Many people despise the sound of rain as it is often associated with ruined plans. However, it is what fills up your water tank during the rainy months. Seeing as Malta's buildings are designed with flat roofs, the majority of households own receptacles to ensure a perpetual supply of water in case of any emergency which may arise.

Why Should You Buy a Water Tank?

Having a reserve of water is always beneficial. For instance, harvesting rainwater will reduce the environmental footprint as you'll be using less water from the main supply. In turn, your bills will also start diminishing the more you benefit from this free source of water. Whether you need to store it for a short or long period, you can choose to purchase any size you deem fit for your needs. Additionally, a water reservoir is also easy to install.

What Do You Need to Consider When Buying a Water Tank?

Where to Place the Water Tank

A rainwater tank must be installed on a flat surface that is above ground or an underground location, depends on the intended usage. However, the water tank is generally placed on the highest point possible, as long as it's lower than the area where rain is collected.

Tank Quality 

Having high quality water is important, and owning a reservoir of the highest quality is a primary determining factor to ensure high hygiene standards. A renowned brand would provide high quality materials, especially the interior of the container, in order to preserve the quality of water.

Tank Durability

Since the container is going to be exposed to harsh conditions, its exterior side must be durable enough to withstand all weather elements to reduce the risk of corrosion and cracks. Durability will guarantee a longer life span, so do go through reviews to see if your shortlisted option is the best product for your needs.

Extra Features

You may choose to add features which would enhance your tank's performance, such as UV stabilisation, multilayering for insulation purposes, and protection against algae, which commonly grows in cases where there's no circulation.

Tank Material

Tanks come in a variety of materials, with the most popular being metal (iron and stainless steel), concrete, fibreglass, and polyethylene (plastic). Polyethylene is, in this time and age, the most popular option locally as it's cost effective and won't rust - a necessity when you're living on an island, particularly if you live in a seafront location. Fibreglass is renowned for its resistance and durability, and concrete is mainly used for industrial and agricultural purposes due to its sturdy nature.

Tank Size & Shape

With a wide range of shapes and sizes, choosing a receptacle may be more overwhelming than you might have initially thought. From a capacity of 200 litres up to 10000 litres and from vertical to horizontal, rectangular and bowser shapes, the options are varied. 

Which size do you actually need? This depends on several factors:

• The number of people in the household who will benefit from the water.
• The purpose of storage: if it overflows, it is either too small or you don't make use of it. Conversely if it never fills up, it could be too big than is needed. 
• The space available on the roof: solar panels or water heaters may take up roof space. 
• The amount of rainfall in the area. 

Water tank suppliers will be able to guide you in choosing the best one for your needs.

Water Usage

Are you buying a tank for domestic, commercial, industrial or agricultural use? If filtered properly, rainwater can be used for showers and baths, toilet flushing, cleaning chores, cooking and other household exercises. It can also be used for gardening, to fill pool, car washing and other outdoor activities. This is especially effective for big households which are trying to reduce the use of municipal water. Collected water can even be used for drinking purposes if the container's material is good enough to hold drinking water and if the proper filtering systems are installed. In the agricultural sector, stored rainwater is even pumped into irrigation systems.

The usage you intend for your tank will determine where you install it, the capacity of water you need and whether you need to connect it to the mains supply. Contact one of the plumbers on Yellow if you want to connect your tank to the mains supply.

Tank Warranty

Good quality water tanks will come with a warranty so check this out with the supplier.

Type of Tank

Apart from roof water tanks, suppliers may also provide containers for drinking water, to store other liquids or gases, caged and portable vessels, marine and open top tanks.

Services

A number of water tank suppliers may offer delivery, installation, maintenance and any other required service. Although it's recommended to have your tank installed by professionals, you can also try your hand at DIY installation.

Additionally, you may also find a selection of parts and accessories such as water pumps, tank lids, valves, pipes, filters and other plumbing supplies.

Tank Price 

How much will a water tank cost? Prices will vary according to all the above mentioned features, but we suggest you keep quality always one of the primary priorities.

How Do You Clean Your Water Tank?

If high quality water is what you want to get, it's imperative that you have your tank cleaned at least once a year. Hence, you'll reduce the risk of having bacteria or viruses multiplying, which may in turn cause skin infections. You may also need to make sure that you removing the algae which may have started to grow on the sides of the receptacle.

Here are some useful tips for cleaning your tank:

• Clear roof from debris on a regular basis
• Make sure you flush the tank after installing it to remove any dirt or contaminants 
• Empty the tank each year, scrub it to remove all the sediment which would have accumulated, use bleach to disinfect, wash away all chemicals using a high pressure jet, and leave to dry. 
• Book deep cleaning by professionals every once in a while

Explore the number of water tank suppliers and hardware stores across Malta and Gozo to start storing water now.