Why You Should Schedule Annual Tank Cleaning Services

Since industrial tanks can hold almost any liquid, they are a frequent feature of many different kinds of facilities. No matter what type of facility you run and what liquid you store in your industrial tank, that tank is essential for your business. However, it can’t perform that job well if it’s dirty.

Dirty industrial tanks can grow bacteria, which is bad for the liquid you’re trying to store and the tank itself. Preventing bacteria buildup is one reason why you should schedule annual tank cleaning services. We further explain bacteria prevention and additional reasonings for regular tank cleaning below.

Prevent Bacteria Growth

As we mentioned above, one of the most important reasons to get your tank professionally cleaned is to prevent bacteria growth. No matter what liquid or chemicals are in your tank, you run the risk of bacteria growth occurring within your tank. As you use the contents of your tank, bacteria and grime can build up on the interior walls. Even if your tank remains mostly full, most liquids are a breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria can contaminate and harm the quality of your contents, even though it’s growing from the materials within the tank.

Additionally, foreign bacteria can enter your tank. This can occur if your tank gets damaged or simply when you open it to add or remove contents. Once that foreign bacteria enters your tank, it can grow and contaminate the tank’s contents. Draining the contents alone is not enough to remove this foreign bacteria since it can cling to the interior walls of your tank. You must have the tank professionally cleaned before it’s safe to use again.

Reduce Sediment Accumulation

Bacteria don’t just grow on the walls of an industrial tank. They can also develop in sediment at the bottom of the tank. Sludge and other types of inorganic materials can also develop at the bottom of the tank. Sometimes these materials come from bacteria growth elsewhere in the tank. Other times these materials come from the tank’s contents and the conditions around the tank. Regardless of the cause, this thick sediment can trap even more bacteria within your tank, damaging the tank itself and the contents you store inside it.

Draining your tank of its contents can remove some sediment. However, this process often requires professional cleaning supplies that most facilities do not have. Hiring professionals with these supplies is the best way to clean out tank sediment.

Prepare for New Contents

Some facilities constantly refill their tank with the same contents. Others place different contents into the same tank. Most of the time, there are rules about whether or not you can put new contents into a tank without cleaning it first. Even if there are no rules in your area, cleaning your tank to prepare it for new contents is still a good idea.

As described above, your old contents may have left bacteria and sediment behind. This can contaminate your new contents as soon as they enter your tank, hurting the quality of this new contents. Cleaning the tank in between contents is the best way to ensure that the tank is clean and ready for the new contents and that the new contents will maintain their quality as long as possible.

Prepare for Maintenance

No industrial tank can last forever. General wear and tear and environmental factors such as natural disasters can damage your tank. Most tanks will alert you if there is a problem, giving you time to quickly and efficiently implement a solution. However, even if you don’t receive an alert about a specific maintenance need, your tank will eventually need some form of maintenance to keep it functioning at its best.

Draining and cleaning your tank is the best way to prepare for tank maintenance. It eliminates any risk factors of working on a full tank, such as accidentally causing a leak. An empty, clean tank is also safer to perform maintenance on for the maintenance individual, especially if they need to repair the interior of the tank. While maintenance professionals should still wear the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) while working within an industrial tank, knowing that the inside of the tank is clean will assuage many workplace concerns, such as inhaling dangerous fumes.

Prepare for Inspection

Different locations have different rules for the frequency of industrial tank inspections. Some states only require an inspection every five years, while others require them more frequently. Make sure you know the necessary frequency of assessments in your area and what part of the year you can expect the inspection to occur. This way, you can prepare for the inspector in many ways, including providing a clean tank for inspection.

The inspector can best examine an empty, clean tank for potential problems. While this inspection may feel frivolous since many tanks have warning systems if something is wrong, nothing can replace the precision of the human eye. Cleaning your tank before the inspection ensures that the inspector gets the best view of your tank and has a realistic idea of how it functions, so they can easily notice and prescribe solutions for any problems.

Prioritize Safety

Lastly, one of the top reasons you should schedule annual tank cleaning services is to prioritize the safety of your employees, facility, and community. These tanks can hold almost any material, most often liquid, and some of these liquids are hazardous. Even if your facility does not store hazardous liquids, a leaking tank could damage your facility and the surrounding community, making it unsafe for your employees, animals in the environment, and fellow community members. A regularly cleaned tank can still leak and pose this risk, but the bacteria and sludge we mentioned above will not leak out. This means it is less dangerous and poses less risk to the area.

Hiring professionals for this cleaning also shows your employees that you value their safety. Some facilities request that employees working with the tank perform an amateur cleaning, but this is unsafe. They often do not know the best cleaning procedures or have access to the best cleaning equipment, making it dangerous for them to attempt this cleaning. Professionals know exactly what to do and what to use, so they can safely and efficiently clean your tank.

Your facility, specifically your tank, will benefit from regular professional cleaning services. Clean Management Environmental Group is proud to offer this beneficial service. We provide a range of industrial disposal services, including tank cleaning, so your facility can function at its best.