water tank blacking

[rogerc]

wat is the best bitumen/paint for water tanks in terms of value and ease of use?
i have a 65 ft narrow boat with a 1,000 litre tank

[reg]

I went down the vactan route last time I did mine. 

 

https://www.performance-chemicals.net/vactan

 

You might find this of interest

https://www.michaeltyler.co.uk/painting-narrowboat-water-tank/

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by reg

[rogerc]

thanks Reg
I'm not impressed with your solution that seems to only last 2 years. i black my boat every 3 years and do the water tank at the same time. and would like to do it less often particularly the water tank.

i use 2 coats of Black Jack after pressure washing and its been reasonably good after 3 years, so Vatcan would be a retrograde step.
does anyone have a better solution?
I'm beginning to think in 3 years time a tank liner would be the solution

[Machpoint005]

I used "Water Tank Paint" from Boatpaint in Southampton.

 

 

[dmr]

1000 is nice and big so you can get right inside, so, back to bare metal and epoxy, you know it makes sense 😀

[Tracy D'arth]

Last time I did one, and it was a long time ago, I used Johnsons water tank bitumen.   I avoid looking inside them now.

[MtB]

I bought a brand new shell once with an integrated water tank. I tank blacked it and bolted the cover plate down and was scared to take it off and look inside for about five years.  When I eventually did, it looked as immaculately clean and pristine inside as a the day I bolted it down, five years previously. 

[Sea Dog]

22 hours ago, MtB said:

I bought a brand new shell once with an integrated water tank. I tank blacked it and bolted the cover plate down and was scared to take it off and look inside for about five years.  When I eventually did, it looked as immaculately clean and pristine inside as a the day I bolted it down, five years previously. 

Ooh, I love this post - it gives me hope! It's how mine is and I dare not look in mine either in case it's there's such a thing as a Schrödinger's water tank. Maybe you could look in mine and find it pristine for me? 

 

In truth I check my freshwater pump pre-filter screen jobbie regularly just downstream of the supply valve and have never found so much as a speck of rust or bitumen in it. I'm therefore loath to disturb my tank lid which is little more than 1' square so I'm not sure what I'd be able to achieve anyway.

 

[MtB]

5 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Ooh, I love this post - it gives me hope! It's how mine is and I dare not look in mine either in case it's there's such a thing as a Schrödinger's water tank.

 

Lol, you have reminded me of the right wing nut-job's "Schrödinger's immigrant"....

 

"They come over here, they claim all our benefits and take all our jobs, rant rant! " 

[Slim]

On 15/09/2021 at 18:03, MtB said:

I bought a brand new shell once with an integrated water tank. I tank blacked it and bolted the cover plate down and was scared to take it off and look inside for about five years.  When I eventually did, it looked as immaculately clean and pristine inside as a the day I bolted it down, five years previously. 

I had the lid off my integrated tank earlier this year after a good five years and was amazed at the lack of rust etc. Aa clean up and a couple of coats òf Ballistic bitumen and lid back on. I doubt I will see the inside again. Before the doom  mongers cry out I suggest they read the write up that comes with the tank blacking paint that Midland Chandlers offer. Must admit that I've always used bottles of water for drinking.

 

[rogerc]

 

On 15/09/2021 at 18:03, MtB said:

I bought a brand new shell once with an integrated water tank. I tank blacked it and bolted the cover plate down and was scared to take it off and look inside for about five years.  When I eventually did, it looked as immaculately clean and pristine inside as a the day I bolted it down, five years previously. 

what did you use and how long ago was it?

[blackrose]

On 10/09/2021 at 11:04, rogerc said:

wat is the best bitumen/paint for water tanks in terms of value and ease of use?
 

 

Bitumen is basically bitumen, there's very little difference. You might get one that's a bit more viscous and goes on a bit thicker but that's about it. The bitumen certified as water potable is also the same but it's just been tested so it's more expensive. 

 

If you really want do it less often as you say, then get rid of all the bitumen. Take it back to metal and use a water potable epoxy.

[MtB]

8 hours ago, rogerc said:

 

what did you use and how long ago was it?

 

This was back in the 1980s, so I have no idea what I'd used. Other than whatever chandleries sold at the time for tank blacking.

[Sea Dog]

18 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Lol, you have reminded me of the right wing nut-job's "Schrödinger's immigrant"....

 

"They come over here, they claim all our benefits and take all our jobs, rant rant! " 

Crikey, really? That's sounds slot more political than whether the cat in there is dead or alive!  That's it - I'm definitely leaving the lid on! 

[TheBiscuits]

18 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Crikey, really? That's sounds slot more political than whether the cat in there is dead or alive!  That's it - I'm definitely leaving the lid on! 

 

If there's even a chance of there being a dead cat in the tank you're going to have to look.

[MtB]

15 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

If there's even a chance of there being a dead cat in the tank you're going to have to look.

 

But surely the point about these cats is they are simultaneously both dead and alive. Until someone looks that is, which forces them to adopt one state or the other. So it might only be dead if Mr dog actually looks. 

 

What would be even more alarming though, is it if adopts the 'alive' condition when Mr Dog looks inside his tank after the five years. 

[Machpoint005]

On 17/09/2021 at 07:06, blackrose said:

The bitumen certified as water potable is also the same but it's just been tested so it's more expensive. 

 

I'm prepared to pay for the test that says it won't harm me.

3 hours ago, MtB said:

But surely the point about these cats is they are simultaneously both dead and alive.

 

No, they aren't there at all until you look.

 

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, Machpoint005 said:

No, they aren't there at all until you look.

 

I was thinking my bitumen might be ok as long as I don't take the lid off. So are you saying there's no butumen in there anyway?

[Bee]

Had a new shell about 15 years ago. Used bitumen water tank paint all over below the water line inside the hull. Still perfect. Bought a window cleaners plastic tank for the water tank. Thats perfect too. I reckon plastic is the best for tanks if you can find one (or more) to fit.

[Machpoint005]

47 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I was thinking my bitumen might be ok as long as I don't take the lid off. So are you saying there's no butumen in there anyway?

 

Nobody knows! It'll be there if you take the lid off though.

 

 

More or less.

 

[rogerc]

it takes so long to get my lid off that it will have run away. dead or alive.

[Machpoint005]

I recommend investing in an impact screwdriver and a very large hammer.

 

Once the lid is off you can thump the cat with the hammer, thus removing any doubt about its status.

 

[ditchcrawler]

5 hours ago, Bee said:

Had a new shell about 15 years ago. Used bitumen water tank paint all over below the water line inside the hull. Still perfect. Bought a window cleaners plastic tank for the water tank. Thats perfect too. I reckon plastic is the best for tanks if you can find one (or more) to fit.

I would be a  bit concerned about leaching if I didn't know the plastic was suitable for potable water