Steel Tanks Vs Plastic Tanks

There are several different types of oil storage tank available, and making sure you have the right one to suit your situation and your specific needs can be essential. The site of your tank might be indoors above ground, outdoors above ground or below ground – but what is the correct material? Choosing between metal (steel oil tanks) and synthetic (plastic oil tanks) will be easier after you have read this edition of our blog.

The Benefits of Plastic Tanks

1. Plastic Oil Storage Tanks

There are several key benefits to installing a plastic oil tank – and one of the main ones arrives very early on. Due to the fact that a plastic tank weighs much less than a steel oil storage tank, it is much easier to move from retailer to installation site - and the installation itself will also be easier.

Plastic oil tanks are also not prone to rust, like steel oil tanks (plastic doesn’t rust). Similarly, because of the material used in their manufacture, and the nature of that material, plastic oil tanks are completely seamless units. There may be access points and vents on a tank but there are no ‘joins’ between sections – and this means that they are less prone to failure due to less ‘opportunity’ to fail. They can, relatively quickly, regain their shape following adverse weather.

Plastic is an insulator, which means that the transfer of heat from the outside environment to the oil stored within is far slower than with a steel tank. 

In short, the benefits of plastic tanks are:

1. Lighter
2. Non-Rusting
3. Flexible

The Benefits of Steel Tanks

1. Steel Oil Storage Tanks

One of the key benefits of installing steel tanks is that they’re great for all-year round reliability – which can also equal increased peace of mind. Because steel is durable and resilient, it can resist the impact of seasonal extreme weather. Steel oil tanks are also able to withstand corrosion – both internal and external. This means that they can last for a really good length of time and any issues which take longer to develop.

Steel oil tanks are also much less prone to crime, and offer better security because they are very difficult to drill through or syphon fuel off from. They are far heavier than plastic oil storage tanks so very difficult to move, and because steel is metal it is noisier when ‘clunked’ accidentally or moved around. So in themselves those things act as deterrents against potential theft.

Steel oil tanks are also versatile in terms of what your specific situation might be – in other words they are suitable for installation either below ground or above ground. They also tend to be available in much bigger sizes than plastic tanks.

In short, the benefits of steel oil tanks are:

1. Durability
2. Security
3. Versatility

Are There Downsides to Steel Tanks and Plastic Tanks?

It would be disingenuous to not mention any relative disadvantages of each type of oil tank, so that you’re even more equipped to make the correct choice. It’s a case of balancing the pros and cons of each. When compared to each other there are things about plastic and steel oil tanks which don’t stack up quite as well. 

Older steel oil tanks need to be painted regularly to guard against corrosion, and their weight can become an issue if you decide that you want to move the tank from its original location. A big disadvantage of most steel tanks is that there are long lead times. However, the Tanks R Us range of steel oil tanks are made on site - and in stock and available now.

In terms of disadvantages of plastic oil tanks, they are more vulnerable to damage and can be weakened by direct sunlight (so are probably less suitable for outdoor use). Plastic is also much more difficult to recycle at the end of the tank’s usefulness, as it may have absorbed some of the fuel stored within it.

If you would like more detailed guidance about whether a plastic fuel storage tank or a steel diesel tank, steel petrol tank or other steel fuel tank is the right choice for you, or answers to any further queries you might have, then please feel free to contact us. A member of the Tanks R Us customer service team will be more than happy to help.