Professional Water Tank Cleaning Process — Step by Step

Professional Water Tank Cleaning Process: 6 Steps

Many people think water tank cleaning means rinsing with tap water. That only removes the mud you can see. Bacteria stay on the tank walls, and the water smells again within a few weeks.

A professional water tank cleaning process has 6 steps. Each step has a purpose. Here is what happens when a TangkiBersih technician arrives at your home.

Step 1: Contact and Book Your Water Tank Cleaning (15 Minutes)

You send a photo of your tank through WhatsApp. We assess the type, size and condition from the photo. A quote is given within 15 minutes.

Clear photos of the lid, the tank body and the area around it help. They let us quote accurately the first time. A rooftop tank and a ground-level tank are not the same job.

Prices start from RM150 for a household poly tank. The date is set according to your area. See our coverage areas for an estimate of waiting times.

Step 2: The Technician Arrives and Inspects the Water Tank (10 Minutes)

The technician arrives at the promised time. Before starting, he checks:

• The tank type and material.
• The condition of the lid, valve and float.
• The level of sediment and algae.
• Access and safety for rooftop tanks.
• The inlet and outlet pipe connections.

If there is damage such as a crack or a missing lid, the technician tells you first. You decide whether to repair it on the same visit. Nothing is added to the bill without your agreement.

Step 3: Pump Out Dirty Water and Sediment (20 to 30 Minutes)

The inlet pipe is closed. A high-powered pump draws out all the water in the tank. This water goes to the drain, not into your house pipes.

Sediment at the base is pumped out along with it. In a tank that has not been cleaned for years, the sludge can be several centimetres thick. An extra vacuum is used for concrete tanks.

This is usually the moment homeowners see how dirty the tank really was. The sludge is the reason the water tasted odd.

Step 4: Scrub the Water Tank Walls and Floor (30 to 45 Minutes)

This is the most important step. The technician enters or reaches into the tank with special brushes. The walls, floor and corners are scrubbed.

The cleaning agent depends on the tank:

• Poly: soft brush and food-grade cleaning agent. It does not scratch the surface.
• Stainless steel: a special agent that leaves no marks. The inner surface is polished.
• Concrete: hard brush and high-pressure jet for the porous surface.
• Calcium scale: a scale-dissolving agent for limestone water areas such as Ipoh.

After scrubbing, a high-pressure jet rinses all the dirt towards the outlet. The rinse water is pumped out again. The jet reaches corners and seams that a brush alone cannot.

Step 5: Sanitise and Disinfect the Water Tank (15 to 20 Minutes)

A clean tank still holds bacteria you cannot see. Sanitisation kills these bacteria.

TangkiBersih uses controlled, food-grade chlorine. The concentration is measured, not guessed.

The solution is sprayed over every wall and left to work. It is then rinsed until no residue remains.

This agent is safe for drinking, cooking and bathing water. It kills 99.9% of bacteria, including E. coli.

Step 6: Refill and Hand Over (15 Minutes)

The inlet pipe is opened. The tank fills with clean water. The technician checks:

• The incoming water is clear.
• The float works and stops at the correct level.
• There are no leaks at the connections.
• The lid is fitted tightly.

You inspect the tank together with the technician before he leaves. For business premises, a sanitisation report is prepared. Run each tap for a minute afterwards to flush the old water out of the pipes.

Total Time for Water Tank Cleaning

Tank type

Total time

Poly 500L - 1,000L	1 hour
Poly 1,500L - 3,000L	1 - 2 hours
Stainless steel	1 - 2 hours
Concrete / underground	2 - 4 hours
Commercial panel	3 - 4 hours

Your home water supply is interrupted throughout the work. Fill a few buckets first if you need to. Most household jobs are finished within a morning or an afternoon.

What Cheap Contractors Skip

Cheap offers usually skip steps 4 and 5. They pump out the water, rinse once and refill. The tank looks clean, but the bacteria remain.

A proper job on a small poly tank takes about an hour. If a contractor is done in 20 minutes, steps were skipped. You will find out when the smell returns.

Ask the contractor: "What sanitising agent do you use?" If there is no clear answer, look elsewhere. The full checklist is in how to choose a water tank cleaning service.

After Cleaning: Look After Your Water Tank

1. Keep the lid tightly closed at all times.
2. Check your tap water every month.
3. Schedule the next cleaning in 6 to 12 months.
4. Consider a maintenance package from RM120 per visit.

Every TangkiBersih cleaning job comes with a 30-day warranty. If the water turns cloudy within that period, we come back free of charge.

Want your tank to go through these 6 steps? WhatsApp TangkiBersih for a quote. From RM150.