Volume Calculator
Calculate cylindrical tank volume in liters or cubic meters using radius and height
Height Calculator
Calculate cylindrical tank height from volume and radius in millimeters or meters
Weight Calculator
Calculate the weight of liquid in cylindrical tanks using volume and material density
Diameter Calculator
Calculate cylindrical tank diameter and radius from volume and height
Cylindrical Tank Height Calculator
Calculate cylindrical tank height from volume and radius in millimeters or meters.
Height
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Radius
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Diameter
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Volume
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Not to scale · updates live
Result
Enter radius and volume to see the result.
How to find the height a tank needs
If you know the footprint and the capacity, this gives you the height the liquid will reach.
- 01
Enter the radius or the diameter
Fill in either and the other updates. Choose the unit from the dropdown first. The height comes back in millimetres, along with metres.
- 02
Enter the volume in litres or cubic metres
Toggle the unit next to the field. Gallons aren't supported, so multiply US gallons by 3.785 to get litres.
- 03
Read the liquid height
The tool divides the volume by the floor area of the tank, h = V ÷ (π × r²). 2,000 L in a tank 1.2 m across needs 1,768 mm of height.
Litres per centimetre of depth
Flip the height formula around and you get a dipstick table: how many litres each centimetre of liquid represents in a tank of a given diameter. Measure the depth with a stick, multiply, and you know what's left.
| Inside diameter | Litres per cm of depth | Litres per 10 cm |
|---|---|---|
| 0.6 m | 2.83 L | 28.3 L |
| 0.8 m | 5.03 L | 50.3 L |
| 1.0 m | 7.85 L | 78.5 L |
| 1.2 m | 11.31 L | 113.1 L |
| 1.5 m | 17.67 L | 176.7 L |
| 2.0 m | 31.42 L | 314.2 L |
This only works for upright tanks with a flat bottom, where every centimetre holds the same amount. In a horizontal tank the litres per centimetre change with the depth, so a simple multiplier won't do.
Headspace and the radius mix-up
The height you get is for the liquid alone. Real tanks need room above it for the inlet, the float valve and the overflow, so plan on about 10% extra. In the example above, 1,768 mm of liquid means a tank around 1,965 mm tall. Then add the base and lid if you're working out the outside height.
The other common slip is typing a diameter into the radius box. Because the radius is squared, the answer comes out four times too small. 2,000 L with a radius of 1.2 m (when you meant diameter) gives just 442 mm instead of 1,768. If the height looks oddly short, check which box you used.
When height is the question
Checking it fits under a ceiling
With a fixed footprint, you'll know right away whether the tank you want clears the roof, a beam or a window.
Marking a fill line
Want a line at exactly 500 L on a tank you own? Enter its diameter and 500 L, and measure that height up from the inside floor.
Planning a drum from a fixed lid
With a 58 cm diameter, 200 L needs about 757 mm of height. Fabricators often start from a stock end-cap size like this.