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Tank Sizing Calculator

Tank Sizing Calculator

Capacity math, material selection, and category routing in one pass. Built from 1980–2026 installed-base data across water, chemical, septic, and rainwater service. Calculator recommends capacity band, routes to the right product family, and flags when your chemistry demands an upgrade beyond standard polyethylene.

Inputs

Peak daily draw, not average
Days of supply required between refills

Recommendation

How the math works

The calculator uses this capacity formula:

target_capacity = daily_usage × reserve_days × oversize_factor

Oversize factor adapts to application class to account for peak-draw surges and refill timing variance:

  • Residential — 1.15× (households run close to peak rarely)
  • Commercial — 1.25× (peak-hour draw + refill scheduling)
  • Agricultural — 1.30× (irrigation bursts, livestock surge demand)
  • Industrial — 1.40× (process variance, batch refills, safety buffer)
  • Emergency / Fire — 1.50× (code-driven, sustained-flow requirement)

For chemical service, specific gravity drives wall-thickness requirements per ASTM D1998. Standard polyethylene is rated at SG 1.35 and 1.5 — heavier chemistries trigger upgrades to XLPE, thicker-wall builds, or FRP/lined steel alternatives (calculator will flag this).

Need matched product-level specs?

Our chemical compatibility database gives you OEM-verified polyethylene resin, gasket, fitting, and bolt selection for 309+ industrial chemicals.

Browse Chemical Database

Disclaimer: This calculator provides preliminary sizing guidance. Final tank specification — capacity, materials of construction, anchoring, venting, and secondary containment — must be reviewed against your local code, manufacturer technical bulletins, and your consulting engineer's analysis. For chemistries above specific gravity 1.84 or operating temperatures above 100°F, contact our engineering team directly.

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