The Chem-Tainer 28 Gallon Open Top Batch Storage Tank (SKU R182415A) is a compact rectangular polyethylene vessel built for hand-batching, parts soaking, and small-volume holding where you need full access from the top. It measures 17 inches high by 18 inches wide by 24 inches long, holds 28 gallons of working volume, and sits on an 18 x 24 inch footprint that tucks neatly onto a bench, a pallet corner, or a mixing station. It is molded in natural white polyethylene and ships without a lid - plan a separate cover if your contents are contamination-sensitive or stored outdoors.
Will this open top tank work for my job?
This is a true rectangular open top tank, so the entire top is your access point - drop in a pump, a mixer shaft, a strainer basket, or a dip bucket without fighting a small fill port. The constraint is vertical clearance: at 17 inches tall, top-access height is what limits a drop-in mixer or pump, so measure your equipment against that before you commit. Filled with water, the contents weigh about 234 lb, and the tank is rated to carry contents up to 467 lb. That headroom reflects a specific gravity rating of 2.0, meaning the wall carries a design rating for liquids up to twice the density of water at the rated fill - so denser batch mixes stay within the wall's design envelope where lighter open tanks would not. Confirm your liquid's actual specific gravity and weight against the 467 lb max before you fill, and support the full 18 x 24 inch footprint on a flat, continuous surface. If you are deciding between this 28 gallon size and a larger open top, the Tank Sizing Calculator and our Tank Sizing Guide walk you through working volume versus footprint.
No pre-installed drain - empty from the top
This ships as a bare open-top batch tank with no pre-installed bulkhead fitting, outlet, or gasket. You fill and empty from the top by pump, dip, or tip. If you need a bottom drain, plan for a field-installed bulkhead and a gasket rated to your liquid - don't assume a factory outlet is there. For sizing the support underneath, our guide to concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks covers the detail, since a rectangular open top carries its load across flat walls rather than a self-supporting dome and needs continuous contact to avoid corner stress.
The mistake to avoid
The most common error with an open top batch tank is treating the 2.0 specific gravity rating as a fill-it-to-the-brim guarantee. The rating tells you the wall can handle dense liquids, but your real limit is the 467 lb contents ceiling - a tank brimming with a heavy load can hit that weight well before it looks full. Weigh your batch math first. If your batch exceeds 467 lb at your fill line, step up to a larger-capacity open top so your working volume sits below the weight ceiling - not a higher rating, since 2.0 already covers liquids up to twice water's density. See the technical drawing on this page to confirm dimensions and wall geometry against your install.
This tank ships LTL freight quoted live to your ZIP code rather than bundled into the list price, and because an open top rectangular tank carries usable cubic volume, freight is driven by dimensions as much as weight - so your distance from the shipping plant matters. For an exact freight quote to your ZIP, use the Freight Cost Estimator or call our team at 866-418-1777. We can confirm the shipping origin, lead time, footprint fit, and whether this 28 gallon open top or a larger rectangular tank better matches your batch volume.
