The Chem-Tainer 1700 gallon vertical liquid storage tank is a polyethylene vessel rated to a 1.5 specific gravity, which means it carries a meaningful margin above plain water and gives you room for heavier liquids without crowding the wall's rating. It stands 78 inches tall on an 86 by 86 inch footprint and ships LTL from Hummelstown, PA, so you can gut-check freight distance before you read another spec. Before you pour a slab or fix a pad location, confirm you have an 86 inch square clear plus headroom for fill plumbing above the 78 inch top.
Will it work for your storage job
This is a vertical tank built for liquid storage, the kind of vertical storage tank people search for when they want a straightforward unit in the 1700 gallon class. The numbers that matter for siting are weight under load. Filled with water, the tank and contents come to 14,178 pounds. At its full 1.5 specific gravity rating, the contents weight reaches 21,267 pounds, and that is the figure your pad, foundation, and any structural support must be designed around if you store something denser than water. Do not size your pad to the water number and then fill it with a heavier liquid. One more thing on capacity: 1700 gallons is the nominal figure, measured to the rated fill line, so size to your working volume rather than the brim once fill plumbing sits above the 78 inch top. Run your dimensions and contents through the Tank Sizing Calculator, and if you are weighing this against other capacities, the Tank Sizing Guide walks through the trade-offs.
The mistake to avoid
The most common error on a tank like this is treating the 1.5 specific gravity rating as a green light for any liquid. The rating tells you the tank wall can handle contents up to 1.5 times the density of water; it does not certify chemical resistance for a specific product. Polyethylene compatibility depends on the exact chemical, its concentration, and its temperature, and the fittings and gaskets you install matter as much as the tank body. Before storing anything other than water, confirm compatibility for your specific product, concentration, and temperature with our team. The second error is under-building the foundation. Size your pad to the contents weight you actually plan to store, and leave clearance for fittings and service access rather than just the 86 inch tank shadow. For above-ground installations, our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks covers the framework.
Fittings, density, and sizing reading
Fitting and outlet configuration is confirmed at order, so call 866-418-1777 to set up the outlet, bulkhead, and vent arrangement your install needs. If your liquid runs heavier than a 1.5 specific gravity, call us as well, because heavier-rated builds exist in this size class and we will point you to the right one rather than overloading this wall. If you are still settling on capacity or brand, the 1700 gallon vertical liquid storage tank buyer's guide goes deep on this exact size, and the Snyder vs Norwesco vs Chem-Tainer vertical comparison shows how the major brands line up. If this tank is headed for rural fire-water or emergency reserve duty, the fire-water reservoir design guide covers NFPA 22 sizing and freeze protection.
This tank ships LTL freight from Hummelstown, PA, with the rate quoted live to your ZIP code rather than baked into the listed price. Get your number in seconds with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it and walk you through fittings, pad prep, and lead time.
