Summer is fast approaching, and with it comes heat, humidity, and sweltering sunshine. Keeping yourself comfortable in warm weather is a tough enough task, but keeping your cistern water tank cool is often an even harder task. Large cistern water tanks that are metal or are a dark color can become warm quite quickly. As temperatures inside a water tank rise, so too does the likelihood of mold and algae growth inside the tank. Therefore, it becomes all the more important that you take the necessary measures to keep your water tank cool as outdoor temperatures rise. This guide explores three tips for how to keep water cistern tanks cool in the summer.

Work from the inside out

The best tip for how to keep water cistern tanks cool is to work from the inside out. The simplest and most effective way to do this is through a cistern water tank liner. Lining your cistern tank with a high-quality liner creates an additional barrier between the summer heat and the liquid stored inside the tank. This is particularly beneficial if your water tank is made of a dark material, as dark materials absorb and conduct heat more easily. However, a tank liner is also beneficial for concrete cisterns or tanks that are made from more heat-resistant materials. While these materials will not absorb or conduct heat as easily, their interiors can still get quite warm as external temperatures climb. Installing a tank liner helps regulate the tank’s internal temperature, thereby reducing the chances for mold or algae growth.

Seek a shaded area

Sunshine will be your greatest opponent in the fight to keep your water tank cool during summer. Sunshine and heat are the largest contributing factors to mold and algae growth in cistern tanks. As such, it’s encouraged that you seek a shaded area for your cistern water tank as temperatures begin to climb. This may mean moving your tank to an enclosed, shaded area or building an enclosure around an existing tank. Creating an enclosed space around your cistern tank or installing it in a shaded area will not only help keep internal temperatures low, but it will also protect the tank against the sun’s harmful UV rays. The sun can be particularly harmful to plastic or metal cistern tanks. Excessive exposure to sunlight can cause the tank to degrade more quickly, which can affect the quality of liquids stored inside. Seeking a shaded area mitigates this possibility, helping the tank maintain its integrity longer.

Stave off the sun

Another way to avoid excessive heat is by painting the exterior of the cistern tank a light color. As mentioned earlier, cistern tanks that are constructed of dark metals will have a harder time keeping cool during the warm weather. Light colors absorb far less sunlight and heat than dark colors. Therefore, painting the exterior of your cistern tank a light color can help reflect sunlight and heat, allowing the tank’s internal temperature to remain more stable throughout the summer.