Day Tanks
A day tank is a small fuel tank close to the generator. It holds roughly a day of fuel. The large bulk tank sits elsewhere on the site and refills the day tank automatically.
The arrangement exists because a generator cannot always draw fuel reliably from a tank that is far away or at a different level. The day tank sits between the two and keeps the supply steady.
What we do with day tanks
- Fabrication of day tanks sized to the generator and its run time
- Bunded tanks, so any spill is contained
- Skid mounted, so the tank arrives as one unit and is set in one lift
- Rectangular tanks where the plant room space is tight
- Installation in generator and plant rooms
- Transfer pumps and pipework from the bulk tank
- Level switches, gauges and digital level monitoring
- Vents and fittings
- Cleaning, inspection, repair and recoating
Why a day tank should be bunded
A day tank sits in the plant room, a few metres from a hot running generator and the electrical switchgear. There is nowhere for a leak to go that is not expensive. A bunded day tank holds the spill inside its own outer shell, and on a tank this size the extra steel is a small part of the price. We normally recommend it and will quote it either way.
Sizing
The right size depends on the generator and on how long you need it to run without refilling. Tell us the generator rating and the run time you want and we will advise. If you are not sure, we can work it out during the site visit.
Day tanks are usually the tank where space is the real constraint, not capacity. If you know the corner it has to fit into, send those dimensions and we will tell you what it will hold.
Work out a capacity
Tank capacity calculator
Enter the inside dimensions and the drawing redraws to scale as you type. Works in metric or imperial, and will tell you the volume at any dip depth as well as the full capacity.
Converting a dip reading into litres is exactly what a calibration chart does. We prepare them from the tank's own measured dimensions.
- — cubic metres
- — imperial gallons
- — US gallons
- — cubic feet
These are gross internal figures worked out from the dimensions you entered, with no allowance for internal fittings. A real tank holds a little less, and is never filled to the very top. Surface area is the shell and the ends, which is what coating is applied to. Final capacity, plate thickness and coating quantity are confirmed on the drawings.
Make a dip chart for this tank depth against litres, ready to print
Common questions
What size day tank do we need?
It depends on your generator and the run time you want to cover. Send us the generator details and we will advise.
Can you connect it to our existing bulk tank?
Yes. Transfer pumps and pipework are our own work.
Does the day tank need a bund?
A bunded tank contains a spill rather than letting it reach the plant room floor. We normally recommend one and will quote it either way.
Will it fit through the plant room door?
Tell us the door and gate widths and the ceiling height. We build to get through the access, and skid mounting means the tank is set in one lift.