1978 hunter 27 leaking fresh water tank

Jun 28, 2009
33
Hunter 27 Penobscot
I have a leak in my fresh water tank. The tank is located under the V berth. The outlet to the tank is difficult to access which is where I believe the problem lies. There is not much room to operate coming in from the top, do I need to cut a hole in the storage compartment in front of the tank? Any thoughts on how to trouble shoot this issue?
Regards
BF
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Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
Everything brown in there, if it's made of metal, has to come out. Anything less than that and you're not doing a responsible job of it.

I don't like what looks like putty up around the fitting at the top right of this photo. I can't think of any reason a properly-installed fitting has to be done that way.

Is the tank the thing at the top? I can't orient myself to see this photo properly.

Don't be afraid to cut a new access hole in the top of the berth. Make it as large as you like; make the corners well-rounded (at least 1-1/2" radius). Use plain pine 1x2s from Lowe's to make a framework of cleats for the opening, situated half under the hole and half under the remaining plywood to be screwed in. I saturated mine with WEST epoxy and mounted them with the same and with #8 screws through the top. If you are tidy about cutting the bunktop out, you can use the cutout for the access panel. (This typically requires that you 'lean in' with the jigsaw blade, something of an acquired, moderate-to-advanced-level skill. If you're up for it, this will ensure you a clean cut and a nice reusable cutout. If not, drill a 5/16" hole, just big enough to insert the blade, in each corner and use the jigsaw for straight lines between the holes.)

I rebuilt most of my bunktop access holes and wrote about it in my blog, somewhere.

I would include in any tank some 6" or 8" screw-out deck plate like the Sea Dog Line ones at Defender. If you can't get your arm and a scrubbing-brush in through the hole, it's worthless.

Whatever the metal is-- brass? --iron? --it should be replaced with either bronze (expensive) or Marelon (slightly less expensive) or even PVC (cheap, good for fresh water, but less durable). PVC is easy to work with, so long as you get good glue adhesion. It dries fast and is easily removable (use a hacksaw) and replaceable (because it's cheap). That gate valve is a no-no for anything. Even a cheap brass lever valve would be better. I would default to plastic for fresh water-- there are many options available now, such as the blue-and-red Whale tubing and the compatible fittings, and their cheaper copycats.

Don't be afraid of installing fittings in water tanks with 5200. It doesn't leak and, from when it's first skinned-over, doesn't leach into the supply. To skin it over quickly, dip your finger tip in a cup of clean fresh water and smooth the bead. A fingertip's radius is just about perfect for any application and this will help the 5200 set up. Best of all, the 5200 will behave in the tank the same way it behaves on your water-wet finger: it won't come off (won't even be sticky). No silicone or bathtub/swimming-pool caulk will work as well.

From the look of it you need to start with some Simple Green and elbow grease! :what:
 
Sep 12, 2011
88
Hunter 27 Annapolis
Hi Diana,
I was looking for the post concerning replacing the forward water tank on the H-25 or H-27 (H-27 Specifically).
You wrote, "I rebuilt most of my bunktop access holes and wrote about it in my blog, somewhere."
Any idea where that is? I searched around with no luck. I'm really interested to see.
Thanks Diana,
-Gordon
 
Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
Hi Diana,
I was looking for the post concerning replacing the forward water tank on the H-25 or H-27 (H-27 Specifically). You wrote, "I rebuilt most of my bunktop access holes and wrote about it in my blog, somewhere." Any idea where that is? I searched around with no luck. I'm really interested to see.
Thanks Diana,
-Gordon
Here is the post, Gordon. Sorry the photos stink but I was under a green tarp at the time.
http://dianaofburlington.blogspot.com/2012/03/surprise-surprise.html

I did all the bunktop access holes in the same way. Recently I opened up one between the two in the quarter berth. I'd meant to use the forward one there for the canned goods (as they go on the other side, under the galley, also, for balance) but realized the new opening, about the size of and originally meant for a filing box, makes a much better container for cans lying against the hull. The forward one is now the battery charger's compartment, complete with air duct.

This was mentioned on the boat's FB page too. :dancing:

The adjacent post (http://dianaofburlington.blogspot.com/2012/03/argument-ender-and-joyous-surprise.html) is worth seeing too as it closes the argument that marine plywood is the *only* acceptable thing to build boats out of. :clap:
 
Sep 12, 2011
88
Hunter 27 Annapolis
I did a flexible tank installation.
It retains the original fill point. The inspection port was purely for installation. Plastimo 28 gallon rectangle if I remember correctly.
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