1500 Gallon 45 Degree Cone Bottom Tank: Complete Buyer's Guide
1,500-gallon white cone bottom tank built for full-drain mixing and batch processing. Manufactured by Norwesco from virgin linear polyethylene (HDPE) rated to handle liquids up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. FDA approved for contact with potable water, ensuring safe storage for drinking water and food-grade liquids.
Specifications at a Glance
Every figure below is pulled straight from the live product record for this exact tank — the same data on the product page, so what you read here and what you buy never disagree.
Standards & Materials
- ASTM D1998 — Standard Specification for Polyethylene Upright Storage Tanks. Governs wall-thickness and hydrostatic design for vertical rotomolded poly tanks of this class.
- FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 — Olefin polymers. The food-contact regulation the FDA-grade resin in this tank is compounded to meet.
- Specific gravity rating 1.5 — the tank is engineered for liquids up to 1.5× the density of water (water is about 8.34 lb/gal). Confirm your fluid’s SG before storage.
Product Overview
The 1,500 Gallon 45 Degree Cone Bottom Tank is the largest steep-cone vessel in the lineup and squarely industrial. It pairs the aggressive 45-degree drain — the angle that clears settling solids and viscous chemistry completely — with high batch volume, making it the choice for process lines that demand both throughput and a clean, total evacuation between cycles.
Norwesco rotationally molds the body in a single piece from virgin linear polyethylene, so the deep cone has no seams or welds to fail, and rates it to 1.5 specific gravity for liquids up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. The wall carries molded-in UV inhibitors and a 120 F / 48 C continuous-service ceiling, and its translucent natural-white finish lets operators gauge the level and watch the cone-shoulder stress zone without opening the tank.
It shares the 72-inch diameter of the 1,000-gallon cone but rises to 112 inches tall, weighs 332 pounds empty, and reaches roughly 19,097 pounds full at 1.5 SG — nearly ten tons funneled through the stand into an engineered slab. The factory 2-inch NPT outlet at the apex gives strong gravity discharge from the tall column, and the 16-inch lid takes an agitator, instrumentation, and the fill line. Norwesco's 3-year warranty against manufacturing defects covers the unit.
Technical Drawing
Official Norwesco technical drawing — 1500 Gallon 45 Degree Cone Bottom Tank
Key Features and Specifications
- 1,500-gallon capacity — sized for full-drain mixing and batch processing
- Constructed from virgin linear polyethylene (HDPE) with 1.5 specific gravity rating — handles liquids up to 12.5 lbs/gal
- 112" tall x 72" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 332 lbs empty, approximately 19,097 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
- 2" NPT outlet fitting — factory installed and leak-tested
- 16" lid opening for fill, venting, and interior access
- FDA approved for potable water and food-grade liquid contact
- 3 Year Warranty from Norwesco against manufacturing defects
- Translucent white walls allow visual level monitoring without opening the tank and reflect sunlight to keep contents cooler
- Rated for continuous service up to 120 F / 48 C
- Seamless one-piece rotational molding — no seams, no welds, no leak points
- Manufactured by Norwesco — a leading name in rotomolded polyethylene tanks
- Must be installed on the manufacturer-supplied or compatible stand rated for the full loaded weight. Never rest a cone bottom tank directly on its apex
- Ships via LTL freight — allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Lift gate and residential delivery available at additional cost
Installation and Setup Guide
This is the largest 45-degree cone in the family, and at 1,500 gallons it is unmistakably industrial. The body holds the same 72-inch diameter as the 1,000-gallon version but rises to 112 inches tall, and the deep 45-degree cone hangs below that on a stand that must lift the apex clear of your drain plumbing. Loaded to 1.5 SG the tank reaches roughly 19,097 pounds — nearly ten tons concentrated through a few stand legs. Everything about the installation is governed by that number.
Engineered Foundation
A ten-ton point-loaded structure demands a reinforced concrete slab designed by a structural engineer for the specific leg pattern of your stand. Do not approximate this with a standard pad; the failure mode of an undersized slab is a footing that settles, which throws the stand out of plane and overstresses the cone. Cure the slab fully before loading.
Stand and Seating
Use a stand matched to the 72-inch cone and rated comfortably above the 19,097-pound wet weight. Level the legs to true plane, confirm the conical seat is sound, and lower the tank so the cone beds with continuous contact all the way around. At this weight an air gap in the seat is not a cosmetic issue — it is the origin point of a stress crack. The apex carries the drain only, never load.
Plumbing the Outlet
A full 112-inch column above the 2-inch NPT outlet gives you strong gravity discharge. Run schedule 80 PVC or stainless, support the line independently within the first foot, and fit a full-port isolation valve. The 16-inch lid handles a top-entry agitator, level instrumentation, and your fill line; size the lid vent to the fast draw a tall cone produces so the upper wall never sees vacuum.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
A 1,500-gallon cone is a major asset under sustained heavy load, and its maintenance reflects the stakes. The quarterly inspection covers the structure, the foundation, and the chemical path with equal seriousness.
What to Inspect
- Slab and stand: Look for slab cracking or footing settlement and for any leg, weld, or joint that shows corrosion, bowing, or movement. At nearly ten tons, structural drift is the most dangerous fault and must be corrected immediately.
- Cone tip and outlet: The apex concentrates settled solids and the harshest chemistry. Inspect the 2-inch fitting and valve for weeping quarterly and confirm a clean, complete drain.
- Stress transition: Backlight the natural-white wall at the cylinder-to-cone shoulder and watch for milky stress whitening, the leading indicator of a load-path problem on a deep cone under this much weight.
Between-Batch Cleaning
Drain through the steep cone — liquid and solids evacuate together — then rinse from the lid. The 45-degree geometry does the heavy cleaning, leaving little to scrape. On a product change, decontaminate to the incoming chemical's specification and verify polyethylene compatibility before refilling. This is chemical-process storage with no drinking-water role, so cleaning is strictly carryover control.
Resin and UV
The molded-in UV stabilizer protects the wall outdoors, but inspect the sun-facing side annually for chalking and shade it in severe-UV climates. The translucent wall serves double duty as level gauge and structural-health window — read it on every visit.
Alternatives and Comparisons
At 1,500 gallons the 45-degree cone is the choice for high-volume batch processes that still demand complete, aggressive drainage. The drain angle and the scale together define its niche.
Comparisons that matter: Against the 1,000-gallon 45-degree cone, this tank adds 50 percent more batch volume and taller gravity head, at the cost of a heavier engineered stand and slab and roughly two extra feet of height. Against a 1,500-gallon flat-bottom vertical, the cone evacuates settling and viscous chemistry to near zero but towers above it and needs structural support the flat tank does not. The cone earns its premium only when full drainage between batches is essential to your process.
Other 1500-Gallon Options
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 1500 Gallon 45 Degree Cone Bottom Tank last?
On a properly engineered slab and stand, and within the 1.5 SG and 120 F ratings, plan on 15 to 20 years. The complete-drain cone never holds a stagnant heel, which favors a long life. What shortens it is a foundation or stand that drifts under the heavy load, thermal abuse, or incompatible chemistry.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
It handles the 1.5-SG range of agricultural and industrial liquids, and the steep 45-degree cone is purpose-built for settling and viscous products within that density. Verify polyethylene compatibility for every chemical before storage. It must not hold fuels, solvents, or flammable liquids. As a cone-bottom process vessel it is chemical-service equipment, not a potable-water tank.
What kind of foundation does a 1500-gallon tank need?
A full tank reaches roughly 19,097 pounds at 1.5 SG — close to ten tons — concentrated through the stand legs. That mandates an engineered reinforced-concrete slab designed for point loads by a structural professional and a stand rated above the wet weight. A standard distributed-load pad will not do.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes. Norwesco's manufacturing-defect warranty addresses molded-in faults under normal-use conditions. It does not cover stand or foundation failure, overloading beyond the rated SG, incompatible-chemical attack, or impact. Retain full documentation and photos of the engineered installation.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. This deep 45-degree cone is designed to hang in an above-ground stand and has no resistance to soil pressure; burial would crush the cone and void coverage. If you need below-grade storage, select our reinforced underground cistern or septic products.
Buying Considerations
Three non-negotiables before ordering this 1,500-gallon cone. First, the engineered foundation and matched stand: the slab must be designed for concentrated point loads and the stand rated above the roughly 19,097-pound wet weight at 1.5 SG and seated to the 72-inch cone. Second, vertical clearance, because a 112-inch tank on a stand exceeds twelve feet to the lid and your fill and service access must reach it. Third, the chemical you intend to store, checked on a polyethylene compatibility chart. This tank ships oversized on a dedicated carrier and needs a forklift or crane to set; freight is quoted to your ZIP.
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