Replaced tank or not.

[Mike Dumont]

Hi Peggy,We own a 1989 Hunter 30. I have read with interest the dialog on odor prevention and hose permeation. We pulled the holding tank and plumbing. I expected to find an aluminum tank and was surprised to see a polyethylene one. I plan to replace all of the plumbing with newer style hose. My question is, do you think replacing the tank is necessary? It seem to be in fine shape; of course it is difficult to tell if it has become permeable to odors. There is some hand writing on the side of the tank that indicates that this may have been a sample of a new type of tank. This leads me to wonder if this is one of the first Hunters to use this type of tank. It is custom made for the space in which it is mounted which makes it difficult to put a new tank in the same spot. Your opinion please!

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

I doubt if the tank was a sample. The writing on the side most likely just identifies it as a custom tank made for Hunter to their specs.

 

[Mike Dumont]

Sample or not.

Peggy,I take it from your response that you don't think the tank should be replaced. Do polyethelyne tanks deteriorate over time? The writing on the tank was handwritten with a magic marker and the word sample was there. I didn't interpret this as anything negative; rather that it was a new thing. Actually, I was elated to see a polyethelyne rather than aluminum.

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

No, I would not replace it unless--

you can see any good reason to do so--signs that the tank is permanently bulged, beginnings of hairline cracks, etc. The lifespan of a poly tank is variable depending on the quality and thickness of the materials, but if it's well supported, hasn't permeated (and if it hasn't by now, it's not going to), and shows no signs of impending failure, it isn't gonna fail any time soon. The two most common poly tank failures are caused by boat owners: over-tightening thread-barb fittings when they replace hoses, which cracks the female fitting in the tank...and vent line blockages that pressurize the tank to the point where something has to give. As for the word "sample" on the side of your tank, you just might have gotten the first poly prototype when Hunter switched from aluminum to poly. When a new mold is ordered, mfrs always send the first one out of it to the customer to make sure it's right... If it fit and met the specs, there'd be no reason not to use it.