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Integrated Tank Discovered


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I removed my macerating pump out today and the tank under the bed. However under the toilet bowl I discovered another tank from a previous drop through pump out toilet. 

I was hoping for some advice, possibly someone who could come and take a look in person, the boat is in Rugeley, Staffordshire at the moment. 

My ideal would be to remove the tank altogether but it clearly goes under the back wall of the toilet. I'm concerned because if the amount of rust that we've found, I've poked a stick through it and hit what feels and sounds like solid steel, but having a load of rust in the hull area is not great.

If the tank can't be removed then I was wondering about cutting the bit off that sticks above the floor in the bathroom and blocking that area off so as to give a flat even floor area in what is already a tiny bathroom. Would that be possible?

Any and all suggestions welcome. Have included at least 1 pic, hopefully the others will load too 

Cheers 

StephScreenshot_20200830-213103_Gallery.jpg.f1aaa6020cad7c2f541199e98707f687.jpg

Screenshot_20200830-213059_Gallery.jpg

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4 hours ago, matty40s said:

From what you show the tank may be integral to the hull, so whatever you do, you should try to remove rust in the tank aggressively,  and treat it with anti rust stuff and paint ..hammerite is a one stop solution amongst many.

I bet it is integrated so its a cut the bits out job. Then when you are trying to de-rust the hull keep a really close eye open for any signs of a darker, damp area developing and if it does stop, it may indicate a pinhole in the hull.

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It does look as if it's integral to the hull. It should be easy to hack out the parts inside the boat with a reciprocating saw and/or jigsaw if the access is adequate, but there'll be some rough edges left which it might be possible to bend out of the way with a lump hammer.

It looks as if the tank was made of thin steel so one hopes that the hull won't be too corroded.

Edited by Onewheeler
bloody autocorrect
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11 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

The tank would have corroded more at the top than the base, as that's the part that was always exposed to the air when it was in use. The bottom would always have been covered ...

 

 

The tank that I took out last year on our shared boat was corroded in patches all over. One edge had gone from top to bottom.

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Cor, that's not very nice is it. I think I would try to bolt a piece of ply over the top of it with plenty of mastic and tiptoe away from it. I would not want to do much with it until I had a good supply of mains electric to cut it all out with an angle grinder and cutting discs. I really would not hack away at the bottom unless it was out of the water .  Course it might not be integral so a bit more investigation would be good.

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An angle grinder in a confined space like a boat bathroom is not fun.   Plus the sparks that don't go down your neck are likely to wreck everything in range.

Much better to use an alligator saw as onewheeler suggests, or a windy chisel if you don't mind the noise.  Just keep away from the base.  The tank does not look to be very thick.

 

N

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I wasn't planning on getting the boat lifted out till next year for blacking and am wondering about 'making do' with this tank until then as in cutting out the bits that are visable and covering it over and then next year when the boat is out of the water getting down and dirty in there to get it out and see what's going on.

The tank doesn't look to be very deep as it's butted up against a rib and my understanding is that they are approx 6" in height. I have a feeling the tank is shallow but large. 

Any thoughts on integrity of the strength/bracing of the hull if I cut away the little bit that's poking up through the floor?

 

 

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29 minutes ago, Steph H said:

Any thoughts on integrity of the strength/bracing of the hull if I cut away the little bit that's poking up through the floor?

It shouldn't affect it.  It'll almost certainly be an addition to the structure, not an essential part of it; particularly with it being fabricated from such thin steel.

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I wouldn't be surprised if the tank is separate from the hull - much easier to make in the first place.

In sthe short term it might be worth attacking it with a Birmingham Screwdriver and chisel / spade type thingy....

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As said, it might well be integral, or welded to the hull.

7 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Can you get down the outside of the tank at all to see if it is sitting on any spacers from the hull

Yes, you need to determine if the base of the tank is the base of the boat, or if the tank is on spaces/framing and or otherwise as some sort of base to the tank above the baseplate of the boat.

 

No reason not to at very least cut the top off and or sides down to improve access, given even if you wanted a tank in that location it would need replacing,

 

Personally I would be happy to use a grinder having covered anything very close of risk of hot sparks (inc forearms and neck) and anything further afield which wont enjoy the dust. Wet grinding sparks will make rust marks, but most of the dust which settles further afield is the disk not the metal. But a large jigsaw or nibbler would also work without the dust. A smaller jigsaw  with HSS blades will take ages but also work if patient, something I am not very.

 

Even if the area is a little shy of framing with the tank removed, the tank is currently not adding a lot, nor is the boat likely to do anything dramatic without it.

 

Daniel

 

 

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I went past your boat the other day, is that a new tank on the bank wrapped up or is it the old one removed?,

I have seen integral tank removed that had to have new plate welded into hull side as it was so badly corroded.

I am coming that way later in the week so will slow down and see how you are getting on.

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2 hours ago, J R ALSOP said:

I went past your boat the other day, is that a new tank on the bank wrapped up or is it the old one removed?,

I have seen integral tank removed that had to have new plate welded into hull side as it was so badly corroded.

I am coming that way later in the week so will slow down and see how you are getting on.

Hello! That was the old one! That must have been whilst my brother and I were inside madly capping off pipes so we didn't get dirty water and smell all over the place lol.

Please do, say Hi if your passing. ?

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On 02/09/2020 at 13:13, J R ALSOP said:

I went past your boat the other day, is that a new tank on the bank wrapped up or is it the old one removed?,

I have seen integral tank removed that had to have new plate welded into hull side as it was so badly corroded.

I am coming that way later in the week so will slow down and see how you are getting on.

Hello! That was the old one! That must have been whilst my brother and I were inside madly capping off pipes so we didn't get dirty water and smell all over the place lol.

Please do, say Hi if your passing. ?

On 02/09/2020 at 13:13, J R ALSOP said:

I went past your boat the other day, is that a new tank on the bank wrapped up or is it the old one removed?,

I have seen integral tank removed that had to have new plate welded into hull side as it was so badly corroded.

I am coming that way later in the week so will slow down and see how you are getting on.

Hello! That was the old one! That must have been whilst my brother and I were inside madly capping off pipes so we didn't get dirty water and smell all over the place lol.

Please do, say Hi if your passing. ?

Because I know you'll all be dying to know how we got on I've uploaded a couple of pics. Brute force and some judiciously used electrical tools got the plinth bit out and now I have a floor and a wall! All praise goes to my brother who did all that, so grateful. 

Screenshot_20200903-163852_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20200903-163849_Gallery.jpg

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42 minutes ago, dor said:

At least the old tank doesn’t look’fresh’.

No I'm pretty sure its 12 years since it was covered over. There was a weird smell when the saw was going through the metal but it didn't stink like the one we took out last weekend ??

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23 hours ago, WotEver said:

Note that the basin doesn’t require a trap as shown in that picture. It can simply exit straight to a skin fitting. 

I'd not clocked that thanks, that was left in from the previous sink.

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33 minutes ago, IDS said:

The trap allows the drain to exit the hull further up away from the waterline

I didn’t write that they shouldn’t have a trap, I wrote that they didn’t need one. It serves nothing that a flexible pipe couldn’t achieve. 

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