holding tank leaks

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ahiburger

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Apr 3, 2006
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I have a 22 foot Dutchmen lite from 2000.  The grey-water tank is leaking on the bottom, I can see and access the leak easily.  The tank is some type of plastic.  I am pretty handy, can i fix this myself?  Is it repairable, or should I replace the tank?

Thanks!
Doug
 
Personally since its a grey water tank leak, I would fix it myself  with a good epoxy.  Heck of a lot cheaper than a new tank.
 
I had a leak in my gray water tank where a hanger bracket rubbed a hole at a ridge.  I removed the bracket and patched it with a epoxy repair kit I got from a dealer. Then reapplied the bracket with a foam pad. Easy and no leaks.

Tony
 
Lee and Tony,

Thanks for the info.  I know some waterproof epoxy repair that I will try.

Thanks!
Doug
 
Use the Roof Repair tape from EternaBond.  They even mention "great for tank repairs" on their website.  You can buy small rolls of it, too.
 
Hmm never thought about using Eternabond Tape there.

My next to last leak underneath was before the roof leak & becoming familiar with EB.  I guess it would be good if there is enough surface around the leak.

I used something called "Plumbers Puddy" from Lowes.  It looks like child's clay but actually a two part epoxy.  I cleaned the area with a wire brush & fingernail polish remover.  Then you tear off a peice of the puddy, kneel it a while, shape and press into place.

Don't cost much, works fine, lasts a long time.

Joel
 
Holding tanks are made from a very slippery form of plastic.  Most epoxies and other adhesives just won't stick.  You need a cement that's designed for the specific material.  We tried fixing a black tank leak, first with epoxy and that just peeled off, the I tried some Eternabond and that wouldn't eve adhere to the plastic.  Finally had to replace the tank as nothing would seal the leak.
 
Ned said:
Holding tanks are made from a very slippery form of plastic.  Most epoxies and other adhesives just won't stick.  You need a cement that's designed for the specific material.  We tried fixing a black tank leak, first with epoxy and that just peeled off, the I tried some Eternabond and that wouldn't eve adhere to the plastic.  Finally had to replace the tank as nothing would seal the leak.
Click to expand...

I have some limited experience with plastics, and from what I recall I think the problem is related to the use of Polyvinyl chloride or PVC plastic vs. Polyethylene or PE plastic.  Both are commonly used for plumbing and water tank construction, however, PE will not off-gas and generally has more adherence to glues/epoxies/etc, where as PVC tends to be "slipperier" and releases compounds overtime that prevent adhesives from bonding.  My guess is that some manufacturers use PE and others PVC.  Both are low cost options for extrusion and centrifugal molding.
 
ahiburger said:
I have a 22 foot Dutchmen lite from 2000.  The grey-water tank is leaking on the bottom, I can see and access the leak easily.  The tank is some type of plastic.  I am pretty handy, can i fix this myself?  Is it repairable, or should I replace the tank?
Click to expand...

If you are located near a large RV repair center, most of them have what is called plastic welding equipment. It uses hot air and a stick of the same type plastic as the tank (there are various types of "welding rod"). The crack is "welded" in a fashion very similiar to metal welding. Makes for a permanent repair. Of course, they have to have good access to the area to be worked on and need an experience technician to do the work. I have seen it done but never tried it myself. Good luck.
 
I repaired my grey water tank with a holding tank repair kit. It was a fiberglass like kit, it had a fabric and a epoxy you had to mix. It is holding up well. I found mine on ebay but you can get it else where just do a web search for RV tank repair kits.
 
I found this for holding tank repair. http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/caulks-sealants/holding-tank-repair-kit.htm
 
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