I noticed my fresh water tank leaking around the seals a while back and I've decided to pull the lid and reseal it so it no longer leaks. I have a 1985 H31 and the water tank is molded into the fibergalss in the aft quarterberth. I looked through the archives and this didn't seem to be a very complicated task. Well, last weekend I pulled the screws, started cutting away at the silicone sealant around the edge and then tried to pull the lid up using putty knives and a suction cup. It wouldn't budge. I then realized that there was a fairly hard substance beneath the silicone sealant that appears to be holding the lid in place - I think it's 5200. For those of you who have done this before, was it very difficult to pry the lid free once you removed the screws and silicone sealant? If not, I'm thinking this stuff is 5200 and I'll never get the lid off of this thing. The prior owner probably sealed it with 5200 and then added a layer of silicone on top of that when it started to leak. Maybe I'll just have to keep adding silicone to get this thing sealed. Luckily, someone put two access ports in the top of the lid so I was able to get in the tank and give it a good cleaning. Hopefully it will just need Peggy's once-a-year recomissioning from here on out.
Resealing the Water Tank - H31
- Thread starter JT6554
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Recommissioning won't help the leak.
JT: So funny that you mention this. I just got off the phone with a company that sells Buytl Rubber. I am ordered 20 ft. of the material. My plans are to fill the existing holes with epoxy and re-drill them. Now to resolve your problem. I doubt that your tank was sealed with 5200. It has probably never been resealed. You need to try to cut the existing caulking with the putty knife. Then start lifting the corner of the lid. As you do this you will need to place something like a screw driver or pieces of wood around the edge as you move around the tank. It took me about 2-3 hours to get the lid off. Once I did that, I cleaned up the surface. I then got some new rubber washers. I recaulked the lip (which is about 1 - 2 inches wide, this is what makes it so difficult to remove) and replaced the lid. The last job lasted for a little over a year and it started leaking again. I hope my new method will prevent me from having to do this again. The butyl rubber "should" do the trick. The place where I got the rubber was Gardico in Seattle 800/537-9663. The cost is $2.12/ft for 1/8" thick 1 1/2" wide.
JT: So funny that you mention this. I just got off the phone with a company that sells Buytl Rubber. I am ordered 20 ft. of the material. My plans are to fill the existing holes with epoxy and re-drill them. Now to resolve your problem. I doubt that your tank was sealed with 5200. It has probably never been resealed. You need to try to cut the existing caulking with the putty knife. Then start lifting the corner of the lid. As you do this you will need to place something like a screw driver or pieces of wood around the edge as you move around the tank. It took me about 2-3 hours to get the lid off. Once I did that, I cleaned up the surface. I then got some new rubber washers. I recaulked the lip (which is about 1 - 2 inches wide, this is what makes it so difficult to remove) and replaced the lid. The last job lasted for a little over a year and it started leaking again. I hope my new method will prevent me from having to do this again. The butyl rubber "should" do the trick. The place where I got the rubber was Gardico in Seattle 800/537-9663. The cost is $2.12/ft for 1/8" thick 1 1/2" wide.
5200 is a wonderful product...BUT--
It's the most mis-used--with the possible exception of bleach--product on boats. It has very specific applications...but every dodo who learns that it's permanent thinks it's a replacement for everything else...it's NOT! It may be permanent (translation: damn near impossible to remove)...but that does NOT mean it'll never leak...and when (notice I said "when," not "if") it starts to leak, the trouble begins. And this water tank story is a perfect example. 5200 should only be used in applications where SuperGlue would also be appropriate...it's not a substitute for bedding compound other other sealants. And it should NEVER be used in any applications that will ever require removal for replacement or maintenance. Too many boat owners today are looking for "miracle" products that will allow them to "use and forget forever"...products that will eliminate ALL future maintenance work. THEY DON'T EXIST!!! JT... Hunter didn't seal your water tank lid with 5200...some dufus PO did. There is something that will dissolve it...can't remember what, but I strongly recommend that you find out what and use it...and then replace ANY sealant with a rubber gasket. It'll seal better...last longer...and when it does have to be replaced, will be a lot easier and cheaper to do. Steve...no, recommissioning won't help his leak...but it should eliminate the need to scrub out the tank by hand again.
It's the most mis-used--with the possible exception of bleach--product on boats. It has very specific applications...but every dodo who learns that it's permanent thinks it's a replacement for everything else...it's NOT! It may be permanent (translation: damn near impossible to remove)...but that does NOT mean it'll never leak...and when (notice I said "when," not "if") it starts to leak, the trouble begins. And this water tank story is a perfect example. 5200 should only be used in applications where SuperGlue would also be appropriate...it's not a substitute for bedding compound other other sealants. And it should NEVER be used in any applications that will ever require removal for replacement or maintenance. Too many boat owners today are looking for "miracle" products that will allow them to "use and forget forever"...products that will eliminate ALL future maintenance work. THEY DON'T EXIST!!! JT... Hunter didn't seal your water tank lid with 5200...some dufus PO did. There is something that will dissolve it...can't remember what, but I strongly recommend that you find out what and use it...and then replace ANY sealant with a rubber gasket. It'll seal better...last longer...and when it does have to be replaced, will be a lot easier and cheaper to do. Steve...no, recommissioning won't help his leak...but it should eliminate the need to scrub out the tank by hand again.
I have used a 3m product called
"fast urethane" adhesive. It is what they glue automobile windshields in with. its pliable, so it will withstand flexing and fairly easy to cut out with a knife if you need to gain access again. You can buy it at automotive glass shops.
"fast urethane" adhesive. It is what they glue automobile windshields in with. its pliable, so it will withstand flexing and fairly easy to cut out with a knife if you need to gain access again. You can buy it at automotive glass shops.
Thanks!
Thank you to everyone for the advice on this. The reason I think it's 5200 is that I can't get deep enough into the seam to grab the lip of the lid with anything. The silicone is fairly shallow and I've spent about an hour digging as much of it out of the seam as possible. Just below the silicone is a hard substance that is definitely not fiberglass. That hard substance is connected to the lid preventing it from budging at all. I do think this job has been done by a prior owner because of the access ports in the lid - it's my understanding that this tank did not come with access ports. Thus, someone would have had to have installed these, and I can't imagine that they didn't pull the lid at that time. I'll look for that 5200-dissolving product and give it a whirl. Steve: please keep us updated on how the Butyl Rubber works out. I'll order some if it works for you.
Thank you to everyone for the advice on this. The reason I think it's 5200 is that I can't get deep enough into the seam to grab the lip of the lid with anything. The silicone is fairly shallow and I've spent about an hour digging as much of it out of the seam as possible. Just below the silicone is a hard substance that is definitely not fiberglass. That hard substance is connected to the lid preventing it from budging at all. I do think this job has been done by a prior owner because of the access ports in the lid - it's my understanding that this tank did not come with access ports. Thus, someone would have had to have installed these, and I can't imagine that they didn't pull the lid at that time. I'll look for that 5200-dissolving product and give it a whirl. Steve: please keep us updated on how the Butyl Rubber works out. I'll order some if it works for you.
Update
I managed to remove the lid this evening after using something called "Anti-Bond 2015". Three applications and I was able to gently encourage the lid to come free. And I'm glad I did; there are several areas of nastiness that I missed when I tried to clean through the access ports. Now to reseal the beast. I'd appreciate any suggestions for resealing other than just dumping caulk in the seam and screwing the lid back on. Has anyone used anything that worked well and lasted for more than a year?
I managed to remove the lid this evening after using something called "Anti-Bond 2015". Three applications and I was able to gently encourage the lid to come free. And I'm glad I did; there are several areas of nastiness that I missed when I tried to clean through the access ports. Now to reseal the beast. I'd appreciate any suggestions for resealing other than just dumping caulk in the seam and screwing the lid back on. Has anyone used anything that worked well and lasted for more than a year?
Got it yesterday.
JT: I got the rubber yesterday. I really looks like it will do the trick. I will not be able to try installing the gasket until the weekend after the holiday.
JT: I got the rubber yesterday. I really looks like it will do the trick. I will not be able to try installing the gasket until the weekend after the holiday.
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