Water tank stands or booster pumps…or both?

When water tanks are installed, there is often a requirement for some extra water pressure. What is best? Tank stands or pressure booster pumps…or both?

Where off-grid installations are concerned, water tanks will almost always be installed on fairly high water tank stands in order for pressure to be generated, via creating a ‘head’ of water.  For every 10 metres that the water tank is raised, one bar of pressure will be available. Off-grid situations will usually be without Mains electricity so water tank stands are generally the main way of generating water pressure.

In some cases, such as in urban residential estates, there my be rules and restrictions w.r.t. tall structures, including water tank stands (neighbours may not find them aesthetically pleasing.  In these cases, water tanks would be installed on a low water tank stand or base and a water pressure pump would be installed.  Either and external conventional booster pump could be installed or a submersible pump could be placed inside the water tank.  Submersible pumps are generally quieter, have low maintenance and are protected from being stolen easily.

In many cases, there are no building restrictions and electricity is available.  This is where we recommend that water tanks be installed (high enough to create usable water pressure) and a booster pump can be installed (if necessary) to boost the water pressure.  The great advantage of having both water tank stands and water pumps is that, in the event of a power failure (increasingly common in South Africa), there is still sufficient pressure generated by gravity from the tank on a tank stand.  Depending on the height of the tank stand, even extended power cuts will not result in water being cut-off to the building. Where both water tank stands and water pumps are jointly installed, the requirement for very high tank stands is reduced as the pump will make up for an shortfall in pressure required.

As it is important to always choose high quality water tanks, it is equally important, if not more so, to ensure that the water tank stand is of high quality and properly designed to carry the weight of the tank (remember a 10000 litre water tank exerts 10 metric tons of downward pressure).  In South Africa, we recommend water tank stands and silo tank stands made by JoJo Tanks – JoJo steel tank stands are designed and manufactured by a registered professional structural engineer (engineer’s certificates are issued with each size class of JoJo tank stand).  JoJo tank stands are available for 5000 litre vertical tanks and for 10000 litre vertical tanks in the following heights: 1.5m, 3m, 4.5m, 6m and 9m.

See below for more information and specifications of the wide range of JoJo Tanks products available in South Africa.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of products such as plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need, including silo tanks and silo tank stands as well as other high quality JoJo Tanks products.  See JoJo Tanks’ VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS (transporter tanks), STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS and see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.