Hunter 34 Water Tanks Question

[Joe Mullee]

The forward water tank under the port settee has split along one of the top seams. A few questions:

1) Is it possible to repair? The tank is plastic.
2) I know the capacity of the two tanks in the H34 is 65 gallons. Can someone tell me what each individual tank holds?
3) Any idea's where I might pick up a used H34 tank?

I'll be calling Ronco Plastics this week if I can't either fix the tank I have or find a used one.

Thanks for any help,
Joe Mullee

 

[Steve Dion]

If you take your measurements L x W X H and divide by 231 you will get your approx. gal. capacity.

 

[Joe Mullee]

Thanks Steve

That would make the forward tank 35 gallons. I appreciate your help.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Joe...

Your calculation for the forward tank is correct. I've got the spec somewhere in my docs, but am sure it's 35 gallons as you've figured.

Your best bet is to replace it with a Ronco or Todd tank. I wouldn't trust some sort of sealant to maintain a seal at a seam split if there is any boat action that is causing the tank to "work".

What do you think caused the tank to split? Haven't heard of it as a common problem in the H34's.

You could try some of the boat salvage guys in Florida or California for a used tank, but feel you may be just inheriting someone else's problem given the age of our boats.

 

[Joe Mullee]

Re: Joe...

Dan,

Actually the seam has been split since I purchased the boat. I usually fill the tank to 90% of its' capacity and generally don't get any spill. It's just one of those never ending projects and I may tackle it before we go sailing again in the spring.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[Richard Bryer]

Re: Joe...

Hey, Joe- what would life be without projects? There is a company up here in TO- Holland Marine Products-that fixes poly tanks- they call the process "spin welding". I have no idea what it involves but you might see if there is a company in your area that does a similar process

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Spin welding can only repair or replace a fitting...

It can't repair a crack in the tank wall.

There is no sealant that will bond permanently to polyethylene...so anything that requiires "gluing" it has to be welded. Seams and some cracks (those that won't be pulled apart again by the weight of the contents) can be heat welded.
Fittings are spin welded.

Both processes involve melting the edges of the two pieces--the crack while simultaneously injecting new melted PE into it...so that it all runs together to become a continuous mass with the unmelted material. A spinwelder is a tool that melts the edges of a round hole while also melting the flange on a threaded female tank fitting. So that process can't be used to mend a crack.

However, any company that can spin weld can also do simple heat welding...so it's worth a try. Whether it'll work depends on where the crack is and how long it is. It's not worth the cost to ship it to Canada though, so there has to be at least one company somewhere near Baltimore/DC area. Check the Yellow Pages for "plastics mfrs" or "plastics fabricators."

Go ahead and get the tanl out of the boat...'cuz you'll have to take to any company who'll try to repair it...if it can't be repaired you'll have to remove it anyway. And be glad it's a water tank...'cuz in 25 years I've yet to hear of any company anywhere that'll work on a used waste tank!

 

[Joe Mullee]

Thanks Richard & Peggy

I'll do the Google search and see what I come up with.

 

[Bob Poff]

Harbor Freight sells what they call a plastic welding kit.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?category=&q=plastic+weld

Looks like a big soldering iron with some plastic "welding rods". I've never tried it.

Might stand more of a chance of working than sealants would.

 

[waternwaves]

winter sports stores that have skiiis, have the poly rods to repair and rebuild ski bases.

couple of bucks and you can use an iron, or a fitting on you bernz-o-matic

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

That won't work

winter sports stores that have skiiis, have the poly rods to repair and rebuild ski bases. couple of bucks and you can use an iron, or a fitting on you bernz-o-matic

I'm a skier..actually a competitive skier in my much younger days... I spent many Friday and Saturday nights in ski season filling ice and rock gauges in my skis. So I know exactly what you're describing here...and why it won't work:

It only supplies new melted poly to fill in a gouge in a surface (ski bottom)...it doesn't have the tool to melt the edges of the crack to allow the new mellted PE to blend with the old melted PE so that it all becomes a single plastic mass...and without that, you can't mend the crack.

You brought back a lot of memories of standing over an ironing board the nights before races.

I won a few giant slaloms, btw. :dance: Just interclub races, nothing "ranked." But even at my advanced age I can still chase you down any hill you want to name. You may get to the bottom first, but I'll get there standing up all the way.

 

[eianm]

i wouldnt even bother trying to fix it- a new Ronco will be cheap- mine was only $173 (H42 waste tank)- was great quality and awesome and fast customer service from Ronco!