This guide covers the most important questions posed by facilities managers in your industry. If the answer to your question isn’t thoroughly covered here, please contact the Clay & Bailey team. We look forward to assisting you with your project.
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Yes, for in stock items, we can offer same-day shipping for a $100 fee. Call us at (800) 821-6583 to determine if your item is in stock.
All returns require our written permission. When permission to return materials is granted, all transportation charges are to be prepaid and a normal 25% handling charge will be assumed by the customer. Credit will be issued based on purchase price. All material must be in first-class salable condition, and credits will reflect a deduction for any original freight allowance. In special cases, we reserve the right to increase the percentage of handling charges. We do not purchase surplus inventories.
Clay & Bailey products have a one-year warranty from the invoice date. Get our complete warranty here.
Yes, upon credit approval, we will invoice upon request for any orders totaling $50 net or more.
Yes. AST and UST products are available on our storage tank products page, which covers all energy industry components, including those used for tank safety, access, and more.
Our primary manufacturing expertise is in 319 aluminum, which is cast in our in-house foundry.
Get our complete price list and literature here. Spec sheets are included on the product page for each individual component.
Specific product listings include installation instructions: anodes, overfill prevention valves. Download these instructions by clicking one of the links above, or by visiting the Storage Tank Line products page and selecting the product.
Mushroom vents and vent caps are protective covers designed to supplement venting. They prevent rainwater, snow, debris, and pests from entering systems while letting vapors and gases escape.
Mushroom vents are used on fuel or storage tanks to allow vapors to exit while protecting against weather. Common materials include high-impact PVC, stainless steel, and cast iron. Cast iron is common for tank applications.
The right source for mushroom vents depends on your application and material requirements.
A mushroom vent is a protective cover for vertical pipes. Its signature domed shape lets air or gas escape from underneath its rim, while its solid top blocks precipitation and debris.
Material selection depends on the environment and pipe:
Mounting styles include slip-fit (hex bolts or set screws), threaded (common for fuel or septic tanks), and solvent weld, which are glued. Clay and Bailey manufactures mushroom-type normal vents engineered for industrial fuel and storage tank applications.
We manufacture for the petroleum industry, including oil fields, businesses that require an uninterrupted power supply, Department of Transportation (DOT) fuel transports, municipal utilities, agriculture, and more. However, our capabilities lend themselves to much more. If your industry requires custom product development, contact Clay & Bailey.
Clay & Bailey’s state-of-the-art machining, fabrication, and casting technology offers product development for a wide range of clients and industries. View our custom product development services to learn more about how we can design and build high-quality components for your industry.
Yes, our Kansas City, Missouri foundry can accommodate your custom aluminum castings.
An overfill prevention valve (OPV) is a mechanical safety device installed inside the fill pipe of an aboveground storage tank (AST) or underground storage tank (UST) that automatically stops product flow as the tank approaches capacity and shuts off completely before overfill.
The valve relies on a float to stop product flow. As liquid rises, the float lifts a poppet into the flow path, slowing the product (typically fuel) to a trickle and signaling personnel to stop the pump. If they don’t catch this signal, the valve closes fully, catching the product in the delivery hose before it overflows.
OPVs are a common method of meeting overfill prevention requirements under EPA 40 CFR 280.20(c), EPA 40 CFR 112.8(c)(8), NFPA 30, NFPA 30A, and PEI RP 600.
Electrical overfill protection systems use optic, thermistor, or float sensors wired to a control unit that automatically shuts down a pump or closes a motorized valve when liquid reaches a setpoint. They’re standard on equipment like tank truck loading racks and in bulk petroleum storage facilities, engineered to standards like IEC 61511 and API 2350.
For most storage tanks themselves, including generator day tanks, ASTs and USTs, agricultural and commercial bulk storage, a mechanical overfill prevention valve (OPV) is the primary line of defense. OPVs are float-driven, fail-safe, and operate without power, making them a reliable choice for backup-power applications and any tank where there may not be reliable electricity.
A complete overfill protection system uses several integrated components to prevent spills during product transfer. EPA regulations under 40 CFR Part 280 reference these elements as part of compliant AST and UST installations.
Spill containment costs vary widely by type, size, and application, with several solutions available depending on the use case.
Common types of spill containment include:
Pricing ranges based on your specific need and the quality of manufacturing. Clay and Bailey manufactures spill containment boxes engineered for fuel and storage tank applications. Pricing is available by quote.
Containment tanks, or secondary containment systems, prevent leaks, spills, and environmental contamination by providing a protective barrier around primary liquid storage vessels.
These general specs define containment tanks:
Common applications include storing fuel, chemicals, and oil, particularly in construction and agricultural industries. UL 142 double-walled fuel tanks have built-in containment so no external basin is needed. Clay and Bailey manufactures components used across these secondary containment applications.
Fuel containment systems store and secure fuel while ensuring compliance with EPA, SPCC, and OSHA regulations.
Key risk-mitigation systems include:
Clay and Bailey manufactures spill containment boxes and tank fittings that support compliant fuel storage installations.
Manway size is determined by the tank’s purpose, access, and structure. For most aboveground and underground storage tanks, common sizes range from 16–40 inches in diameter.
A 24-inch manway is the standard for human entry, allowing a worker to enter and exit per OSHA requirements. Smaller 16- to 20-inch manways are used for inspection, sampling, and equipment access. Larger 30- to 40-inch manways accommodate equipment, mixers, and emergency exits. It’s an engineering best practice to ensure manway size is not too large relative to the size of the tank to prevent structural failure.
A tank manway is a critical access point for inspection, cleaning, and maintenance. Selection depends on tank contents and internal pressure.
For pressure vessels, manways should meet UL 142 Aboveground Flammable Liquid and ASME Section VIIl standards.
Stainless steel is often the preferred material for tank manways in potentially corrosive and pressure-rated applications.
Diesel generators give a data center backup power that can run for extended periods when utility service fails, so the services it hosts stay online. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) typically carries the load until the generators start, and a transfer switch then shifts the load to them. Runtime depends on the usable fuel stored on site, generator load and fuel-consumption rate, and how quickly the facility can be resupplied. Diesel remains a common fuel choice because it starts quickly and can be stored on site in quantity. Generators produce exhaust emissions, so EPA rules apply.
The key safety standards for aboveground storage tanks come from UL, API, NFPA, STI, and the EPA, and together they cover tank construction, fire safety, spill control, and inspection. UL 142 and UL 2085 cover shop-fabricated tank construction, and API 650 covers large field-erected tanks. NFPA 30 addresses fire safety, venting, and installation. At qualifying facilities, the EPA’s SPCC rule requires secondary containment and regular integrity testing, which can be performed under STI SP001 or API 653. The standards that apply depend on the fuel, tank design, capacity, application, and the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
Pressure and relief vents let air and vapor move in and out of a fuel tank so pressure and vacuum stay within the tank’s design limits. Normal venting equalizes pressure as fuel is added or drawn out and as temperatures change. Some tanks use pressure-vacuum vents that stay closed until a set pressure or vacuum is reached. Emergency relief is a separate function that releases the large volume of vapor produced when a tank is exposed to fire. Vent selection has to match the tank, the fuel, and the governing code, and sizing has to meet the tank’s normal and emergency venting requirements.
Hospital backup generators must supply emergency power within 10 seconds of a utility failure, a Joint Commission requirement for life safety and critical branch loads. CMS requires hospitals to follow NFPA 99, NFPA 110, and the Life Safety Code for generator location, inspection, testing, and maintenance. Hospitals that store fuel on site must have a plan to keep emergency power running, so tank capacity and resupply become part of the design. Monthly tests must run at least 30 continuous minutes at 30 percent or more of nameplate load. Clay & Bailey Manufacturing Company provides equipment for above-ground service tanks that support diesel backup generators for hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
