4950 Gallon 15 Degree Cone Bottom Tank: Complete Buyer's Guide
A 4,950-gallon bulk cone-bottom tank from Norwesco, built around a shallow 15-degree cone that drains a very large diameter completely by gravity. This is process infrastructure for full-batch chemical handling at scale — engineered to empty itself between campaigns rather than strand product on a flat floor.
Technical Drawing
Official Norwesco technical drawing — 4950 Gallon 15 Degree Cone Bottom Tank
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.
Installation and Setup Guide
A near-5,000-gallon cone-bottom tank is an engineered installation from the ground up. Everything begins with how the loaded weight reaches the earth.
Engineered Stand and Foundation
A cone-bottom tank of this capacity must sit in a stand engineered and rated for its full loaded weight, and that stand must rest on a reinforced concrete foundation designed for the concentrated loads at each bearing point. At bulk scale these are not off-the-shelf choices — have the stand and pad specified for the actual filled mass of your stored solution, not a generic estimate. Confirm the foundation is level across the full footprint and that every stand leg shares the load before the first fill. The cone tip is the drain, never a structural support.
Plumbing the Cone Outlet
The shallow 15-degree cone is chosen so a wide tank still drains completely by gravity while keeping the outlet at a workable height. Plumb the cone-tip outlet to your process piping with a full-bore valve and generous allowance for thermal expansion; a tall column of bulk solution moves its fittings measurably with temperature. Keep the drain path full-bore so the gentle cone's gravity drain is never bottlenecked, and isolate the tank from rigid pipe loads with flexible or expansion-jointed connections.
Agitation, Venting, and Containment
At this volume, agitation and venting are designed as part of the process, not added afterward. Any mixer must be sized for the batch and supported so its loads are not carried by the tank wall, and the tank needs a pressure/vacuum relief vent matched to the chemistry and fill-and-draw rates. Integrate the vessel into the facility's secondary containment. This is professional installation territory.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
A bulk process tank is a capital asset whose upkeep is a documented program. The priorities are structural integrity at scale, verified cone drainage, and rigorous decontamination between products.
Scheduled Inspection
- Foundation and stand: Inspect the engineered stand and concrete pad for settling, cracking, or corrosion. At bulk weight a foundation that shifts under one leg loads the cone unevenly — the most serious failure mode the system has.
- Cone drainage: Confirm the 15-degree cone drains completely to the outlet; a settled heel signals a fouled outlet or a stand gone out of level.
- Wall survey: Survey the full wall height for bulging, crazing, or stress whitening, focusing on the lower zone where hydrostatic load is greatest.
- Fittings and agitator: Check the cone outlet, lid, and any agitator mount for leaks and for load being transferred into the tank wall.
Decontamination Between Campaigns
Before switching products, run a full decontamination of the tank, cone, outlet, and agitator to the chemical manufacturer's procedure. A vessel this large holds a significant residual volume, and cross-contamination at production scale ruins an entire downstream batch. This is process infrastructure and is never converted to potable service.
Long-Term Care
Out of direct sun and within its ratings, the seamless poly shell gives many years of bulk service. The long-term watch items are the foundation under sustained dead load, the process valves and agitator seals, and the lower wall's hydrostatic zone. A documented inspection log is the asset-management tool that keeps a tank this valuable in service.
Alternatives and Comparisons
The 4950 Gallon 15 Degree Cone Bottom Tank competes with flat-bottom bulk storage and with other cone configurations, and the choice turns on whether you process or simply store.
Cone vs. flat-bottom at bulk scale: A flat-bottom tank of similar capacity stores solution lower and at lower cost, but it traps a heel on its floor that must be pumped out between batches. If you batch and need a complete, gravity-driven drain every cycle, the cone earns its added height and engineered stand. For static storage of a finished product, flat-bottom is the simpler, cheaper option.
Why a shallow cone at this size: The 15-degree angle is the right call for a large-diameter tank — it drains the wide base completely while keeping the outlet at a practical height. A steep cone on a tank this broad would stand impractically tall. For bulk process volumes, the gentle cone is the engineered standard.
Other -Gallon Options
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 4950 Gallon 15 Degree Cone Bottom Tank last?
Within its ratings, on an engineered stand and foundation, and out of direct sun, the seamless poly shell delivers many years of bulk service. At this scale the life-limiting risks are structural rather than material: a foundation that settles or fatigues under sustained dead load, and the lower wall's hydrostatic zone. A documented inspection program covering the foundation, cone drainage, and lower-wall condition is what carries a tank this valuable through a long service life.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
This is bulk chemical-process equipment rated to 1.5 specific gravity, built to batch and meter agricultural and industrial solutions within that density — liquid fertilizers, surfactants, and water-based process and cleaning chemistries. It is not for drinking water and never for fuels, solvents, or flammables. At production volume the cost of an incompatible chemistry is large, so verify every product against a polyethylene compatibility chart before it goes in.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes — Norwesco backs the shell with a manufacturer warranty against material and workmanship defects when the tank is used within its ratings, covering molding flaws across a vessel this size. It does not cover chemical attack from an incompatible product, damage from an inadequate or settling foundation, or improper installation. At bulk scale, retain the engineering documentation for the stand and foundation along with your invoice; it matters for any claim.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. A bulk cone-bottom process tank is engineered for above-ground service in a stand — the tall, wide shell and tapered cone are not built to resist the soil and groundwater pressure of burial, and the cone has no role underground. Burial would void the warranty and risk collapse. For below-grade bulk storage, use a purpose-built underground tank engineered with ribbed, reinforced walls for those loads.
Buying Considerations
Ordering the 4950 Gallon 15 Degree Cone Bottom Tank begins an engineering project. First, the support: have a cone-bottom stand and reinforced concrete foundation engineered for the full filled weight of your specific solution before the tank ships — this vessel cannot stand on its own or sit on a gravel pad. Second, the process integration: plan the cone-outlet plumbing with thermal-expansion allowance, the mounted agitation, the relief venting, and the spill containment as one system. Third, the freight and rigging: a tank this size moves on a dedicated oversized carrier and needs equipment and clear site access to offload and set — contact us to coordinate the delivery timeline and confirm your site can receive it.
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