Size guide · R-02
Capacity
conversions.
Short answer
- Leave ≥5% headspace at 50 °C for regulated liquid
- Never exceed the gross weight on the specification plate
- A 275 of 50% caustic is 3,643 lb gross — check your lift
- Hot fill needs a vented lid or the bottle will deform
Check a fill weight
Volume conversions
Across every size we trade
| US gallons | Litres | Imperial gallons | Cubic feet | Cubic metres | Water fill (lb) | Water fill (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 gal | 1,040 L | 229 imp gal | 36.8 ft³ | 1.04 m³ | 2,292 | 1,040 |
| 330 gal | 1,250 L | 275 imp gal | 44.1 ft³ | 1.25 m³ | 2,751 | 1,248 |
| 120 gal | 450 L | 100 imp gal | 16 ft³ | 0.45 m³ | 1,000 | 454 |
| 180 gal | 680 L | 150 imp gal | 24.1 ft³ | 0.68 m³ | 1,500 | 680 |
| 550 gal | 2,080 L | 458 imp gal | 73.5 ft³ | 2.08 m³ | 4,584 | 2,079 |
Specific gravity
What your actual product weighs
Product weight only — add 132 lb tare for a 275-gallon unit or 148 lb for a 330 to get the gross.
| Product | Specific gravity | 275 gal fill | 330 gal fill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water (reference) | 1.00 | 2,295 lb | 2,754 lb |
| Isopropyl alcohol | 0.79 | 1,813 lb | 2,176 lb |
| Diesel fuel | 0.84 | 1,928 lb | 2,313 lb |
| Mineral / hydraulic oil | 0.88 | 2,020 lb | 2,423 lb |
| Soybean oil | 0.92 | 2,111 lb | 2,534 lb |
| Ethylene glycol | 1.11 | 2,547 lb | 3,057 lb |
| Liquid fertiliser 28-0-0 | 1.28 | 2,938 lb | 3,525 lb |
| Corn syrup (42 DE) | 1.38 | 3,167 lb | 3,800 lb |
| Caustic soda 50% | 1.53 | 3,511 lb | 4,214 lb |
| Sulphuric acid 93% | 1.83 | 4,200 lb | 5,040 lb |
| Zinc bromide brine | 2.30 | 5,279 lb | 6,334 lb |
Short answer
- 275 gal × SG 1.5 = 3,442 lb product + 132 tare = 3,574 lb
- 330 gal × SG 1.5 = 4,130 lb product + 148 tare = 4,278 lb
- A nominal 5,000 lb forklift derates to ~3,800 lb at a 48-in load centre
- Above SG 1.4, consider a 120-gal half-height instead
Head pressure
Gravity discharge depends entirely on the height of liquid above the outlet, not on the volume in the tank. The formula is psi = height in feet × 0.433 × specific gravity.
| Outlet height above ground | Full 275 gal, psi at tap |
|---|---|
| On the ground (6 in) | ~1.3 psi |
| Two concrete blocks (20 in) | ~1.6 psi |
| Four blocks (36 in) | ~2.2 psi |
| Welded stand (60 in) | ~3.1 psi |
| Second-storey platform (144 in) | ~6.1 psi |
Drip irrigation runs happily at 1.5 psi. A hose nozzle wants 20 psi and will need a pump no matter how high you stack the blocks.
Useful constants
The numbers worth memorising
| Constant | Value | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 US gallon of water | 8.345 lb / 3.785 kg | Base of every fill-weight calculation |
| 1 US gallon | 3.785 litres | Metric conversion |
| 1 US gallon | 0.1337 cubic feet | Volume and freight cube |
| 1 litre of water | 1.00 kg | Metric fill weight |
| 1 cubic metre | 264.2 US gallons | Tank sizing |
| Water head pressure | 0.433 psi per foot | Gravity feed design |
| 1 inch of rain on 1,000 ft² roof | 623 US gallons | Rainwater harvesting sizing |
| Legal trailer payload (typical) | 44,000 – 45,000 lb | How many filled totes you can ship |
Rainwater sizing worked through in full on the rainwater harvesting guide.
Questions
Conversion questions
How many litres is a 275 gallon IBC tote?
1,040 litres nominal. The brim capacity is nearer 1,086 litres, but you should never fill to the brim — thermal expansion and sloshing during transport both need headspace, and a regulated shipment has a maximum fill requirement.
How do I calculate the filled weight of a tote?
Gallons × 8.345 lb × specific gravity, plus the tare weight. For 275 gallons of corn syrup at SG 1.38: 275 × 8.345 × 1.38 = 3,167 lb of product, plus 132 lb tare = 3,299 lb gross.
What is the maximum fill level for an IBC?
For regulated liquid, leave at least 5% headspace at 50 °C to allow for thermal expansion, and never exceed the maximum gross weight on the specification plate. For general use, filling to the base of the neck is a sensible practical limit.
How much pressure do I get from a raised tote?
Every foot of liquid height above the outlet gives 0.433 psi for water, scaled by specific gravity. A 275 on two concrete blocks has its outlet about 20 inches up, giving roughly 1.6 psi at the tap when full — enough for gravity irrigation, not enough for a sprinkler.
Does temperature change the usable capacity?
Yes, measurably. Water expands about 2% between 20 °C and 80 °C; many organics expand more. A tote filled cold and then left in the Georgia sun can swell its bottle visibly, which is why hot-fill applications specify vented lids.
Thermal effects
Temperature changes the number in the tank
Liquids expand. In a rigid container that either reduces your usable fill or deforms the bottle, and on a hot fill it does both.
| Liquid | Expansion to 40 °C | To 60 °C | To 80 °C | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ~0.8% | ~1.7% | ~2.9% | Minor; headspace absorbs it |
| Aqueous caustic 50% | ~0.9% | ~1.9% | ~3.2% | Minor, but weight is the real issue |
| Ethylene glycol | ~1.3% | ~2.7% | ~4.2% | Noticeable; leave headspace |
| Vegetable oils | ~1.4% | ~2.9% | ~4.5% | Significant on a hot fill |
| Light hydrocarbons | ~2.0% | ~4.1% | ~6.3% | Vent and leave real headspace |
| Corn syrup | ~1.0% | ~2.1% | ~3.4% | Hot-filled routinely; use a vented lid |
For regulated liquid the requirement is at least 5% headspace at 50 °C. For general use, filling to the base of the neck leaves roughly the right margin. A tote filled hot and sealed will pull a partial vacuum as it cools, which is why hot-fill applications use vented lids.
Flow and transfer
How long a decant actually takes
Volume tells you how much. These tell you how long, which is the number that shows up in labour cost.
| Outlet | Water | Light oil (50 cP) | Heavy syrup (1,000 cP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DN50 / 2 in butterfly | 5 – 7 min | 7 – 10 min | 28 – 45 min |
| DN80 / 3 in butterfly | 2 – 3 min | 3 – 4 min | 8 – 13 min |
| DN50 full-port ball | 5 – 6 min | 7 – 9 min | 23 – 35 min |
| 2 in camlock to hose | 6 – 8 min | 8 – 11 min | 31 – 55 min |
| 3/4 in garden hose adapter | 25 – 40 min | 35 – 55 min | Impractical |
Short answer
- Flow falls as the tank empties — these are full-tank figures
- DN80 roughly halves drain time on water and does better on viscous product
- Outlet size is set by the moulded boss and cannot be changed in the field
- For pumped transfer, a vented lid prevents the bottle collapsing
From the Yard Journal
Longer pieces from the people who run the wash line, the test bay and the trading desk.
24 July 2025 · 3 min
Specific gravity is the number nobody sends us
Almost every enquiry gives a volume. Almost none gives a density. It is the difference between a container that works and a load that gets turned away at a scale.
Nina Caldwell · Trading desk
Read25 June 2024 · 4 min
A 48-inch load centre will lie to your forklift
Your 5,000 lb truck is rated at a 24-inch load centre. A filled tote puts the centre of mass twice that far out, and the derating is not subtle.
Dale Ferreira · Logistics lead
Read
Next move
Tell us the product and we will do the arithmetic.
Give us the liquid name and the volume you need. We will come back with unit count, filled weight per unit, total load weight and whether your lift can handle it.