Water Tank Questions Answered
Buying your Qtank
With QTank, you buy your rainwater tank direct from the manufacturer, getting the best possible price. Order Here online, or call or visit our showroom.
QTank is happy to provide more inclusions with our tanks than most other suppliers so you can get the most out of your tank. All QTanks include:
- 500mm leaf strainer
- 90mm overflow outlet fitted with ‘mozzie mesh’
- 2 x 1″ water outlets
- 1 x 1″ ball valve
- 1 x tap fitting for easy use of your hose*
- 1 x ‘QTank water in use’ sign for display outside your home
- Thread tape
Find out about accessories to enhance the performance of your tank.
*Not on Rural tanks
If you plan to position your tank within 450mm from your property boundary, please contact your local council to check before ordering your tank.
QTank manufactures its water tanks to precise standards, and proudly guarantees the quality of our tanks for 10 years. If the water tank is installed as per our installation guide, is used for its intended purpose, and a manufacturing fault emerges with your QTank, it will be repaired or replaced at no cost to you during the 10 years after the date of purchase. A warranty document is supplied with the ‘Quality Test Report’ on delivery of your tank.
No – all tanks are made to order
When considering what size water tank to buy, consider:
- what you plan to use the water for
- how many people will be using the water
- the average annual rainfall for your area (see the Australian Bureau of Meteorology)
- the size of your roof
- the number of downpipes that you would connect to your rainwater tank.
QTank has a range of rainwater tank sizes to suit your water collection needs. A 3,000L tank is ideal for outdoor water use, such as plant watering, while a 5,000 – 10,000L water tank will hold enough to service your water needs – inside and outside the home.
Once they install a rainwater tank, many people discover a great number of uses for the rainwater they collect. Consider installing the largest tank you can fit within your available space.
Rainwater tanks generally collect one litre of water for every millimetre of rain that falls on every one m2 on your roof. For example:
- a short rain shower that dropped 1mm of rain on a 100m2 roof would collect 100L of water in your tank
- a heavier shower that dropped 25mm of rain would collect 2,500L of water in your tank
Calculate your rainfall for the year by multiplying the number of square metres on your roof by the average annual rainfall in your area.
QTanks are made of tough, food-grade polyethylene which safely stores water for drinking, and leaves no taste.
It is safe to collect water from most types of roof, including steel (Colourbond, Zincalume), tiles (clay and concrete) and new-style treated fibro./p>
You can also increase your peace of mind by installing a Leaf Eater or First Flush System to further purify the water entering your rainwater tank.
The Queensland Government’s Environmental Protection Agency advises that the following types of roofs may not be suitable to collect rainwater for drinking from:
- painted with lead-based paint (including primer)
- coated with bitumen-based materials
- with lead flashings or chemically treated timbers
- parts containing flues from wood burners
- where outlet pipes from appliances such as air conditioners discharge onto the roof or gutters
A QTank is safe to install in any outdoor area where children are:
- Unlike other types of rainwater tanks, our tanks have no metal edges which may be sharp.
- QTanks are difficult to climb.
- Leaving a recommended minimum amount of 25mm of water in a QTank means they are very difficult to tip over.
- The design of the insert in the top of each watertank can accommodate the weight of an adult – reducing the risk of people falling into the tank.
Installing your water Tank
- A water tank is ideally positioned near one or more downpipes – walk around your home to identify where the downpipes are located
- To get a feel for the size of your tank, use a garden hose or rope as a line marker to measure out its diameter
- All Q Tanks fit under the eaves of a standard single storey house
- Please note that water tanks cannot be positioned over sewer mains
- Your watertank will need to sit on a base. Read our installation page for more information
You may find the Queensland Government’s ‘Homeowners Rainwater Tank Checklist’ (PDF 91Kb) useful to read before ordering.
Please contact us at QTank if you have any questions – we’d be happy to help.
A QTank needs to be positioned on a level, stable, compacted surface, without any sharp objects such as stones. You do not need to have a watertank stand. Some types of suitable bases:
- level crusher dust or bedding sand in a pine sleeper frame
- concrete slab (level and reinforced)
- water tank stand with a hardwood deck (gaps no more than 2″ between each board)
The diameter of the rainwater tank base needs to be approximately 30cm wider than the tank.
If you are not connecting your tank to your home’s plumbing, you can install it yourself. Installing a rainwater tank is easy. Follow QTank’s installation guide to ensure your tank is installed to meet the conditions of our 10 year warranty.
However, if you want to use your tank water within your home, for example to flush toilets or washing clothes, it must be connected to your home’s plumbing by a licensed plumber.
No – you can have your overflow run off onto an area underneath your tank covered with rocks that weaken and disperse the water’s flow.
Yes – using standard wood-working tools, alternative inlets or overflows can be added to your QTank.
Maintain your water tank
The inlet strainer and overflow outlet on your QTank is to Queensland Regulation Standards and is designed to keep vermin such as insects and small animals from entering the tank. Being manufactured and delivered in one solid piece means less openings for vermin to enter through.
The inlet strainer and overflow outlet on your QTank is to Queensland Regulation Standards and is designed to keep vermin such as insects and small animals from entering the tank. Being manufactured and delivered in one solid piece means less openings for vermin to enter through.
Algae only grows in rainwater tanks when enough light enters. There are products such as a Leaf & Light Guards available that will minimise the amount of light entering the water tank, and reduce the rate of algae growth.
Contact Us
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