Cleaning a water tank or sealing it in Riyadh: how to tell which you need
An advert that says “wash, seal, and weld the tank” is two jobs. Washing and disinfection are for sediment and algae. Sealing or welding is for a crack that lets water out or damp in. Asking for both before anyone looks wastes the visit or postpones the real fault.
When the job is cleaning
If the water has changed colour or smell, there is grit in the basin, it has been more than six months, or the cover is broken. Those are signs for tank cleaning and disinfection: drain, scrub, chlorine at the right strength, rinse, then check the cracks and the cover.
Heat and dust in Riyadh make a roof tank grow algae faster. That is not a leak. That is a tank that needs a wash and a cover that actually closes.
When the job is sealing or a repair
- The water level drops and you are not using that much.
- Damp or dark soil around the ground tank, with no irrigation there.
- Stains on the ceiling under the roof tank.
- A crack you can see once it is empty, or exposed steel in a concrete tank.
- A plastic tank split at a fitting, not merely dirty.
Cleaning does not close a crack. Sealing over sediment and algae traps the dirt under the coating. The order is: drain, clean, see the wall, then decide if there is a repair.
What the visit should hand you
Even if you only booked a clean, ask for a written note on:
- The cover and the openings.
- Cracks, or old waterproofing that has blistered.
- The difference between the ground tank and the roof tank if you have both.
A repair, whether that is injecting a crack, renewing a lining, or replacing a split plastic tank, is agreed after that note, not before it. We do not price a weld from a phone call that says “the tank is old”.
Book the tank clean and say if you suspect a leak. The starting price for cleaning is on the prices page. The repair comes after.
Frequently asked questions
Does sealing replace the six-month clean?
No. Sealing stops water moving through a crack. Sediment and algae still form in a sound tank, and they still need the same periodic wash.
The roof tank wets the roof. Is that sealing?
It might be a loose cover, a float valve, a fitting, or a crack in the body. Looking after it is drained shows which. Do not assume a weld from a wet patch on the roof.
Should I call a waterproofing company first?
If you have seen a crack, still have the tank opened and cleaned first so the wall is visible. A coating on a dirty surface does not hold.
Does a broken cover need sealing?
No. A broken cover is replaced or tightened. It is a common way in for dust and insects, and it is fixed with the clean.
The short version
Clean when the water changes or the date is due. Seal when a crack or a leak is there after the tank is empty. Book the clean and the inspection. The wash itself is in the tank guide.