Colored Boots for Steel Tanks

[cashew]

I think, for colored boots for steel tanks, you are stuck with the fit-tight-no-draining boots.

Oh I see what you mean. Looking at the photo in your links, the "feet" are the same level as the bottom of the boot so there's no real vertical displacement for having the bottom of the tank avoid touching the ground.

Ok. I'm sensing a very limited market opportunity here for self-draining colored boots. Who do I pitch my idea to?

 

[tursiops]

Who do I pitch my idea to?

I'd try Randy Barcomb <piranhadivemfg@yahoo.com>. Seriously.

 

[Doc Harry]

Boots on steel tanks hold moisture, promote corrosion and hide corrosion when it forms. Risk/benefit?

 

[cashew]

Boots on steel tanks hold moisture, promote corrosion and hide corrosion when it forms. Risk/benefit?

Aside from my initial point about "vanity," a lot of pools around me require boots on your tanks to be able to use them in the water.

 

[tech_diver]

If the tanks are sizes common to North America, I can can get you colored tank boots for steel tanks. But you need buy 12,000 boots at a time and pay extra $ per unit for a custom color. It will be a 16 week lead time.

If you want a colored tank boot used for steel tanks more common in Europe, I can still get them for you but you will need to order 12,000 of them, there will be an additional charge per unit for custom color and there will be an another charge of $20,000 for a new set of injection mold tooling. There will be a 24 week lead time.

People usually decide black is ok after all.

 

[spectrum]

This is true! I am aware of the increased risk for corrosion from tank boots in general, although I'm not entirely sure why these boots in particular couldn't just have some holes drilled into the bottom to make them self-draining?

Sorry, I had been away from this this thread.

The boots pictured cling to the cylinder like a second skin, they are usually vinyl of some similar pliable plastic. They were one pretty much the only game in town. They have no means of srying and will retain moisture for a long time and concentrate salt every time the do dry out. IMO they are a "just say no" product.

Along the way the self draining boot was introduced, often associated with Underwater Kinetics. I don't know if they had a patent on them or what. In any case they are molded of a hard plastic and only small flutes contact the cylinder. Being points of contact moisture really can't be trapped against the cylinder. If you soak or hose rinse you can quickly remove nearly all salts.

Pete

---------- Post added December 24th, 2015 at 02:00 PM ----------

Oh I see what you mean. Looking at the photo in your links, the "feet" are the same level as the bottom of the boot so there's no real vertical displacement for having the bottom of the tank avoid touching the ground.

Ok. I'm sensing a very limited market opportunity here for self-draining colored boots. Who do I pitch my idea to?

Shark tank?

 

[walkonmars]

If you simply want a boot without having to ask an entire industry to make thousands to meet your needs you may have alternatives.
Maybe try 3D printing using a material with high toughness. You may also try to machine one from a composite (fiberglass filled molded tube?).
Using the K.I.S.S. principle, buy a black one, paint it with the color you want or wrap it with tape in the color you want. Drop a few lengths of weed wacker plastic wire between the boot and tank so some space exists to help it drain water.
My larger (100 cu ft and larger) have hard plastic boots with vertical venting flutes and bottom drain holes.
My smaller LP50 (5.5 inch dia) is a rubber slip-on type without good drainage as you mentioned. I hate it but the only one I could find. I will someday modify a PVC or ABS plastic pipe or pipe end cap on a lathe to make the boot I want.
On a side note, I usually knock off the tank boot to every tank I use in saltwater to help rinse it. I then set the boot on the ground and gently set the tank on it without inserting it to help it dry and not harbor water.