26 March 2022

How to find a leak in your water tank

A rainwater tank is a peachy investment right now for a lot of homes throughout New Zealand. With increasing drought conditions likely to lead to more and more water restrictions in the future, being able to admission your ain water supply via a rainwater tank is a great way to increase the sustainability of your habitation and ensure y'all can keep on doing the things you lot love during periods of water restriction.

Whether that's watering the garden, washing the car or fifty-fifty ensuring yous accept access to clean, green h2o all year circular in your dwelling, a water tank is a great option.

There are already thousands of homes in New Zealand that have h2o tanks installed – either for use outdoors or continued to the main water supply to the firm to provide potable water for washing, drinking, showering and more.

1 thing that is making tanks more appealing and accessible is the range of shapes and sizes that tanks come up in today. From huge 30,000 litre tanks to pocket-sized 200 litre barrels, rainwater tanks tin be fitted in and effectually most properties today depending on how you lot plan to use the h2o you collect.

They likewise come in a variety of materials which make them pretty versatile. From large concrete tanks that are typically fitted clandestine to poly tanks that can be moulded and shaped in a variety of ways and in different colours to match your home, there is no shortage of options when it comes to rainwater tanks in New Zealand.

Whilst they are built to last – some rainwater tanks will come with a 25-yr guarantee, over their lifetime, it is possible, nearly probable, that they will develop a leak at some stage. The adept news for y'all is that in well-nigh cases, leaks are relatively easy and cost-effective to gear up and will assistance to prolong the life of your rainwater tank.

Here are some of the common causes of leaking h2o tanks and how to fix them:

Cracks

Water tanks are meant to be durable and reliable enough for storing water, however, they will deteriorate over time as they get older. Cracks in physical water tanks are adequately mutual equally the concrete expands and contracts over fourth dimension as it warms up and so cools down in the winter months.

Over its lifetime, the concrete will expand and contract a lot, and this can, in some cases, lead to cracks actualization. The key to preventing leaks, or certainly major leaks, is abiding vigilance. Monitor the condition of the tank, within and out, and make a note of any pocket-size cracks or changes to the advent of the tank. Sometimes, a pocket-sized repair might be possible without having to bleed the unabridged tank if you lot spot it early enough, however, in a lot of cases, it will be necessary to empty the tank completely, allow information technology to dry out out and then make the necessary repair.

With plastic tanks (frequently referred to as poly tanks), cracks can be acquired by expansion and contraction across the dissimilar seasons and similar a physical tank, you lot should closely monitor the overall condition of your tank to help prevent whatsoever serious leaks from forming.

Cracks can also exist acquired in plastic tanks if they are hit by sharp objects or repeatedly hit with a ball for example. The weight of the h2o in the tank means there is a lot of pressure within the tank and this can pb to cracks if a specific expanse of the tank becomes weakened for whatsoever reason. If you lot apply the tank as a cricket wicket for example, if a ball hits the tank constantly, this can lead to a weakening of the tank over time which could lead to cracks or splits developing.

Poly tanks are usually more straightforward to repair than concrete tanks, although they will usually require draining in order to conduct out a full and proper repair that will last. The usual repair for a crack in a poly rainwater tank is to reweld the join or to weld a plastic patch over the fissure using estrus and a polyethylene filler material.

Rusting

Whilst less common here in New Zealand, mainly due to the prohibitive costs, there are still some properties that install stainless steel water tanks. These are typically used for smaller installations and similar any stainless steel product, they are susceptible to rust over time which tin turn into a leak.

Stainless steel is a low corrosion metallic, however, here in New Zealand where many people live close to the declension, the salt air can speed upward the rusting procedure so information technology pays to keep a shut eye on the condition of your water tank to ensure small patches of rust exercise not develop and cause problems with rusting.

In positive news, stainless steel tanks are probably the easiest to repair and tin be done by welding or patching the leak with a waterproof sealant. Stainless steel doesn't degrade and is less susceptible to changes in temperature and so it can provide a expert alternative to concrete and plastic tanks.

Connections

One of the nigh mutual areas to observe a leak with a water tank is around the connection points (both into and out of the tank). Your rainwater tank collects water from the gutters and this then flows into the tank via a connexion pipage. You want to maximise the amount of water you lot collect so make sure you regularly check the connection to make sure at that place are no leaks as the water flows into the tanks. Whilst this is not a leak as such, information technology could prevent you from collecting water and it could besides mean that contaminants could find their fashion into your water supply if the connection is non a tight seal.

A more common place to find a leak is from the pipe that connects your tank to your dwelling or if you simply use your rainwater tank for watering the garden and outdoor utilize, and so a leak can form at the outlet where you attach the hose or you lot have a tap fitted. These leaks are typically easier to spot as there volition be an obvious pool of water if the hose or tap leaks and these are commonly easy to fix and don't require whatsoever specialist aid.

Monitoring your water tank levels

One way of monitoring for leaks in a rainwater tank is to install a water metre. That fashion, you lot tin can monitor your boilerplate water consumption and brand a note if your water usage is unusually high. This could be an early indication of a leak in your tank.

At Smart H2o, nosotros accept engineered the most avant-garde tank level indicator bachelor that now offers total cloud connectivity.

Easy to install yourself, your Smart Water tank indicator provides y'all with all the information you demand from our app or from 1 of our LCD displays. Notice out how much water you consume on boilerplate from your tank, accurate pressure data and estimates on when your tank volition run out of water based on electric current usage.

Discover out more about our range of products or check out our FAQs for more data.