What Is A Diesel Dispenser?
Diesel dispensers are commonly used by businesses which need access to diesel on site, and diesel drums are either too small or too inconvenient for their needs.
A diesel dispensing tank is a tank which has its own pumping equipment, meaning it is used to safely dispense fuel into a vehicle.
Diesel dispensers are particularly useful in the transport and logistics and agricultural industries, as well as for fuelling back-up generators in an emergency at sites like hospitals.
Owning a diesel tank makes sound business sense – helping to save time and money. Buying diesel in bulk helps reduce the price per litre, while having diesel on site will help to save time spent queuing at fuel stations.
Diesel dispensers are made from either steel or plastic. Which one should you choose?
The good news is that both steel and plastic diesel dispensers do a very good job. But there are still some advantages and disadvantages of each, meaning one material might be more suited to a particular industry or size of business than the other.
Pros and cons of steel diesel tanks
One of the biggest advantages of steel diesel dispensers is that they have a big capacity. We stock steel diesel dispensing tanks ranging from 1,350 to 100,000 litres.
Steel offers greater protection from theft and impact damage, which in turn will often make fuel thieves look for easier targets.
But steel tanks are more expensive than plastic tanks – the material is more expensive and the manufacturing process is more labour intensive.
More maintenance work is required for steel tanks – checking for rust and touching up paintwork to extend the tank’s life and ensure it continues to store the diesel safely and gives the best value for money.
Steel diesel dispensers are also significantly heavier than the plastic alternative, making installing and manoeuvring them more difficult. If specialist equipment is required to move a heavy steel diesel dispensing tank, that will push up the cost further.
Pros and cons of plastic diesel tanks
Plastic tanks are significantly cheaper than steel tanks. On average, they are just over half the price of a steel tank of the same capacity. In addition, the maintenance cost over the lifetime of a plastic diesel dispensing tank is much lower.
Plastic diesel dispensers are corrosion-resistant, so there’s no need to touch up paintwork. While all of our tanks have a 10-year warranty, it is likely that they will actually last for up to 20 years.
Being much lighter, plastic diesel dispensers are easier to move around a site, often using your own company vehicles. They can be more easily relocated if necessary.
The capacity of plastic diesel dispensers is lower than their steel counterparts. The biggest plastic diesel dispensing tanks we stock are 15,000 litres, which could run out pretty quickly for a company with multiple vehicles and big fuel demands.
The plastic used to manufacture diesel dispensing tanks is strong and hardwearing, but it isn’t as strong as steel, leaving it more vulnerable to theft and impact damage. Although if your site is a very secure one, this may not be a consideration, and any bunded tank is at less risk from impact damage.
Both plastic and steel diesel dispensing tanks are suitable for a range of industries from agriculture to construction to haulage. Ultimately, the choice of either steel diesel dispenser or plastic diesel dispenser depends on your budget and site requirements, including the storage capacity you need.
Tanks for Everything stocks plastic diesel dispensing tanks with a capacity ranging from 100 to 15,000 litres and steel diesel dispensers from 1,350 to 100,000 litres. All steel diesel dispensers we stock are bunded. All of the bunded diesel dispenser tanks have a 10-year warranty.
If you would like more advice on diesel dispensing tanks, talk to us.
