Dragonfly Tanks are as tough
as your kitchen sink
316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel
available for seaside living
Dragonfly Rainwater Tanks are made from 304 grade Stainless Steel. It is the same grade as your kitchen sink, cookware and food manufacturing equipment making its durability second to none. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion and staining, low maintenance, and familiar luster make it an ideal base material for rainwater storage. The growth of algae and bacteria is also significantly reduced.
Until now, the cost of manufacturing and the raw materials have meant Stainless Steel was too expensive to use for home rainwater storage options. Dragonfly Rainwater Tank’s innovative designs have brought the production cost down whilst retaining a high degree of strength and aesthetic appeal. All rainwater tanks are water tested before delivery and the weld strength and design has been tested to Australian standards. The cost is actually about the same a normal steel rainwater tank but provides all the benefits of a significantly more durable and cleaner material.
A concrete base is recommended for Dragonfly Rainwater Tanks but as Stainless Steel does not react to the concrete, there is no requirement for a matting or membrane beneath the tank (unlike other steel tanks).
Stainless Steel is not subject to degradation upon long term exposure to sunlight as are plastic tanks. Most modern plastic tanks have a thin outer layer rated as UV 16. The number indicates the amount of stabiliser added to the polyethylene and with this rating would mean 16,000 hours of continuous outdoor exposure in Florida, before the polyethylene loses 50% of its original strength. After this time the polyethylene is spent, and no amount of welding or other repair methods will prolong the service life of your plastic rainwater tank. Not to mention what it is doing to the quality of the water.
All rainwater tanks will heat the water inside if placed in direct sunlight. Because of the high reflectivity of the Stainless Steel (think car windscreen cover), the amount of heat retained is significantly less than other tanks. Most plastic rainwater tanks have heat clauses in their warranties some to as little as 24 degrees ambient temperature! BEWARE
A bush fire or any naked flame exposure cannot harm a Stainless Steel rainwater tank apart from making it black. Unlike a plastic rainwater tank, they will not catch fire and endanger your home. Aquaplate rainwater tanks are most sensitive to temperature over 70 degrees as the plastic coating inside the tank can separate and render the tank useless. Zincalume will perform slightly better than Aquaplate, up to about 200 degrees when the zincalume coating will melt.
Stainless Steel does not absorb pollutants, chemical, pesticides or other contaminants into its surface. If any of these substances find their way into a Dragonfly Rainwater Tank, just wash it out the tank and re-fill. Depending on the contaminant, a plastic or plastic lined rainwater tank may have to be professionally cleaned or in a worst case, thrown away.
Plastic rainwater tanks are made for several layers of plastic using additives and recycled plastic. There is currently no recycling facility in Australia that will accept these rainwater tanks once U/V exposure renders them unusable. Dragonfly Rainwater Tanks use 100% stainless steel and can be completely recycled if your tank ever gets to that point. It will even be worth money.