Tank Installation and Care Guide

Our tanks are some of the toughest on the market yet do require considered installation and care after installation.  We encourage all our customers to follow these guides to ensure their tank warranty isn't affected.

Tank Installation Guide

Tank Location

• When determining a tank installation location, we recommend that our customer refer to the tank dimensional drawings.  The drawings for each tank are available in our product details section of our online store.
• Consider whether the tank size, fittings, hole locations align with your requirements.  Decked Out Auto is able to drill and tap 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1" tapped holes if required, please contact us if you would like support with this.
• Tank dimensions vary +/- 1% depending on seasonal conditions at the time of manufacturer.  Please keep this in mind if you are fabricating at the tank location prior to receiving your tank.
• Consideration should be given to physical protection for tank located underneath vehicles.  Our tanks can withstand moderate impacts however large rocks have been known to pierce low slung tanks.

Tank Mounting

• Given that a litre of water weighs 1kg, our larger tanks need to be mounted with this in mind.  We recommend the use of professional installers to ensure adequate strength of mounting components.
• Tanks less than 40 litres can typically be installed via the mounting holes when supplied.
• Tanks greater than 40 litres need to be installed so that the the floor of the tank is supported via a bracket or mount.  This bracket needs to be able to support the weight of the fluid being installed in the tank (1 litre of water = 1kg of weight).
• Tanks need to be installed so that they do not rub or move against their mounts or other vehicle structure.
• Bolts used to support the tank should always be provided with a suitable washer between the bolt head/ net and the tank. 
• Mounting bolts should not be over tightened.  Always remember that the area around the mounting bolts is not solid PVC.  We encourage the use of nylex lock nuts if a nut/bolt combination is used in the tank mounting.

Tank Modifications

• Our tanks are made via a rota moulding technique.  This technique provides a relatively consistent wall thickness through out the tank.  All bolt holes share the same wall thickness as the rest of the tank, therefore any drilling of mounting holes is likely to cause your tank to leak.  We strongly recommend that holes are not drilled out in any of our tanks.
• If a hole is being drilled to install an additional fitting, care should be taken to keep any holes edges at least 20mm from other tank walls.  This will provide sufficient space for fittings and also account for the additional wall thickness that occurs on tank corners.
• The use of any sealant on fitting will likely cause water stored in the tank to become tainted.  We do not recommend the use of sealant on any fittings.  

 Tank Care Guide

• All our tanks are manufactured with food grade materials and will not transfer or taint water stored in the tank.  Storing low quality water in the tank can lead to this water creating a scale inside the tank which will then taint future water. Low quality water will not damage the tank however can make the taste of water used for drinking unpleasant.
• Normal garden hoses are not made with food grade materials.  Use non food grade hose as part of the installation, or to fill the tank will reduce the quality of the water placed into the tank.  If the tank is to be used for drinking water, we encourage the use of food grade water hose.  This hose is available at Decked Out Auto.
• The use of sealant in tank fittings or in the general water system installation can potentially cause the water to taint.  We encourage that no sealant is used in a tank installation.  If sealant is required, we suggest only sealant rated for use in drinking water system is used.
• Movement of the tank due to mounting system looseness can cause tank damage.  We encourage a physical check of the tank installation from time to time to ensure that no tank movement is evident.