Somebody wrote:

Did I read that correctly...urine will destroy an aluminum holding
tank?

Yep. It'll destroy ANY metal holding tank, even 316 stainless.

That's why "tank resin" exists.

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:
Somebody wrote:

Did I read that correctly...urine will destroy an aluminum holding
tank?

Yep. It'll destroy ANY metal holding tank, even 316 stainless.

That's why "tank resin" exists.

Metal tank mfrs have have been coating holding tanks with all kinds of
things...epoxy, resin... To date there has been nothing that will
extend the life of a metal holding more than a year or two...if that long.

--
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://shop.sailboatowners.com/boat_odors/

"Peggie Hall" wrote:

Metal tank mfrs have have been coating holding tanks with all kinds of
things...epoxy, resin... To date there has been nothing that will extend
the life of a metal holding more than a year or two...if that long.

Guess my customers, the heavy chemical industry, are unaware of this
limitation.

Lew

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:23:38 GMT, Peggie Hall
wrote:

Did I read that correctly...urine will destroy an aluminum holding
tank?

Yep. It'll destroy ANY metal holding tank, even 316 stainless.

That's why "tank resin" exists.

Metal tank mfrs have have been coating holding tanks with all kinds of
things...epoxy, resin... To date there has been nothing that will
extend the life of a metal holding more than a year or two...if that long.


I have a thought. It's off the top, but it's worth testing.
Any acidic solution tends to eat metal. Water doesn't even
need to be acidic to promote pin hole corrosion in some
aluminum alloys. Oxygen depleted water is hell on stainless.

But alkaline solutions, in general, don't eat metal so well, or at
all. I have this hunch that waste water rendered slightly high pH
of neutral would help a tank to survive.
Do you have any stories on this topic?

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

Brian Whatcott wrote:
I have a thought. It's off the top, but it's worth testing.
Any acidic solution tends to eat metal.

Not necessarily. Vinegar is acid, but doesn't harm metal...chlorine
isn't acid, but is corrosive and does destroy metal.

Water doesn't even
need to be acidic to promote pin hole corrosion in some
aluminum alloys. Oxygen depleted water is hell on stainless.

But alkaline solutions, in general, don't eat metal so well, or at
all.

Urine can be alkaline or acidic...doesn't seem to matter in a metal
holding tank.

I have this hunch that waste water rendered slightly high pH
of neutral would help a tank to survive.

Waste and water have about the same pH...7-9...so I don't THINK pH is
the key...'cuz the same aluminum alloy tank used to hold water will last
20-25 years.

I'm not a chemist, so I can't tell you why that's true, only that it has
proven to be.

--
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://shop.sailboatowners.com/boat_odors/

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:02:59 -0500, Peggie Hall
wrote:

Urine can be alkaline or acidic...doesn't seem to matter in a metal
holding tank.

Well who'da guessed! Dilute uric acid alkaline! I picked out the
Corning pH meter, all set to put it to the test.
But the 3 volt lithiums need changing. Oh well.

I have this hunch that waste water rendered slightly high pH
of neutral would help a tank to survive.

Waste and water have about the same pH...7-9..

??

Thanks for responding

Brian W

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:17:06 GMT, Brian Whatcott
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:02:59 -0500, Peggie Hall wrote:
Urine can be alkaline or acidic...doesn't seem to matter in a metal
holding tank.
.....
I have this hunch that waste water rendered slightly high pH
of neutral would help a tank to survive

..-
Waste and water have about the same pH...7-9..

I finally bought the silver oxide cells for my Corning pH meter, and
peed a sample to check - it read 5.5 pH - about where I expect.

But...but..but: I seem to recall that waste mater can soon smell
ammoniacal, and maybe THAT'S the alkaline component?

Brian W

"Brian Whatcott" wrote in message
...
Waste and water have about the same pH...7-9..

I finally bought the silver oxide cells for my Corning pH meter, and
peed a sample to check - it read 5.5 pH - about where I expect.

But...but..but: I seem to recall that waste mater can soon smell
ammoniacal, and maybe THAT'S the alkaline component?


Peggie doesn't have that problem. Peggie's **** don't stink. (or at least
she thinks that!)

Did you hear the real reason why they didn't want to let more water out of
Lake Lanier until recently? They said it was because of some endangered
mussel but that was just smoke and mirrors. The real reason was because
everything below a depth of about ten feet is toxic as hell. Too many people
emptying their holding tanks full of chemicals that don't work.

Greg