3 Simple Steps to Prevent an Emergency Situation!

Hot Water Storage Tank Maintenance

No Property, Operations, Maintenance,... Manager, longs for a phone call at 3am, from a screaming client, stating that water is leaking into their facility.  This could be your reality if, the large Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank in the Penthouse Boiler Room (or any BR) has not been properly maintained.  Trust me, it does happen!

So without getting into all the gory details,  here are '3 Simple Steps' to prevent these very expensive, unwanted situations from happening.

Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank Services:

1. Internal Service (Every 1-3 years depending on water quality):

• Interior Cleaning
• Interior Inspection
• Anode Replacement
• New Manway Cover Gasket - *Note: This should be replaced every time the manway cover is removed.

2. Reline (Every 10-15 years depending on water quality):

• Interior Lining Preparation
• Anode Replacement
• New CSA/NSF Certified Pre-Krete T61 Lining
• New Manway Cover Gasket

3. Repeat

There you have it, '3 simple steps to prevent an emergency situation'.

*Note:

• Only certified and insured technicians should enter a DHWST.
• Only certified, CSA/NSF approved product for potable water must be used.

Regards,

Jason

Jason Rusnak

Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc. Servicing Canada with Offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Owen Sound, Ontario.

Heavily Corroded Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank.

Hot Water Storage Tank

Heavily Corroded Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank

This is an image of an unmaintained, heavily corroded DHWST.  This is bad news.  When a tank reaches this stage it's likely that it can't be saved.  At this point you'll be spending money to see how much you're going to have to spend.

So what's the next step?

1)  This first step required is a UT (Ultrasonic Thickness) Test to determine the integrity of the vessel.

2)  Results of the UT Test determine the next step:

•  UT Test Pass - Tank can be prepped, relined and you're good for another 12-15 years with regular anode replacement.
• UT Test Fail - A Certified Pressure Vessel Authority (ie. BCSA, TSSA) would be required to determine the next step.

3)  A Few Options:

• Tank is condemned and tank replacement is required.
• Tank requires certified welders to weld buildups in specific areas to  meet requirements and be approved for future service.
• Tank requires certified welders to weld in new sheets of metal in specific areas to  meet requirements and be approved for future service.

4)  If welding has been performed a Certified Pressure Vessel Authority will be required to sign off on the welding.

5)  Once the welding has been approved, a Hydrostatic Pressure Test is required to ensure the integrity of the welds, making sure there are no leaks.

6)  Once the Hydrostatic Pressure Test has been performed, passed, and signed off by a certified Authority, the Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank can now be prepped, relined and you're good for another 12-15 years with regular anode replacement.

Tip:  Don't let your tank get to this point.

Be proactive with these 3 simple steps:

• Perform regular anode replacement every 1-3 years depending on the quality of water.
• Reline you tank every 12-15 years.
• Repeat

Regards,

Jason

Jason Rusnak

Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc. Services Canada with Offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Owen Sound, Ontario.

Burst Water Tank in Toronto

Burst Hot Water Storage Tank

I came across this article on City News Toronto titled - "Burst water tank causes big mess at Jane & Weston apartment building".

Image is the Property of City News Toronto

This is a prime example of a reactive maintenance strategy.  Trust me...no Property Management firm or Operations Manger wants to be running the show when this happens.  By this point you're easily looking at $100,000.00 plus in repairs and replacement.

Hot Water Storage Tanks are most often located in the Penthouse Boiler Room or a Basement Boiler Room.  These are big tanks, 400 US gal plus, you don't just strap them on your back and walk them out the door.  If a tank bursts, the tanks are pressure vessels so they will continue to force water into your building.  This can cause massive damage to the condo's, apartments, office spaces and pray it doesn't make it to the elevator shaft.

Due to the size of these tanks, it makes replacement very tricky.  Often walls will have to be smashed out allowing access to the tanks, helicopters or cranes rented to remove the old tank and deliver the new, certified welders commissioned, pressure vessel safety authorities notified, police are potentially required to shut down streets...the list goes on.  Trust me...it's not fun.

And to think...it could all be prevented with a preventative maintenance strategy.  A preventative maintenance strategy would allow you planned downtime and would cost less than a 10th of the price.  This is a no-brainer, it's definitely not rocket science.

Preventative Strategy - 10th of the cost + planned downtime = Good
Reactive Strategy - Emergency situation + screaming people + very expensive = Bad

Give us a call.  We'll inventory your tank(s) for free and provide you with a specific maintenance plan for your tank(s).  Let's work together to = Good!

Jason Rusnak

Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc. Services Canada with Offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Owen Sound, Ontario.

Relined Hot Water Storage Tank

Hot Water Storage Tank - Reline

 

This image represents how the inside of your large Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank should look.  This tank was freshly relined with Pre-Krete T61.  Pre-Krete T61 is a CSA/NSF approved product for use in potable water and is the best product for the inside of a DHWST.  The Pre-Krete T61 lining will last 12-15 years before the tank should be relined.

Also note the new anodes.  While Pre-Krete T61 protects the tank from corrosion, the anodes sacrifice themselves to protect all the unlined areas such as the inlets and outlets.  Anodes should be replace every 1-3 years depending on water quality.  Note:  If your tank is going to leak, it's more than likely going to be around the inlets or outlets.  Anode replacement is vital!

So, by relining your tank every 12-15 years and replacing your anodes every 1-3 years, your tank could outlast the building.

Remember, just one emergency situation will cost you more than 15 years of proper preventative maintenance!

Jason Rusnak

Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc. Services Canada with Offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Owen Sound, Ontario.

Dirty Shower!?

Call Provincial Tank Lining To See How Dirty You Are!

Jason Rusnak
Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

What are you bathing in?

Hot Water Storage Tank - Failed Cement Lining

The image above is the inside of a Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank without proper maintenance.  We see tanks similar to this everyday, some better, some worse. The scary part is, if you're living in a strata complex, a condominium, apartment building, attending a local Recreation Centre, spending some time in jail or at a hospital...this could be the source of the hot water for your bath or shower.

What are you bathing in?

Contact us to find out.

Jason Rusnak
Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

Van Smith's 'Condo Corner' - Hot Water Storage Tank Maintenance

Hot Water Storage Tank Maintenance

Van Smith is a Senior Property Manager at Brookfield Residential Property Services.  Van runs an informative YouTube Channel dealing with topics related to the Strata/Condo industry.

The video below is an episode of 'Condo Corner' from Van's channel, titled 'Hot Water Storage Tank Maintenance'.

 

Jason Rusnak
Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

Inside Your Domest Hot Water Storage Tank

Hot Water Storage Tank Lining

Pictures speak louder than words so I thought I would use a few images from a website serving Vancouver and area called 'Contractor Biographies'.

The 'Before' images below give a good example of what the water source may look like if a Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank (DHWST) has not been maintained.  This source provides water for bathing, laundry and drinking for; Hospitals, Offices, Strata/Condo Corps, Apartments, Recreational Facilities, etc...

The 'After' images below give peace of mind.

Now the next time your bathing, or drinking tea using hot water from the tap...you may want to ask yourself, has our DHWST been maintained recently?

Jason Rusnak
Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
C 519.387.2635
www.ProvTank.com

Get a Manway!

Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank Maintenance

I'm amazed by the amount of large Domestic Hot Water Storage Tanks we see in Condominiums, Hotels, Hospitals and Recreational Centres that lack manway covers.  You cannot properly maintain a Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank without a manway cover.

Every 2-3 years a Domestic Hot Water Storage Tank should be opened to replace the existing anodes that are used to protect the unlined areas of the tank.  After 10-15 years the cement lining begins to fail, therefore it no loner provides beneficial protection to the tank. At this point the tank should be relined to prevent further damage from occurring. If both services are maintained ...a tank will outlast the building.

Without the manway access for maintenance you have one option, replacement.  This is expensive and inconvenient.  Large tanks without manway covers are not easily replaced.  They are usually in a penthouse boiler room or in the basement boiler room.  In order to replace a DHWST, you would have to: smash out walls, hire a helicopter or crane, shut down a street, have certified welders in to cut out the old tank or manufacture one on site...and most importantly...be without hot water, while these procedures are taking place.  Very expensive an inconvenient.

The solution is simple.  If you are having a new tank installed...make sure it has a manway.  If you have a large DHWST without a manway...one can easily be installed.

Remeber...

One emergency situation will cost you more than 15 years of preventative maintenance.

So to wrap this up...

Get a Man-Way!

Jason Rusnak
Director of Business Development
Provincial Tank Lining and Inspections Inc.
226.668.1032
www.ProvTank.com