The Chem-Tainer 50 Gallon Open Top Batch Storage Tank (SKU R183618B) is a rectangular polypropylene vessel for open-top batch storage where you need constant access to the liquid surface. It stands 18 inches tall with a wide 36 x 18 inch mouth, so it reads as a shallow open reservoir rather than a deep well: the surface is broad and the fill is low, which makes dipping, stirring, skimming, and hand-loading easy without fighting a lid. Its 36.0 x 18.0 inch footprint tucks tight against a wall or under a mixing station, and the rectangular form lets you bank several units side by side for a compact staging line.
Will it work for your setup?
At 50 gallons, a full charge of water weighs roughly 417 pounds, so site the tank on a flat, fully supported surface rated for that load and plan any stand accordingly. This is a bare open-top vessel: it ships with no outlets, bulkhead fittings, or gaskets, so do not assume a factory drain. Contents leave through the open top, which suits atmospheric batch and staging duty. If you are still working out how many gallons your process needs, run the numbers with our Tank Sizing Calculator and cross-check the approach in the Tank Sizing Guide. For grey-water, rainwater, or condensate aggregation, the guide on industrial water reuse tank topology covers where a small open-top tank fits in a staged storage train.
The mistake to avoid
The most common misstep with an open-top rectangular open top tank is treating it like a sealed storage vessel. It is not. The open top leaves contents exposed to dust, evaporation, and spillage if bumped, and it offers no pressure containment, so keep it to atmospheric batch and staging work. Because this tank is molded in polypropylene rather than crosslinked polyethylene, confirm your liquid's specific gravity and chemistry suit polypropylene before you fill it for anything beyond water. When in doubt, call 866-418-1777 and we will walk through the fit with you.
Freight
This 50 gallon open top polypropylene tank ships as a single LTL unit from the Chem-Tainer plant in West Babylon, New York, quoted live to your ZIP code. New York is the only origin, which is the main driver of your LTL cost, so a delivery in the West should price it against that distance up front. Get an exact number in seconds with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 for help. If you are setting the tank on a slab, the guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground tanks is a useful reference before you site it.
