Stainless Holding tank

[py26129]

Peggie

A friend of mine is in the process of buying a new boat. The local dealer (in Toronto) is advocating installing a bigger holding tank as the boat only comes with a little 21 liter tank.

His advice is is to install a stanless tank as, in his words stainless will not ever premeate.

My understanding is that stainless will not permeate but will corrode, form the inside out given the oxygen poor environment in a tank and that a quality plastic tank, (e.g. from Ronco) will not permeate either and is more durable as well.

Have I got this right?

Thanks

Matt

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Tell Your Friend ..............................

.................... to RUN not walk away from the dealer. This guy has a particular interest in selling him a SS (pronounced $$) tank and it has nothing to do with your friend's welfare.

SS is probably the worst material selection for a holding tank for the reason you have outlined. A holding tank will definitely be O2 deficient when standing still and not necessarily all that great when under way. Even if the tank were aerated 24/7, any sludge sitting on the bottom of the tank would spell an early and particularly unpleasant demise for the metal underneath.

In this day and age, an HDPE tank is about the best you can get.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

You understand correctly

Stainless will not permeate but will corrode, from the inside out given the oxygen poor environment in a tank and that a quality plastic tank, (e.g. from Ronco) will not permeate either and is more durable as well.

However, that's not necessarily due to any "oxygen poor" environment in a tank...not all tanks are "oxygen poor." Nor does sludge accumulation on the bottom of a tank make any difference. Urine will eat through an "oxygen rich" metal tank that's rinsed out often enough to eliminate sludge just as quickly as will a tank that has an inch or more of sludge on the bottom of it.

And btw, water and holding tanks are LDPE, not HDPE.

 

[py26129]

Re: You understand correctly

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Matt