I have a 28 ft. 1991 Hunter, legacy series. The aluminum holding tank is leaking, badly. I've tried to patch it to no avail and determined it must be leaking from the bottom. I don't see any way to remove the tank in one piece and have determined I have to cut it out. Once out the tank I put back in will have to be much smaller. Help!
Holding Tank
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Where is your holding tank located on the 1991 H-28? We have a 1990 H-33.5 and the holding tank is located under the forward dining seat. With removal of various screws you can compleately remove the seat (it takes some time to find all of the screws). Once removed, you should be able to remove the tank intact. I have not removed the forward seat, but I did completely remove the aft seat in order to replace and reroute the two hoses from the engine to the water heater. I also actually removed (and reinstalled) the water heater to thouroughly clean up around there, since I had the seat out. The seat comes out in one assembly. Not too bad once you remove all the seat screws.
Dick, S/V Puffin, 1990 H-33.5, Portsmouth, RI
Dick, S/V Puffin, 1990 H-33.5, Portsmouth, RI
And then...
Go here Ronco Plastics to find a new tank. They make TOP quality plastic tanks for a very reasonable price and have more than 400 shapes and sizes, including over 100 non-rectangular...and they install fittings in the sizes and locations specified by the customer when they make the tank.
If your hoses are more than 10 years old, you should also replace those...and depending upon the make/model/age of your toilet, it's almost certain to be overdue for maintenance, if not replacement, too.
So before you do anything, I suggest you spend some time in the HeadMistress forum reading the discussions about replacing toilets, tanks and hoses to end up with a trouble-free, odor-free system...or you can just check out the link in my signature below.
And the good news is, you can get everything you need including the tank from the online store on this site. Not only are their prices much better than you're likely to find anywhere else, but when you buy from here you help to support the site. sbo.com plumbing
Go here Ronco Plastics to find a new tank. They make TOP quality plastic tanks for a very reasonable price and have more than 400 shapes and sizes, including over 100 non-rectangular...and they install fittings in the sizes and locations specified by the customer when they make the tank.
If your hoses are more than 10 years old, you should also replace those...and depending upon the make/model/age of your toilet, it's almost certain to be overdue for maintenance, if not replacement, too.
So before you do anything, I suggest you spend some time in the HeadMistress forum reading the discussions about replacing toilets, tanks and hoses to end up with a trouble-free, odor-free system...or you can just check out the link in my signature below.
And the good news is, you can get everything you need including the tank from the online store on this site. Not only are their prices much better than you're likely to find anywhere else, but when you buy from here you help to support the site. sbo.com plumbing
Not to hijack but while we have THM's attention I have a question: I was inspecting my tank and connections and noted that the vent to tank fitting can be fairly easily rotated. There's a bead of what looks like pipe dope there that seems in tact but do you think that may leak some odor? Would that be a threaded connection? TIA.
Nope...
Although fittings welds have been known to fail because it was a bad weld to start with, the two most common causes are over-tightening the threaded fitting or using a straight fitting where a 90 is needed, causing the hose to pull to one side...which I suspect is what's caused yours to fail...and it could have happened at the factory...the trolls who install tanks and toilets rarely pay any attention to whether a straight or 90 is needed, they just wanna "get 'er done."
If it were the inlet or discharge, the repair would difficult...even maybe impossible. But since it's the vent and has no stress on it, there's a good chance you can repair it with a stick of poly and a heat welder. Just melt new poly to create a new "bead." It won't be strong, so be VERY careful not to put much stress on it. If it doesn't work, there is a "Plan B" that will work and costs very little, but is highly labor intensive.
Nope....not a threaded connection...and that's not pipe dope, it's polyethylene. Fittings in poly tanks are installed using a welding technique called spin welding...the welding tool melts the edges of the hole while also injecting new melted poly so that the new melted and the melted edges run together and become one. The weld in your tank's vent fitting has failed. And yes, it very definitely can be a source of odor.
Although fittings welds have been known to fail because it was a bad weld to start with, the two most common causes are over-tightening the threaded fitting or using a straight fitting where a 90 is needed, causing the hose to pull to one side...which I suspect is what's caused yours to fail...and it could have happened at the factory...the trolls who install tanks and toilets rarely pay any attention to whether a straight or 90 is needed, they just wanna "get 'er done."
If it were the inlet or discharge, the repair would difficult...even maybe impossible. But since it's the vent and has no stress on it, there's a good chance you can repair it with a stick of poly and a heat welder. Just melt new poly to create a new "bead." It won't be strong, so be VERY careful not to put much stress on it. If it doesn't work, there is a "Plan B" that will work and costs very little, but is highly labor intensive.
I know Peggy doesn't like them, but they seem to be a viable alternative to some folks ...
have you considered a "composting" toilet?
have you considered a "composting" toilet?
Behind the fuel tank, rudder post and two supports. Cutting out the aft bulk head and removing the fuel tank won't do any good. It looks as if I will have to cut the tank out and put a smaller plastic tank in its place.
Plan B:
Thoroughly clean out the tank, put plugs in the fittings to seal it up...and then leave it where it is and find a different much better place for a decent sized new one.
Or go ahead and cut it out, but also find another better place for a new tank.
Or, if your boat is on the river and not in a "no discharge" lake, consider installing a Coast Guard Certified Type I MSD (device that treats waste and discharges it overboard legally and with -0- negative impact on the environment. Check out the Raritan PuraSan here: Raritan Purasan
Thoroughly clean out the tank, put plugs in the fittings to seal it up...and then leave it where it is and find a different much better place for a decent sized new one.
Or go ahead and cut it out, but also find another better place for a new tank.
Or, if your boat is on the river and not in a "no discharge" lake, consider installing a Coast Guard Certified Type I MSD (device that treats waste and discharges it overboard legally and with -0- negative impact on the environment. Check out the Raritan PuraSan here: Raritan Purasan
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Would this work? Cut an access hole in the top of the tank. Throughly clean the tank out. Put an epoxy coating on the inside of the tank. Install an access hole cover and seal it. ???
Nope...not worth the effort.
'Cuz the first leak in a metal holding tank is always ONLY the first leak. Although this one has managed to last considerably longer--most likely 'cuz it wasn't used much, most aluminum holding tank turn into colanders in an average of 10 years. The ONLY thing to do is replace it.
'Cuz the first leak in a metal holding tank is always ONLY the first leak. Although this one has managed to last considerably longer--most likely 'cuz it wasn't used much, most aluminum holding tank turn into colanders in an average of 10 years. The ONLY thing to do is replace it.
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