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How to Spot a Cheap Water Tank from a Quality Tank

We have all experienced the salesman who will do or say almost anything to have us buy something. An often used phrase during their pitch is “higher quality”. It is heard so often, “high quality this” and “high quality that” such words often carry little to no substance. Yet, most of us are often willing to pay a bit more for higher quality.

Team Poly have been in the tank manufacturing industry a long time. Since 1990 we have experience making well over a million water tanks. This speaks for itself. We could tell you to just buy from us if you want a “high quality” tank, but we don’t want to pitch to you. Rather, this article is intended to help you to identify an inferior tank from a high quality one.

What a Cheap Water Tank Is Not

There is a perception that a higher price tag means a higher quality product. This might be true when comparing products under the same brand, but price is never a good way to distinguish quality between different brands and competing businesses.

It would certainly be easier if a higher cost always meant higher quality, but quality is something that is gained over time through refinement. Since price can’t serve as a guide, this means you as the consumer will need to learn a few details about the product you are interested in.

With rainwater tanks, a lower and more competitive price doesn’t then always equate to an inferior product. Team Poly’s tanks for example are of a very high standard, yet we are also often cheaper than similar competitors who often sell an inferior product.

How can Team Poly be cheaper in price without sacrificing quality? Our streamlined manufacturing process mixed with experience that has matured over many years, learning from mistakes. This enables us today to build a better poly tank with less mistakes. Less mistakes means we can pass on competitive deals to customers. Over time we have also refined our processes, and all this has led to us becoming known as a reliable poly tank brand throughout South Australia and in Victoria.

Four Areas to Help You Determine a Quality Rainwater Tank

1. Higher Strength and Longevity

With polyethylene water tanks, you want a tank that has been independently certified to the Australian Standard AS/NZS 4766 Polyethylene storage tanks for water and chemicals. Many claim their poly tanks are compliant to this standard, but you should ask to see their formal certification.

Many specifications in the standards are unable to be tested with a visual inspection. An organisation accredited by Standards Australia is much more qualified and will perform tests. With poly water tanks, they would perform stress tolerance and impact tests, thickness tests and are highly skilled with visual inspections.

Some requirements when meeting the AS/NZS 4766 poly standard include:

  • tanks being constructed as one-piece without any side seams
  • no section of the tank being thinner than 4.5mm
  • serial numbers being marked on every tank
  • Polyethylene UV protection to a UV8 level
    (Team Poly tanks are made from “SUPA UV” polyethylene)

This standard really is the main poly tank standard, and so anyone who manufactures poly tanks in Australia should provide certification. So again, it important that you ask for a certificate or name of the certifying organisation and license number. Team Poly tanks have been certified by SAI Global for the AS/NZS 4766 standard with the license number 21597.

2. Has Your Tank Got the Look?

When you purchase a water tank, it is a good idea to buy a colour that complements your home or surrounding environment as much as possible.

As for what style of tank, there are many different models available. Be sure to account for the storage capacity need, but otherwise there is no real standard for style, only your personal taste.

At Team Poly we take pride in offering a wide range of styles which include our traditional round tanks and Boabab round water tank, to our Aqua Spring, Modular and Razor slimline water tanks, to underdeck water tanks and finally our Li-Lo underground tanks.

3. Safe Rainwater Storage

You may feel uneasy about drinking rainwater, but many storage tanks sold in Australia today can safely store drinking water.

Poly water tanks that are safe for storing drinkable water will be made from polyethylene that complies with the Australian standard AS 2070 Plastics materials for food contact use. More important than this standard, is knowing that your completed rainwater tank product complies with AS/NZS 4020 Testing for products for use in contact with drinking water.

Team Poly tanks are made from food grade polyethylene (AS 2070) that will not taint or colour the water. The rainwater tank itself can also safely store water (AS/NZS 4020).

4. Quality Management Systems for Production

Have you ever dined in at a restaurant and the food was absolutely perfect, then the second time around the food was quite ordinary or terrible? If so, then it could be said the restaurant has poor quality control over its processes, because good ones would ensure the same quality food gets produce each and every time.

This is where the internationally recognised standard ISO 9001 Quality management systems comes in. The ISO 9001 standard specifies requirements for quality management systems applicable to an organisation regardless of size, type, industry, product or service. It focuses upon the business’ quality management systems that will enable it to reliably meet customer requirements and standards on a continual basis.

Team Poly has been independently certified to the AS/NZS ISO 9001 standard by SAI Global with the license number 22115. This ensures you will receive a quality product which meets and surpasses Australian standards each and every time.