When it comes to purchasing a septic tank for your property, you don’t want to make the wrong choice. This is a purchase that you will likely be committed to for at least a couple of decades, not to mention the fact that after it’s been buried underground, removal can be a difficult task to undertake simply because you changed your mind after the fact. Before you make your decision, it’s critical you get educated on the facts and weigh up the various pros and cons of your options. Plastic and concrete tend to be the most widely available septic tanks so we’ve laid out the advantages and disadvantages of both materials below to help make things easier:
Plastic Septic Tanks
The Pros
✓ Recyclable
At Global Tanks, we only ever create and mould our tanks out of recyclable plastic which means that you don’t have to worry about harmful landfill or expensive removal when it eventually comes time to dispose of your septic tank.
✓ Crack Resistant
Plastic is much more flexible than concrete, making it much less likely to crack or weather over time. This makes them completely watertight and prevents contamination or leaking.
✓ Easy Installation
As a lightweight material, choosing plastic makes it much easier to transport and install. This means that no heavy machinery is required and that plastic septic tanks can be placed in a bigger variety of locations or surroundings. More than this, easy installation means it’s quicker, requires fewer employees, and is cheaper to transport, all of which will bring down the cost.
✓ Cost
Plastic is easier to manufacture and mould, making plastic septic tanks cheaper to purchase than concrete tanks.
✓ Hygiene
Due to the fact that plastic tanks are more watertight and much less likely to let water in or out, they’re the more hygienic option. This massively reduces the chances of your wastewater leaking and contaminating your property while also helping to ensure no foreign water, liquids, or chemicals can get into your tank.
✓ Corrosion-Free
Plastic is completely resistant to corrosion or rust from water which means that it requires less maintenance and is much less likely to break or cause you trouble as it gets older.
The Cons
❌ More Easily Crushed
A plastic tank is more likely to become crushed when exposed to extreme pressure. However, this is rare and can easily be avoided through strategic placement; they are engineered to overcome this.
Concrete Septic Tanks
The Pros
✓ Remains rust-free
Concrete is made from natural materials and therefore non-toxic but also, for obvious reasons, it means the tank will not rust over the long-term.
The Cons
❌ Higher Carbon Emissions During Production
As the second most used material in the world after water, concrete is responsible for a significant negative contribution to the environment. The manufacturing of concrete generates roughly 4.5% of the world’s human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.
❌ Much Heavier
As concrete is a lot heavier than plastic, it’s harder to install a concrete septic tank. The process will likely be a lot longer, more expensive, and require machinery.
❌ Easily Cracked
Concrete is more brittle than plastic which means that as the years go on, cracks are likely to appear which could lead to expensive repairs, contamination to your property, foul smells, and environmental health issues.
❌ Easily Corroded
Concrete is much more prone to corrosion from water which isn’t ideal as it will be often exposed to water. Serious corrosion is likely to compromise the integrity of the entire tank.
❌ Difficult to Repair
Not only are concrete tanks more likely to crack or break but when they do, the repair process is far more difficult and disruptive than that of a plastic septic tank.
At Global Tanks, our business is all about innovating for the future. We are confident that concrete will soon become a thing of the past and that our recyclable plastic tanks are the way forward. We have a range of plastic septic tanks, water storage tanks, transportable tanks and we are also experts in Custom Rotomoulding. To learn more about our products or services, get in touch with one of our friendly team members today!
