rusty water tank

[juragirl]

Good afternoon everyone. Back on our search for a boat we have seen one but the water tank is rusty inside. Is this a big job to fix? I know they have to be painted but how do you cure the rust problem? Would it be better to fit a plastic tank inside the old one after dealing with the rust? Any ideas or suggestions (or estimates of cost) would be extremely welcome thank you, 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, juragirl said:

Good afternoon everyone. Back on our search for a boat we have seen one but the water tank is rusty inside. Is this a big job to fix? I know they have to be painted but how do you cure the rust problem? Would it be better to fit a plastic tank inside the old one after dealing with the rust? Any ideas or suggestions (or estimates of cost) would be extremely welcome thank you, 

If you can get the top off the tank and can get inside it is not a difficult job (unpleasant but not difficulty).

Clean loose rust out

Treat surface with 'stop-rust' stuff

Paint with potable water tank paint.

 

Job done.

 

The boat opposite us in our marina is currently cutting away the whole of his Bow water tank as it is so badly corroded. He is having a stainless steel one made which will be slid into place under the front doors and into the space left by cutting out the old tank.

[Señor Chris]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Clean loose rust out

Treat surface with 'stop-rust' stuff

Paint with potable water tank paint.

This is what I did. Vactan to treat the rust followed by potable epoxy coating - I used Armourguard which is no longer available but there are others. Excellent results and still doing the job after 4 years. Total cost was around £100.

 

Edited October 14, 2018 by Señor Chris

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Señor Chris said:

Armourguard which is no longer available

Ahhh - yes the old (originally thought to be 'potable') Armourguard paint.

 

Found to be carcinogenic shortly after 4 years have elapsed after application.

[Señor Chris]

29 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Ahhh - yes the old (originally thought to be 'potable') Armourguard paint.

 

Found to be carcinogenic shortly after 4 years have elapsed after application.

...croak...

 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Señor Chris said:

...croak...

 

We used it as well - Good byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee……………………….

 

(just joking I bought the antidote at the same time - I assume you did also)

[Señor Chris]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

We used it as well - Good byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee……………………….

 

(just joking I bought the antidote at the same time - I assume you did also)

Too late, I'm dead.

 

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Ahhh - yes the old (originally thought to be 'potable') Armourguard paint.

 

Found to be carcinogenic shortly after 4 years have elapsed after application.

 

Really? I knew it was no longer available but where did you hear it was carcinogenic? 

[juragirl]

Thank you Chris and Alan - and a special thanks to Alan for describing the work we would need to do. Anyone any ideas or comments about a plastic liner at all? The steel tank you mentioned going in on the boat opposite Alan sounded like a huge job!!)

[matty40s]

This tank hadn't been opened for 20 years, they were drinking from it too!!

If you do buy the boat, leave the water tank until next summer as it will take weeks for the rust stuff and paint to cure at this time of year.

[blackrose]

3 minutes ago, juragirl said:

Thank you Chris and Alan - and a special thanks to Alan for describing the work we would need to do. Anyone any ideas or comments about a plastic liner at all? The steel tank you mentioned going in on the boat opposite Alan sounded like a huge job!!)

 

You can order a flexible liner from Duratank/HCL at huge expense, but you must de-rust, paint and insulate the tank with carpet tiles, etc, before putting the liner in.

[Bee]

Is it an 'Integral' tank? i.e. if you make a hole in the bottom does the canal come in? They used to be pretty common but I don't think they are now. Its quite important that it doesn't rust through as you will be drinking the canal - a Bad Thing, so it could do with cleaning, drying and painting even if you put in a liner. If its not 'integral' I'd be tempted to chuck it out and put in a plastic tank. We have a window cleaners tank (Just google it, lots of sizes) but they are all squarish so won't fit in a triangular space unless you have a long front deck and its not full of stuff underneath. To be honest there are plenty of waterpoints on the UK system so huge capacity for most boats is not vital.

That pic. of the 20 year old tank is 'orrible. Where did all that mud stuff come from? even an ancient old galvanised loft tank is not full of mud.

[Alan de Enfield]

29 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Really? I knew it was no longer available but where did you hear it was carcinogenic? 

Chris 'clicked' fairly quickly when the carcinogens only come into effect (co-incidentally) after the same duration that he happens to have had since doing his tank

And, I thought that having to buy the 'antidote' may have given it away.

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Chris 'clicked' fairly quickly when the carcinogens only come into effect (co-incidentally)

Oooh I like tongue twisters!

[Alan de Enfield]

30 minutes ago, juragirl said:

The steel tank you mentioned going in on the boat opposite Alan sounded like a huge job!!)

It has turned out to be.

 

Sailing boats often use thick 'plastic bladders' that fit into lockers and come in various shapes and sizes (we had a couple in the bow locker of a GRP cruiser) they work well and can even be lifted out annually for their 'annual bleach and clean' and are relatively inexpensive.

[blackrose]

16 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Chris 'clicked' fairly quickly when the carcinogens only come into effect (co-incidentally) after the same duration that he happens to have had since doing his tank

And, I thought that having to buy the 'antidote' may have given it away.

Ok, I didn't click - for the benefit of the slower members perhaps you need to give us  an emoji so we know you're joking.

 

There is this alternative to Armourguard. Has anyone used it?

 

https://www.boatpaint.co.uk/acatalog/Reactive_Resins_MP.html

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, blackrose said:

Ok, I didn't click - for the benefit of the slower members perhaps you need to give us  an emoji so we know you're joking.

 

There is this alternative to Armourguard. Has anyone used it?

 

https://www.boatpaint.co.uk/acatalog/Reactive_Resins_MP.html

 

 

OK, but when I said "only joking" I thought that might be more explanatory than an emoji.

 

By the way - did you get your trip planning resolved before the forum-blackout and all the replies lost into the ether ?

[blackrose]

30 minutes ago, Bee said:

Is it an 'Integral' tank? i.e. if you make a hole in the bottom does the canal come in? They used to be pretty common but I don't think they are now. Its quite important that it doesn't rust through as you will be drinking the canal - a Bad Thing, so it could do with cleaning, drying and painting even if you put in a liner. If its not 'integral' I'd be tempted to chuck it out and put in a plastic tank. We have a window cleaners tank (Just google it, lots of sizes) but they are all squarish so won't fit in a triangular space unless you have a long front deck and its not full of stuff underneath. To be honest there are plenty of waterpoints on the UK system so huge capacity for most boats is not vital.

That pic. of the 20 year old tank is 'orrible. Where did all that mud stuff come from? even an ancient old galvanised loft tank is not full of mud.

As it's rusty it's likely to be an integral tank. There are still very common. I don't think there are too many mild steel water tanks on canal boats?

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

OK, but when I said "only joking" I thought that might be more explanatory than an emoji.

 

By the way - did you get your trip planning resolved before the forum-blackout and all the replies lost into the ether ?

Ok, but I wasn't replying to that post and only saw it later.

 

That thread on my trip seems to have disappeared? Never mind I got the basic info I needed. 

Edited October 14, 2018 by blackrose

[juragirl]

yes it is an integral tank - a hole in the tank would let the canal in! 

[aracer]

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

This tank hadn't been opened for 20 years, they were drinking from it too!!

Yuck! - the boat I've just bought is 30 years old, no idea when the tank was last opened, I hope it doesn't look like that (I'm not dead yet after 2 weeks of drinking from it). Should I be opening it up to have a look, or if the water from the tap looks and tastes OK not bother?

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, aracer said:

Yuck! - the boat I've just bought is 30 years old, no idea when the tank was last opened, I hope it doesn't look like that (I'm not dead yet after 2 weeks of drinking from it). Should I be opening it up to have a look, or if the water from the tap looks and tastes OK not bother?

We have never drunk the water from the tank - I know some do, but we keep the drinking water separate in a 10 litre 'water carrier' and fill it up every day or three.

[rusty69]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

We have never drunk the water from the tank - I know some do, but we keep the drinking water separate in a 10 litre 'water carrier' and fill it up every day or three.

I have been drinking the water from ours for 20 years.It hasn't affected me in the least. I was like this long before that

[Dr Bob]

10 minutes ago, aracer said:

Yuck! - the boat I've just bought is 30 years old, no idea when the tank was last opened, I hope it doesn't look like that (I'm not dead yet after 2 weeks of drinking from it). Should I be opening it up to have a look, or if the water from the tap looks and tastes OK not bother?

When we bought our 14 year old boat, we poured a load of Milton serilising fluid in and gave it a couple of rinses. It has been fine and I have drunk water direct from the tank for 2 years. Your gut is designed to acclimatise to new threats???!!!! We do tend to run to empty every few weeks when we know we can refill so as to turn the water over.

I have read on here that Hydrogen Peroxide is a good way to sterilise and easy to wash out.

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

When we bought our 14 year old boat, we poured a load of Milton serilising fluid in and gave it a couple of rinses.

Did you put some in the water tank too?

4 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Your gut is designed to acclimatise to new threats???!!!

Who designed it?

4 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

 

I have read on here that Hydrogen Peroxide is a good way to sterilise and easy to wash out.

Also washes out of your hair

[Phil Ambrose]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

We have never drunk the water from the tank - I know some do, but we keep the drinking water separate in a 10 litre 'water carrier' and fill it up every day or three.

We've always drunk tank water on our boats with no side effects over 20 years living aboard.

And as far as plastic tanks are concerned Goodwin Plastics will make one to your exact specifications ie size, shape, plumbing fittings, baffles or whatever your heart desires . Not expensive either. 

Phil