What issues should be paid attention to when installing FRP water tanks?
When installing a FRP water tank, you need to pay attention to the following issues:
Preparation before installation
Site preparation:
Foundation requirements: The installation site must be solid and flat, and be able to evenly bear the weight of the water tank. For large water tanks, the concrete foundation must be cast according to the design requirements, and the thickness, strength and flatness of the foundation must meet the requirements to avoid deformation and cracking of the water tank due to uneven settlement of the foundation after the installation of the water tank. For example, if a small FRP water tank (with a volume of less than 10 cubic meters) is installed on a roof or other location, the roof's bearing capacity must not be less than the full load weight of the water tank plus the possible snow accumulation, personnel maintenance and other additional weights, and the roof surface must be flat without obvious bulges or depressions; the compressive strength of the concrete foundation of a large water tank (with a volume of tens of cubic meters or even larger) usually meets certain standards (such as C20 and above), and the anchor bolt holes are reserved according to the size of the water tank.
Space reservation: Sufficient space should be reserved according to the design size, shape and subsequent maintenance and overhaul needs of the water tank. There should be appropriate operating channels around the water tank to facilitate personnel to carry out inspection, cleaning, maintenance and other work. It is generally recommended to reserve at least 0.6-1 meter wide channels around the water tank; at the same time, it is also necessary to consider whether the top of the water tank needs to be equipped with inspection ports, vents and other auxiliary facilities, as well as the safe distance between the surrounding buildings and other equipment to prevent mutual interference.
Environmental considerations: Choose an installation location with good ventilation, avoid direct sunlight and away from heat sources and pollution sources. Although the FRP water tank has a certain degree of corrosion resistance, long-term exposure to harsh environments (such as near chemical emission sources, high-temperature boiler rooms, etc.) may still affect its service life and water quality safety. If installed outdoors, the local climate conditions should be considered. For example, in windy areas, appropriate windproof measures should be taken for the water tank (such as setting windproof cables, etc.); in cold areas, the water tank should be considered for insulation and measures to prevent freezing and cracking (such as wrapping insulation materials, etc.).
Water tank inspection:
Appearance inspection: Before installation, be sure to conduct a comprehensive appearance inspection of the FRP water tank to check whether there are cracks, scratches, bubbles, delamination and other defects on the surface of the water tank, whether the interface parts of the water tank (such as water inlet and outlet, overflow, sewage outlet, etc.) are flat, and whether the size meets the design requirements. If a water tank with quality problems is found, the manufacturer should be contacted in time for replacement to ensure that the installed water tank is a qualified product to avoid leakage and other faults during subsequent use.
Accessory verification: Check whether the various accessories equipped with the water tank (such as flanges, sealing gaskets, manhole covers, ladders, etc.) are complete and intact, and whether their specifications and models match the water tank. For example, the diameter of the flange, the number of bolt holes and the spacing must be compatible with the inlet and outlet pipes of the water tank, and the material and size of the sealing gasket must be able to ensure a good sealing effect to prevent water leakage.
Key points of the installation process
Lifting and positioning:
Choice of lifting tools: Choose appropriate lifting equipment according to the size and weight of the water tank. For example, a small water tank can be lifted by a manual hoist in combination with a tripod; a large water tank requires a crane and other professional equipment. When lifting, ensure that the lifting equipment has sufficient carrying capacity, and the operation is performed by professionals, strictly abide by the operating procedures, and prevent the water tank from colliding, falling, and other safety accidents during the lifting process.
Steady positioning: When lifting the water tank to the installation location, it should be lowered slowly and steadily so that the water tank is accurately placed on the pre-prepared foundation. During the placement process, the level of the water tank should be constantly checked by tools such as a level to ensure that the water tank is in a horizontal state after installation, because the tilt of the water tank may cause uneven water flow, excessive local force, and poor sealing of the interface, which will affect normal use.
Pipeline connection:
Selection of connection method: FRP water tanks and inlet and outlet pipes usually use flange connections, socket connections, etc. When connecting flanges, ensure that the flange surface is flat and perpendicular to the pipeline axis. When installing, place appropriate sealing gaskets (such as rubber gaskets, polytetrafluoroethylene gaskets, etc.) between the flange sealing surfaces, and then use bolts of matching specifications to tighten evenly in the diagonal direction to ensure good sealing and prevent water leakage; for socket connections, first clean the socket and the socket, apply an appropriate amount of lubricant, slowly insert the pipe into place, and check the sealing of the interface. If necessary, seal it with sealant.
Flexible connection considerations: In order to avoid the transmission of factors such as expansion and contraction of the pipeline to the water tank, causing damage to the water tank interface or leakage, it is best to use a flexible connection method at the connection between the water tank and the pipeline, such as using a rubber soft joint. Especially for pipelines connected to equipment that generates vibrations such as water pumps, flexible connections can effectively buffer vibrations and protect the integrity of the water tank interface and pipeline system.
Accessory installation:
Ladder installation: If the water tank needs to be installed with a ladder for easy maintenance, the installation position of the ladder should be reasonable, which should be convenient for people to go up and down safely. The ladder should be installed firmly, and the connection part with the water tank wall should ensure sufficient strength to prevent loosening, falling off and other dangerous situations when people climb. The material of the ladder should generally be corrosion-resistant and non-slip, and the ladder should be inspected and maintained regularly to ensure its safety.
Vent and overflow port setting: The vent should ensure that the air inside and outside the water tank can flow smoothly to prevent the water tank from deforming due to changes in air pressure during water filling or draining. The pipe diameter should be reasonably determined according to the volume of the water tank. Generally, the vent should be higher than the highest water level of the water tank by a certain distance to prevent water from overflowing from the vent; the position and size of the overflow port should be set appropriately to ensure that when the water level of the water tank reaches the designed highest water level, the excess water can be discharged smoothly through the overflow port to avoid water overflowing from the water tank and causing water accumulation in the surrounding environment or other safety hazards. The overflow port is usually connected to the drainage pipe and led to a suitable drainage position.
Installation of manhole cover: The installation of manhole cover should ensure good sealing, which can not only facilitate personnel to enter the water tank for maintenance and repair, but also prevent external dust and debris from entering the water tank to pollute the water quality. Sealing devices such as sealing strips can be set around the manhole cover, and the manhole cover should be easy to open and close, and can be reliably fixed after closing to prevent accidental opening.
Post-installation inspection and testing
Appearance review: After the installation is completed, check the overall appearance of the water tank again to check whether there are new scratches, collision marks and other problems during the lifting and installation process. At the same time, check whether the interface parts and accessory installation parts are firm and well sealed. If there are any problems, deal with them in time.
Water filling test: Slowly fill water into the water tank, observe whether the water tank has leakage during the water filling process, focus on checking the interface, the connection between the water tank wall and the bottom, and other places where leakage is likely to occur, and check the deformation of the water tank. If leakage or obvious deformation is found, stop filling water immediately, empty the water tank, find the cause and repair it until the water filling test is qualified. The water filling height should generally reach the designed maximum water level of the water tank, and a certain observation time (such as 24-48 hours) should be maintained to ensure that the water tank can operate stably when full of water without any abnormalities.
Functional test: Test the ventilation and overflow functions of the water tank to check whether the vents are unobstructed and the ventilation effect is good; confirm whether the overflow port can drain water normally and whether the drainage is smooth, to ensure that all functions of the water tank can function normally and meet the use requirements.