Chem-Tainer 12 Gallon Plastic Open Top Batch Storage Tank

The Chem-Tainer 12 Gallon Open Top Batch Storage Tank (SKU TC1516AA) is a compact, cylindrical open-top vessel built for small-batch mixing, decanting, and short-term storage where you need quick access from the top. At 17 inches tall on a 17 x 17 inch footprint, it fits on a bench, a cart, or a corner of a wash bay. This is a true open top tank, so it is meant for ambient, non-pressurized batch work rather than sealed storage.

Will it work for your job?

The numbers are straightforward. Capacity is 12 gallons, dimensions are 17 inches in height, width, and length, and the body is molded from natural white polyethylene. The open top gives you direct access for top-fill batch work and measured mixing. Filled with water this tank carries about 100 pounds, so a single person can position it empty and a sturdy shelf or pad will hold it full. If you are unsure whether 12 gallons matches your throughput, run the numbers through our Tank Sizing Calculator or read the Tank Sizing Guide before you commit to a size.

Mounting, support, and siting

The full-water weight of roughly 100 pounds and the square 17.0 x 17.0 footprint make this an easy unit to set on a flat, fully supporting surface. As with any cylindrical open top tank, support the entire base; do not let the tank overhang a shelf edge or bridge a gap. For larger above-ground polyethylene tanks the support surface becomes a real engineering question, and our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks covers the framework when you scale up. Review the technical drawing on this page for the exact wall and rim detail before fabricating any stand or lid.

One thing to get right

This is an open top tank with no fittings supplied, so plan your fill and draw points accordingly. The open top is an advantage for ladling, dipping, and top-fill batch work, but it also means the contents are exposed to the room. For storage that needs to stay clean, covered, or evaporation-controlled, source a cover sized to the 17 inch top opening shown in the drawing. If your use eventually moves toward aggregated water reuse or banded storage, the topology in our industrial water reuse tank topology guide explains how small open top tanks fit into a larger train.

This white open top storage tank ships freight quoted live to your ZIP. Because it is a small 12-gallon tank at roughly 100 pounds full, it often qualifies for lower-cost ground or parcel rather than full LTL, so get the actual cheapest method in seconds with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote the freight and answer any sizing questions.