such as immersion heaters must never touch the tank wall.
- Vent the tank. These tanks are for atmospheric pressure only: never pressurize a tank or pull a vacuum on it. ASTM D1998-21 (section 7.4) calls for vents that comply with OSHA 1910.106 normal venting for atmospheric tanks or another accepted standard, or that are at least as large as the filling or withdrawal connection, whichever is larger, and never smaller than 1" nominal inside diameter. We suggest a vent 1" larger than the largest fill or withdrawal connection. Delivery by compressed air (pneumatic truck unloading) needs larger vents.
- Water-test before service. Fill the tank with water and check the tank and every fitting for leaks before you add chemical.
- Stay within the tank's limits. Confirm that your chemical is compatible with the tank, fittings and gaskets (chemical compatibility), and don't exceed the tank's rated temperature or specific gravity. Don't put loads on the top of the tank or on its fittings. Protect it from impact, especially in cold weather. Anyone who must enter a tank needs confined-space precautions.
- Fill level. Listed capacity is calculated to the top of the straight sidewall, but a tank may be filled "brim" full if it is done with care.
Notes for each tank style
Single Wall Vertical
A flat-bottom upright tank that sits directly on its base.
- Support the whole flat bottom: no gaps, rocks or debris under the tank.
- Use flexible connections on fittings low on the sidewall, where the wall moves most as the tank fills and empties.
- Listed capacity is calculated to the top of the straight sidewall. The tank may be filled "brim" full if it is done with care.
Double Wall Vertical
A tank within a tank: the outer tank holds the contents if the inner tank ever leaks.
- The inner and outer tanks are joined at our plant by thermoplastic welding, so the tank ships and installs as one unit.
- Lift only by the OUTER tank's lifting lugs. The inner tank's lugs are normally plugged.
- The leak detector ships separately (so does an ultrasonic level sensor, if ordered). The leak detector needs no setup or calibration: test it by dipping the sensor in water, then install it in the secondary (interstitial) space between the walls.
- A sight glass is never used on a double wall tank. A reverse float level indicator works well because it needs no sidewall penetrations.
Insulated Single Wall
Foam insulation and an outer jacket keep the contents at temperature.
- Never drill into or mount anything on an insulated tank.
- A temperature controller is always included and comes mounted on the tank, factory pre-wired and tested. On site, only connect the incoming 120 VAC single-phase supply to the designated terminal blocks. Don't change any other wiring.
- Heat comes from HTD SPX adhesive-backed heater pads (210 or 420 watts, 120 VAC; 240 VAC options are available). The HTD controller has a process thermostat and an over-temperature cut-out, each adjustable from 50 to 175°F, in a NEMA 4X enclosure, and is approved for unclassified (non-hazardous) locations; a hazardous-area version is available. Wiring practice follows the NEC (NFPA 70) and IEEE 515.
- Insulation adds to the outside size: 2" insulation makes the tank about 4" wider and 2" taller, 3" about 6" wider and 3" taller, and 4" about 8" wider and 4" taller.
Cone Bottom
A sloped bottom drains completely. The tank sits in a stand, never on its cone.
- The stand is optional and sold separately.
- If you supply your own stand, it must support the full weight of the tank and its contents, including the liquid in the cone. Stands are commonly made of steel, aluminum or molded plastic.
- Set the stand on a level, solid base. The cone must not touch the ground or the pad.
- Support the bottom outlet valve and its piping separately so their weight doesn't hang on the outlet, and leave room under the cone to reach the valve.
Open Top Cone Bottom
Open for mixing and processing; installed the same way as a cone bottom tank.
- Follow the Cone Bottom instructions: the stand is optional and sold separately, and any stand must support the full weight of the tank and its contents.
- Don't rest equipment on the open rim of the tank.
Horizontal
Horizontal leg tanks and elliptical leg tanks for low clearance and for hauling.
- Every leg must rest on a flat, horizontal surface.
- Horizontal leg tanks and elliptical leg tanks are commonly mounted on trucks and trailers for water hauling and spraying. Nearly all sizes can be, as long as the truck or trailer is matched to the tank.
- Every horizontal tank comes with bands or straps for mounting it to the vehicle.
Keep it in good shape
Inspect the tank at least weekly for leaks around the fittings, check the tie-downs and vents monthly, and give it a full inspection once a year. See Sanitation Info for cleaning and Measurement Info for sizing, strapping charts and level gauges.
