Fresh water tanks and holding tanks...

[rgranger]

I know a guy who is parting out a boat and I'm thinking of buying his head. He also has 2 12-gallon tanks that are new but he purchased them as fresh water tanks. Is the plastic the same? Can I use a tank designed for fresh water for waste water? The price is right but....

I guess what I'm unsure of is if they did something special to the plastic to make it suitable for potable water or did they do something special to the plastic to make it suitable for waste water or both. If it is the former then I guess I could use this tank for my holding tank.

Thanks in advance,

r

 

[Sumner]

We are using these...

http://www.toddusa.com/water-holding-tanks.aspx

...(edit: I was thinking they were Moeller but no they are Todd) Todd tanks for both....

.... in the Endeavour,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

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[rgranger]

Thanks Sum

I've been looking at these because they will fit in the V-part of the boat.

 

[rgranger]

oops
http://www.oceanlinkinc.com/tanks/holding-tanks-water-tanks/

 

[waternwaves]

a proper head tank has more fittings in the correct locations, and welded by the manufacturer.

I would pass on converting it.

 

[rgranger]

a proper head tank has more fittings in the correct locations, and welded by the manufacturer.

I would pass on converting it.

Yeah... I can see spending a bunch of money only to have something that does not work and then buying a "real" tank anyway.... but dang! Do they make these things out of gold or something. $500 for a plastic 10 gal tanks seems crazy.

Oh wait.... I forgot.... it has the word Marine in the title... that explains it

 

[Lost Parent]

Check Ronco tanks I purchased one from Catalina yachts 17 gal and real wierd shape and it was only 350 delivered to Canada

 

[higgs]

Lost Parent has a good idea.

 

[David W]

FWIW, for our holding, I paid $200 for an 18 gal tank and $20 each for fittings to be spun-welded in locations I specified. All in $280.

 

[Steve Dion]

Ronco will place the fitting wherever you need them. No need to purchase an inferior tank for more money if you can find one that will fit. They have over 400 tanks in their catalogue.

 

[cbsailor]

Another vote for Ronco

Ditto on Ronco. Got a custom 55 gal tank with fittings sized and located as speced. Only $350 with shipping. Great Service.

 

[catsailor]

Forums are always great for conservative advice. If the discount is significant...

* It seemed to me the fittings were adequate for such a a small tank in a small boat.

* You can add a fitting with either a chemical tank bulkhead fitting (http://www.mcmaster.com/#bulkhead-tank-fittings/=jrjifq) or a top fitting with a Uniseal if on the top (http://www.aussieglobe.com/uniseal1.htm). Neither will leak.

* The vent is a little small (1/2-inch, while 5/8" is standard and 3/4" would be better); however, with a small boat and back flushing with a hose once in a while, you'll be just fine. Use a plain through hull fitting, not a vent fitting. I don't think any sanitation hose comes smaller than 5/8".

This is not difficult. Done similar stuff in chemical applications too many times to count. And make certain you use good sanitation hose; some of the stuff will permeate in just a few years. I've done waste studies (still on-going). http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2011/09/easy-button.html

 

[rgranger]

Thanks CatSailor

I bookmarked the links.

r

 

[arf145]

Another +1 for Ronco. Many, many shapes to choose from. Great product. And I ordered through this site right here!

 

[rgranger]

Forgot the link?

 

[Sumner]

[/url]

On the thoughts of a small tank in a small boat have you looked at cheaper individual tanks? On the Mac we carry 38 gallons like that under the V-berth.

There are six 4 gallon containers and....

...two 7 gallon containers one of which is plumbed to the sink. We transfer from the others to it ....

...with an electric pump when needed.

This has a lot of advantages to it. We use the water to trim the boat over the course of the trip side to side and fore/aft. If there was ever a leak we would only loose the water in one container. We can pile items on top and around the tanks. At the end of the trip we take them in the house and wash them out and dry them. If we can't get to shore where there is a hose to fill them we take them ashore in the dinghy and fill them (like at Boot Key Harbor in Marathon).

We have taken the same approach to some degree with the Endeavour and removed the leaking 90 gallon aluminum one and...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-plumbing/page-6.html

... replace it with four 20 gallon poly and one 6 gallon and will carry five of the 4 gallon containers with us (starting with them full) and will be able to go ashore again with the dinghy and get 20 gallons at a time to bring back to the boat,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[rgranger]

Thanks Sum

Those look like good mods and I actually have one of those blue water cans in my Mac. I like mine. Right now I'm looking at waste tank and options. In the Rhodes I am restoring there is an enclosed area for the head (port side) between the bulkhead and V-birth. Seems to me like that is a lot of prime real estate for a head. I'd like to convert that "closet" into storage and make a traditional cut out in the v-birth for the head (put a curtain up etc.)... and I'd like the holding tank all the way up in the nose so I can keep the plumbing runs to a minimum. Jabsco makes a nice hand pumped head with a low profile that I think would be ideal. I'd also like to get a whale gusher hand operated mercerator pump for over the side discharge and I'm going to try and plumb as much of it as I can with thick walled PVC. lI've looked at your "head" mod where you used the camping powder (double dootie?) that absorbs all the "stuff" and it might be a nice way to go also; certainly cheaper but I figure if I have the entire interior of the Rhodes ripped out, it is a good time to "do it right" the first time... and I haven't entirely given up on shopping for a Mac 26S or D so ... who knows. Doc said he would sell me his

 

[Sumner]

. Right now I'm looking at waste tank and options..

Well guess I got off base then . For some reason I was thinking we were talking waste and water, but I see where I went wrong on that :cry:.

But look at it this way just apply the multiple tanks to the storage side for waste and look at all the options there .

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[MrBee]

it would help to know the tank manufacturer. Some are ok for water and/or holding. some for one or the other.

 

[Cool Beans]

Can you make your own holding tank out of plywood and fiberglass? Might be the cheapest and easiest way to get a custom tank. . .and who doesn't want another boat project :Liar: