Step by step guide to cleaning plastic water tanks

It is necessary to periodically clean water storage tanks. The frequency will depend on the quality of the water entering the water tank. JoJo Tanks South Africa offers a guide to cleaning water tanks below.

Start by emptying out the tank as much as possible.

• Do this by opening the water tank outlet at the bottom of the tank, or pump the water out. (The water tank will always have a little water in the bottom as the lower outlet is slightly raised from the bottom of the tank).
• Examine the inside of the tank through the roof tank opening/inspection hole to see how much water is left. If there is a significant amount of solid matter at the bottom of the tank then this needs to be manually removed first.

Cleaning if you can lie the water tank on its side:

1.  Raise the bottom of the tank slightly to allow gravity to flush water out the lid of the water tank.

2.  Use a hose pipe to wash the remainder of the solid materials out of the tank. Make sure you also wash the side walls of the tank.

3.  Once the water tank is clear of the debris, examine the inside of the tank closely. If there is any algae etc, it may be necessary to enter the tank and manually scrub the walls of the tank.

4.  The best/safest cleaning materials are a simple cloth and a mild cleaning solution.

5.  Make sure the water tank is properly secured so that it does not roll away while someone is inside.

6.  Ensure there is adequate ventilation entering the water tank.

Cleaning the tank when it cannot be turned on its side

1.  This method is slightly more complicated as it will require someone to physically enter the water tank through the lid opening/inspection hole in the roof of the tank.

2.  Get a small person to enter the tank and use a dustpan to scoop the solid materials out of the tank.

3.  A narrow ladder can be used to help the person enter and exit the water tank. The solid material can be placed in a bucket and passed to someone waiting at the top of the tank.

4.  Examine the inside walls of the water tank. They may need to be manually scrubbed to clean them. Use a cloth and a mild cleaning solution.

5.  Ensure there is adequate ventilation entering the water tank.

6.  Once the solid material is removed, wash the floor with some water and remove the dirty water in the same manner. A cloth can be used to soak up the last bit of water off the floor.

Source: JoJo Tanks South Africa

Check out the wide variety of JoJo Tanks products below, including water tanks, rainwater tanks, septic tanks, chemical tanks, underground tanks, water tank stands, silo tank, silo tank stands and other high quality JoJo Tanks products, proudly designed and manufactured in South Africa using South African raw materials and expertise.

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.