patching holding tank?
 

My holding tank has a small split 1/2" in the top, it is white plastic
(polyethylene?) 27 gallon seems fairly heavy. What is the best way to repair
this?
-Allen

bushman wrote:
My holding tank has a small split 1/2" in the top, it is white plastic
(polyethylene?) 27 gallon seems fairly heavy. What is the best way to repair
this?

It's almost impossible to repair a PE tank, 'cuz nothing bonds
permanently to it. The only thing that does work is heat welding, which
requires melting both enough new poly and enough of the edges of the
crack to allow it all to run together to become a single mass again.
That takes a bit skill, to melt just enough of the tank without melting
enough of it weaken it. Just melting some P-Tex into the crack won't
work...'cuz unless the tank wall is blended with it, the same stress
that caused the tank to crack in the first place will cause the P-tex to
let go.

If was a water tank, I'd say give heat welding a try...or even just
drill small holes at each end of the crack to keep it from spreading any
further. If it doesn't work, it's just water. But a waste tank...if it
were mine, I'd bite the bullet and replace it.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

"bushman" wrote in
:

My holding tank has a small split 1/2" in the top, it is white plastic
(polyethylene?) 27 gallon seems fairly heavy. What is the best way to
repair this?
-Allen


1) Picture the wife's face when she comes aboard right after 27 gallons of
rotting s**t has run out of the damned plastic tank into the bilge.

2) Picture YOU trying to clean the bilge after it splits and getting that
awful rotting-crap smell out of the cushions, bedding, towels, clothes,
everything!

3) Picture YOU at the marine store buying a replacement with 1 and 2 still
in your mind, oblivious to the cost of the new tank.

--
Larry

This jerk called my cellphone and was nasty.
Continental Warranty -- MCG Enterprises -- Mepco-
24955 Pacific Coast HWY Suite C303
Malibu California 90265
888-244-0925
Fax: 310-456-8844
Email:
Read about them he
http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp...3&view=printer

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 17:56:47 GMT, "bushman" wrote:

My holding tank has a small split 1/2" in the top, it is white plastic
(polyethylene?) 27 gallon seems fairly heavy. What is the best way to repair
this?
-Allen

An experienced repair person can "weld" a polythene stick into a
cracked polythene tank to mend it.
You (and I) probably can't.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 17:29:02 -0400, Larry wrote:
....
--
Larry

This jerk called my cellphone and was nasty.
Co#####al Wa###ty -- M#####rises -- M###-
24### Pacif#####t HWY Suite C###
M###u California 90###888-244-0925

This signature makes you seem to come
off as a whiny grudge bearer with a chip.

Is this impression you wanted to send, Larry?

Don't just take my word for it, btw

Brian Whatcott Altus, OK

Brian Whatcott wrote:
An experienced repair person can "weld" a polythene stick into a
cracked polythene tank to mend it.

True...and if it were a water tank, he'd had no trouble finding someone
who knows how...just look in the YP for "plastics mfrs." But in nearly
20 years in the marine potty biz, I have yet to find ANYone willing to
work on a used waste tank.


--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

Brian Whatcott wrote in
:

Is this impression you wanted to send, Larry?


Just ignore it. The purpose is so the spambots can collect it.

--
Larry

This jerk called my cellphone and was nasty.
Continental Warranty -- MCG Enterprises -- Mepco-
24955 Pacific Coast HWY Suite C303
Malibu California 90265
888-244-0925
Fax: 310-456-8844
Email:
Read about them he
http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp...3&view=printer

I have "welded" many polyethylene parts using a common electric soldering
pencil, anywhere from 25 to 125 Watts, and scrap polyethylene from any
source. With a little practice, you could do it yourself. Melt, but do not
burn, the plastic. Welding kits are also available from Harbor Freight for
$30-$40 with "torch" and rods. Not necessarily saying you should, but if you
are looking to have something else done anyway, you might want to try it
first.

BS

"Brian Whatcott" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 17:56:47 GMT, "bushman" wrote:

My holding tank has a small split 1/2" in the top, it is white plastic
(polyethylene?) 27 gallon seems fairly heavy. What is the best way to
repair
this?
-Allen

An experienced repair person can "weld" a polythene stick into a
cracked polythene tank to mend it.
You (and I) probably can't.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

Robert or Karen Swarts wrote:
I have "welded" many polyethylene parts using a common electric soldering
pencil, anywhere from 25 to 125 Watts, and scrap polyethylene from any
source. With a little practice, you could do it yourself.

Welding parts together is one thing...but mending a crack in a tank adds
another dimension, because you have the weight of the contents--8.333
lb/gal for water and waste, which would be 227 lbs in a 27 gal tank)
pushing against the walls of the tank trying to pull the crack apart
again...if the contents are shifting while the boat is underway, they're
pushing even harder. Then there's quality of the original tank material
itself to consider...why it split in the first place. Even if the weld
holds, will the same forces that created the first crack cause a split
somewhere else?

So, as I said earlier, if it were a water tank he'd have little to lose
by trying to mend it. But when it comes to waste tanks, the wisest
course is replacement.


--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

In article ,
says...


So, as I said earlier, if it were a water tank he'd have little to lose
by trying to mend it. But when it comes to waste tanks, the wisest
course is replacement.

I spent a lot of time and effort trying to fix a polyethylene water tank in our
first boat.

Fugedaboudit!

I eventually bought a new tank