Your industrial storage tank should last you at least 20 years and potentially up to 40 with proper upkeep.
Industrial tanks are built to hold everything from gas and oil to water and industrial chemicals. Because of the substances that they’re built to contain, tank maintenance is absolutely crucial in preventing debris and corrosion.
Once it’s there, your tank could become contaminated, which will require you to drain and repair or replace it. If you want to avoid this for as long as possible, you need to take maintenance seriously.
Here, we’re going to give you top storage tank maintenance tips for your oil tanks, water tanks, and other petrochemical tanks. Take these tips to heart, and your industrial storage tank will live a full and effective life.
Table of Contents
Make Safety a Priority
Whether you’re dealing with oil tanks or water storage tanks, you need to make safety a major priority during tank maintenance. By creating a pre-entry checklist that adheres to OSHA requirements, you’ll be able to ensure your employees are following a strict protocol that keeps them safe in and around the tank.
For instance, the Confined Space Entry Permit system plays an important role in how your employees access and maintain the storage tank. There should also be warning signs around the tanks, and PPE should be provided to all employees conducting maintenance checks. If you’re not diligent in these safety practices, a lot can go wrong.
Periodic Sampling and Treating of Substances
One huge part of tank maintenance is the periodic sampling of the substance in the tank. A clear sign of contamination is when your fuel changes color or there’s reduced combustion efficiency. Water is contaminated by a variety of substances.
If you’ve got contaminated substances, you need to find the source of the contamination. Whether it’s insects or animal waste in your water or vapor and bacteria in your gas, find where the breach is and close it off.
When the tank looks in good shape, treat the substance. With water, this involves dosing the water with non-stabilized chlorine. With gas, you need to remove the sludge and treat it with EAP-approved biocides.
Should your tank need cleaning, you’ll need to go through a thorough cleaning procedure. If you perform regularly scheduled cleanings, you can avoid many of the issues that we’ve discussed.
Perform Scheduled Cleanings
So, how do you clean industrial storage tanks?
First, you need to cut off the electrical connections and disconnect the valves of the tank. Arrange for a vacuum truck to remove the remaining liquid and ventilate the tank so that it’s safe to clean.
Once safe, clean the interior of the tank according to standards – power wash the walls, floors, and roof. With the cleaning complete, you can fill the tank back up and hook up all of the connections.
Keep Your Storage Tank Well-Maintained
Now that you know how to properly maintain your industrial storage tank, it should stand the test of time. Regular maintenance and cleanings will prevent contamination and keep your business running as it should. Go through these maintenance procedures and schedule cleanings at least once per year.
Did you find this article on top storage tank maintenance tips helpful? Check out our other articles for more interesting tips.
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