Hunter Legend - Waste Holding Tank

[Panama Jack]

I have 1994 Hunter Legend 37.5 The holding tank has corrosion in the top corner with a 1 inch crack in it. I found this because I filed the tank with water thru the waste pump out deck fitting and the water came squirting out the top of the tank (down below). I am assuming I can pull this tank out through the aft cabin panel?

Any suggestions or recommendations that I should be aware of?

 

[sail sfbay]

You might find these threads on this subject helpful. According to post #2 in the first thread, the original aluminum tank comes out through the access panel in the aft state-room, but only if you saw off the existing aluminum hose connectors flush with the tank first..............

Holding tank replacement for Hunter 37.5

Can anyone give me some pointers on removing the oringinal aluminum holding tank and replacing it with a plastic tank of the same size? It looks like the old tank can be removed thru the starboard lazarette.

forums.sailboatowners.com

Hunter 37.5 Holding Tank Replacement (LONG)

These are my experiences replacing the holding tank for a 1995 Hunter 37.5. For those of you considering the purchase of a used 37.5 and have come across this post, don’t let this issue scare you. The boat is wonderful (we're on our 9th season). The original aluminum holding tank, however, is...

forums.sailboatowners.com

 

[Panama Jack]

Thank you Sail sfbay!

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I see you just joined us barely a month ago...welcome aboard!

Ronco Plastics (no relation to the VegoMatic Ronco) is your best source for a tank. They make TOP quality thick-walled water and waste tanks for a very reasonable price and have more than 400 shapes and sizes, over 100 of which are non-rectangular, and they install fittings in the sizes and locations specified by the customer when they make the tank. There are retailers who sell Ronco tanks, but Ronco sells direct for a much lower price...and they're great to work with.

Their current catalog is here Ronco Plastics marine Tanks However because so many people told them they find their previous catalog so much easier to search, they've left it up too. Ronco Plastics old marine catalog
Fwiw, Ronco's standard fittings installation puts female hose nipples outside, which adds another inch to the amount of space needed for threaded hose fittings, so if space is tight be sure to specify fittings flush with the tank wall(s).

In the unlikely event you can't find a tank that'll fit your space (and are unwilling to consider finding a better location for it than Hunter almost certainly put it), Triple M Plastics in Maine is your best source for a custom welded tank. Triple M Plastic Products Inc It'll cost you about twice as much as a rotomolded tank from Ronco, but their quality is outstanding.

If your tank is old enough to be original, your hoses can't be much newer, so you definitely want to replace those too. Raritan SaniFlex is your best choice RaritanSaniFlex hose Not only has it proven to be 100% odor permeation resistant but it has the added advantage of being so flexible it can be bent like a hairpin without kinking.

I'll be glad to help you get everything right the first time (always cheaper and easier than doing it over)...so feel free to ask as many questions as you need to!

--Peggie

 

[Panama Jack]

Thanks so much Peggy for your response.

Yes......I just recently joined. I sold my Catalina 28 after many years and bought the Hunter Legend 37.5. We love it. But this tank business is serious. The prior owners somehow managed to put a crack in it. They installed an electric flush and maybe those units simply put too much pressure on the aluminum tank . They are not really made to hold things under pressure...hence the vent line.

At any rate, I actually found the manufacturer of those Hunter tanks in Perry Fl. Ezell Industries. I contacted them this past Thursday and They are looking up the design specs. They said that they do this type of work. Even thought they are still doing boat manufacturers work as well. I was going with another aluminum tank, since all the holes and fittings were in the exact same place as my existing hoses.

In addition to those aluminum tanks corroding, I feel that maybe the "dip tube" or stand pipe going down into the tank may also be corroded, but I do not know for sure. It certainly is a tight fit in that access through that access panel.

So you think Ronco is the way to go...eh?

 

[shemandr]

... I am assuming I can pull this tank out through the aft cabin panel?

I'm sure you've measured, but on the H356 of 2002 vintage, I don't think it fits thru the access panel from the rear cabin. I wanted to replace mine and came to the conclusion that it would have to come out in pieces - a job I wasn't willing to undertake. For the 356 you would think Hunter would design it to come out whole. But I think it was installed before the deck was placed on the hull as is done for many of the systems.

 

[Panama Jack]

Oh brother! I better measure much better.

Plus the only way to disconnect the hoses is to remove the batteries from the battery lazarette and remove the floor access panel which is right over the tank. Not sure how that is going to work, but I do not look forward to disconnecting and removing three batteries.
Thanks for the comment.

 

[shemandr]

I once removed my 4d battery with a spare main sheet tackle (4 or 6 part) using the boom. EZ peezy. No back strain- which is good. Well worth the effort to set it up.
Hopefully your tank can come out but assumptions are dangerous.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

The prior owners somehow managed to put a crack in it. They installed an electric flush and maybe those units simply put too much pressure on the aluminum tank . They are not really made to hold things under pressure...hence the vent line.

You do NOT want another metal holding tank! And it wasn't pressure from the toilet that caused it to leak...Metal is ok for fuel and water tanks, but not for sewage holding because urine is so corrosive that it eats through any metal, even 316 stainless, in an average about 10 years. The industry began warning against using metal in the mid-90s...making yours either one of the last ones boat builder-installed, or more likely a PO--not necessarily the most recent PO--may have had to replace the first one and didn't know any better than to get another metal one... The first leak--typically a weld at a seam or a fitting--is always ONLY the FIRST leak...When you get it out, you'll see that the inside of the bottom has so many pinholes started that it's very close to becoming a colander!

Nor was a vent line added to relieve any pressure from an electric toilet. All tanks--fuel, water and waste--must be vented...and while you may find some boats on which water tanks are vented into the bilge or the anchor locker, USCG regs require that all holding tanks must be vented to the outside of the boat. And if the vent becomes blocked, a manual toilet can pressurize any holding tank just as easily as the most powerful electric toilet. In fact, a blocked vent on any tank will make it impossible to fill or draw anything out of a tank.

So you think Ronco is the way to go...eh?

Yep...there are other plastic tank mfrs, but Ronco has the best quality--3/8" walls, which are 50% thicker than most others unless you want to pay a huge upcharge...installs fittings in sizes and locations specified by the customer...and for the best price...which is why I recommend 'em. And btw...if the existing tank location is much more than about 6' from the toilet, it would be a very good idea to find another location for a tank that's a lot closer. Among other reasons, that'll make plumbing it a lot simpler.

As for removing this one, whether you put the new one in the same location or not, I'd strongly consider using a Sawzall.

And as I said above, I'll be glad to help you with this project.

--Peggie

 

[Panama Jack]

Interesting idea. But my Bimini precludes that, unfortunately.

The prior owners somehow managed to put a crack in it. They installed an electric flush and maybe those units simply put too much pressure on the aluminum tank . They are not really made to hold things under pressure...hence the vent line.

You do NOT want another metal holding tank! And it wasn't pressure from the toilet that caused it to leak...Metal is ok for fuel and water tanks, but not for sewage holding because urine is so corrosive that it eats through any metal, even 316 stainless, in an average about 10 years. The industry began warning against using metal in the mid-90s...making yours either one of the last ones boat builder-installed, or more likely a PO--not necessarily the most recent PO--may have had to replace the first one and didn't know any better than to get another metal one... The first leak--typically a weld at a seam or a fitting--is always ONLY the FIRST leak...When you get it out, you'll see that the inside of the bottom has so many pinholes started that it's very close to becoming a colander!

Nor was a vent line added to relieve any pressure from an electric toilet. All tanks--fuel, water and waste--must be vented...and while you may find some boats on which water tanks are vented into the bilge or the anchor locker, USCG regs require that all holding tanks must be vented to the outside of the boat. And if the vent becomes blocked, a manual toilet can pressurize any holding tank just as easily as the most powerful electric toilet. In fact, a blocked vent on any tank will make it impossible to fill or draw anything out of a tank.

So you think Ronco is the way to go...eh?

Yep...there are other plastic tank mfrs, but Ronco has the best quality--3/8" walls, which are 50% thicker than most others unless you want to pay a huge upcharge...installs fittings in sizes and locations specified by the customer...and for the best price...which is why I recommend 'em. And btw...if the existing tank location is much more than about 6' from the toilet, it would be a very good idea to find another location for a tank that's a lot closer. Among other reasons, that'll make plumbing it a lot simpler.

As for removing this one, whether you put the new one in the same location or not, I'd strongly consider using a Sawzall.

And as I said above, I'll be glad to help you with this project.

--Peggie

 

[Panama Jack]

Wow Peggy! Very interesting. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I am trying to get the specs for this tank from the Ezell Industries (original manufacturer) and then I can send them to Ronco. This will certainly be a project that I may need further guidance on.

 

[Mike Oldak]

The vent on my H34 tank broke and after attempts to glue it, I replaced the tank and all the lines. Since I only sail on the Chesapeake I sealed the overboard thru hull and removed the hand pump, making a much cleaner head area

 

[T J Furstenau]

Having replaced the holding tank on my previous '92 Legend 35.5, I cannot emphasize strongly enough following Peggie's advice. I know that I did, and while in some aspects I may have created a bit more work for myself, I would do it again in a heartbeat. After replacing that tank, my holding capacity increased, holding smells all but disappeared, and pumpouts became a breeze.
Old tank had a bottom fitting for the drain, and I fitted a dip tube at the top. Prevented waste from sitting in a line/hose where it WILL eventually permeate.
Old tank had a single small vent line, I replace with 2 (port/starboard) 3/4" vent lines which allowed lots of air thru the tank. And as Peggie will tell you, more air is better, aerobic bacteria smell better than anaerobic.
Also, that larger vent line allowed me to run the rinse hose into the tank thru the vent - insures vent line is always clear (no clogs from spiders or overfilled tank), and also allowed me to run rinse in while pumping out. I'd start pumping and once it was going, run the rinse line in. Keep pump running until pump line shows it's coming out clear, and then shut of rinse line until empty.

T J

 

[Panama Jack]

The vent on my H34 tank broke and after attempts to glue it, I replaced the tank and all the lines. Since I only sail on the Chesapeake I sealed the overboard thru hull and removed the hand pump, making a much cleaner head area

Okay Mike. thanks. My thru-hull comes from my macerator which (being on the lake) prohibits me from discharging but I just keep them closed.

 

[Panama Jack]

Having replaced the holding tank on my previous '92 Legend 35.5, I cannot emphasize strongly enough following Peggie's advice. I know that I did, and while in some aspects I may have created a bit more work for myself, I would do it again in a heartbeat. After replacing that tank, my holding capacity increased, holding smells all but disappeared, and pumpouts became a breeze.
Old tank had a bottom fitting for the drain, and I fitted a dip tube at the top. Prevented waste from sitting in a line/hose where it WILL eventually permeate.
Old tank had a single small vent line, I replace with 2 (port/starboard) 3/4" vent lines which allowed lots of air thru the tank. And as Peggie will tell you, more air is better, aerobic bacteria smell better than anaerobic.
Also, that larger vent line allowed me to run the rinse hose into the tank thru the vent - insures vent line is always clear (no clogs from spiders or overfilled tank), and also allowed me to run rinse in while pumping out. I'd start pumping and once it was going, run the rinse line in. Keep pump running until pump line shows it's coming out clear, and then shut of rinse line until empty.

T J

 

[Panama Jack]

TJ

Damn !

That is some great advice on the vent line. Mine is a corrugated white hose and not sure if it is 3/4 or 1/2 diameter and I cannot tell if it is clogged or not. The hole going into the hull from the outside vent makes a 90* turn from the outside, making it difficult to run any kind of smaller diameter tubing or water into the vent line to see if it is clogged ( due to spiders or waste as you mentioned). But having a larger diameter vent line, with the ability of more air and then more water when rinsing, is a great idea. But it is very difficult to change out my vent line coming from the top of the tank , as it turns up toward the hull from the inside. Difficult to access.
My pump out line enters the tank from the side (as opposed to the top) but it is at the uppermost top of the tank, on the side, and I am assuming there is a dip tube inside the tank going down to the bottom. But a friend of mine told me that his dip tube on his 1993 Hunter 33.5 became so corroded that it could not perform the suction that is required to empty the tank. Had to replace the entire tank.
Looks like I should replace all sanatary hoses and disconnect mascerator, as well.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Wow Peggy! Very interesting. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I am trying to get the specs for this tank from the Ezell Industries (original manufacturer) and then I can send them to Ronco. This will certainly be a project that I may need further guidance on.

Ronco makes rotomolded tanks, so the mold has to exist unless you want to pay far more for 'em to make a one-off mold than a custom welded tank from Triple M Plastics would cost you. So I suggest you search the Ronco catalog for a close match....keeping in mind that the drawings can be oriented any direction 'cuz there is no top or bottom till the fittings go in and you'll decide where they'll go. So rotate, flip end-to-end every which way to look for one that works.

You definitely need my book (see link in my signature below)! You're getting a lot of good advice, but it's piecemeal...it's all organized in my book. The title (my publisher's idea) is a bit misleading...'cuz although it does deal with every source of odor on a boat and how to cure, or better yet PREVENT 'em, it's actually a comprehensive "marine toilets and sanitation systems 101" manual that explains the laws, describes all the types of systems and how they work--including holding tank vents!-- and will help you learn how to operate and maintain your system to prevent 99% of problems instead of having to cure 'em. 'Cuz you get to do any preventive maintenance on your terms when it's convenient...the need to cure a problem never happens when it is! And I'm always glad to answer any questions it doesn't and give you all the help you need, here or one-on-one.

--Peggie

 

[Panama Jack]

Peggy

Lol....lol....you must have a marketing degree....you're good. Okay ...okay.... I will buy the book! Happy to.

Yes...I will measure my aluminum tank and find the one in the Ronco catalogue that closely matches it. But my final question….so I can tell them where to put the intake, pump out and vent holes ….so the holes can "line-up" with my hoses.....right?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Yep...they install fittings in the sizes and locations specified by the customer. And the fittings in the existing tank may not be in the best places for 'em...one of the things we'll want to talk about. Besides...you're gonna replace all the hoses anyway and maybe even relocate the tank. So you won't run any hoses till the tank is in.

--Peggie

 

[Panama Jack]

Peggie,

I am in contact with Ronco Plastic on ording the new plasitc waste holding tank. It is a bit of an ordeal, but we are making headway.

Thanks for all you help.