Plastic water storage tank

[Cory]

I bought one of these plastic bins 125 gallons for mixing saltwater, im wondering, whats the best way to clean it? Soap and water? Just rinse witb tap water?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is it new, or was something previously in it? Do you know what?

 

[Cory]

Is it new, or was something previously in it? Do you know what?

Its new. It has some brown dust inside i think it might be gravel road dust.

 

[Hydrored]

I just installed 2 new tanks and had some sort of mold release in it, I sprayed them with a pressure washer and was getting soapy bubbles. I pressure washed, filled with regular tap and vinegar, drained, air-dried, rinsed with RODI. So far so good.

 

[Cory]

I just installed 2 new tanks and had some sort of mold release in it, I sprayed them with a pressure washer and was getting soapy bubbles. I pressure washed, filled with regular tap and vinegar, drained, air-dried, rinsed with RODI. So far so good.

I wont be able to pressure wash mine. Ill just have to fill it and rise.

 

[Pistondog]

10 gals water, 1 gal vinegar, shake and tumble for a bit, rinse 2x with a couple of gallons rodi.

 

[Cory]

10 gals water, 1 gal vinegar, shake and tumble for a bit, rinse 2x with a couple of gallons rodi.

I just rinsed it with 10 gallons or so with tap water. Its made of polyethylene.

 

[rob taft]

I just rinsed it with 10 gallons or so with tap water. Its made of polyethylene.

Call me reckless but that is all I did to my Norwesco 35 gallon RODI tank a year ago. While I'm on well water i.e. I don't have any chlorine in my system, I just flushed it out with a garden hose, emptied it and started filling up with RODI.

 

[Cory]

Call me reckless but that is all I did to my Norwesco 35 gallon RODI tank a year ago. While I'm on well water i.e. I don't have any chlorine in my system, I just flushed it out with a garden hose, emptied it and started filling up with RODI.

Nice. My main concern is any plasticizers that may rise phosphates more. I already have problems keeping down .40 ppm po4.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Polyethylene does not generally contain plasticizers (as best I can tell), but there may well be mold release agents on the surface and possibly other ingredients deeper down. There's no reason to suspect mold release agents are a toxicity concern.

This one, for example, is just polyethylene particles/dust:

Product Details - Plastic Additives from Evonik

www.plastic-additives.com

 

[KStatefan]

Mold releases should mainly be on the outside.

 

[rob taft]

In the the case of polyethylene rotomolded tanks, generally the release agent is usually added to the plastic prior to melting. Other items such as UV stabilizers are also added. These are mostly water based materials. Just wash the tank out with your garden hose, drain and make water.