What Is A Tank Vent & How Does It Work?

For those in the water tower/tank industry, the term “tank vent” or “frost free tank vent” are common terms. For those outside of the industry they may seem irrelevant.

For those that do not know, tank vents are one of the most important accessories/add-ons to a water tank. The tank vents act as the insurance policy for a tank, as they are designed to circulate airflow from inside the water tank to outside.

Why is it Important?

As mentioned above, tank vents act as an insurance policy for the tower while they allow for proper air circulation throughout the tank. A tank without proper airflow can be left with multiple issues.

The first being structural damage. Any tank that doesn’t have proper ventilation can experience external pressure on the tank creating a vacuum– leading to buckling. Buckling is extremely noticeable and creates an instant need for attention. This attention will always carry a large financial burden, creating a loss of money for you and your company.

Another issue that can come up when tanks do not have tank vents is frost. Frost free tank vents are perfect for cold weather climates. They do pose a benefit for warm weather too – they can keep birds and insects from creating homes in the tank.

However, the best benefit is for the cold weather climate tanks. Frost free vents allow airflow through the tank which limits ice and snow build up on the tower. Any sort of ice or snow build up can lead to improper ventilation – as mentioned above can cause a pressure vacuum resulting in damage.

Tank vents are critical to well-being of a water tank/tower. While they technically are openings, manway access points and overflows are typically sealed off when not in use, thus cannot provide the proper ventilation.

There are other options to tank vents, but they are not recommended. Some older tanks are equipped with finial balls that don’t allow enough ventilation and are currently being asked to be replaced during routine maintenance.

In the long run the cost of the tank vent is heavily outweighed by the cost of repairing or potentially replacing an unequipped tank. The tank vent can cost around $1,000 to $5,000, but one damaged tank can result in upwards of $500,000 in repairs.

Equip Your Tower

Allfasteners sells tank vents. They are aluminum and HDPE construction and are frost free. Contact an Allfasteners representative if you want to find out more about our tank vents. Simply call 888.859.6060 or send us an email.