Weeping leak in a 38 ltr 'poly' water container
Submitted: Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 18:29
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98249
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Member - Boo Boo (NSW)
G'day all
I bought a water container about 6/12's ago to put under the tray.
Unfortunately while I was rinsing it out I left it overnight and found it empty next morning. It didn't take long to find the leak.
The suppler quickly sent another and did not want the leaking one returned.
The weepind leak is on an edge down low. It appears the edge has been filed smooth, but it was filed a bit much.
Is there a simple fix I can do to fix the leak?
Reply By: Axle - Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 18:50
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 18:50
Hi Boo Boo, Just get swmbo to hold her finger on it...lol.
Cheers Axle.
AnswerID:
495640
Follow Up By: Member - Boo Boo (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 19:17
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 19:17
My wife thanks you, my MIL thanks you, and my kids thank you for you thoughtful answer. LOL
I've got 2 chances with that one!
FollowupID:
771265
Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 19:57
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 19:57
Boo Boo,
Think you might need some Selleys "Knead-It"
putty to fix that. They make one, I think, called "Aqua", for under water applications. Just need(not trying to be funny here!!) to rough it up a bit, and mix the
putty as directed, and force it on, and into the leak. Would pay to clean the area with metho, or a non-oily solvent beforehand.
CRC make "Minute-Mend" which is a similar stuff, and works
well. Have seen it stop the leak in a cracked motorbike crankcase.
Bob.
AnswerID:
495647
Follow Up By: Member - Boo Boo (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 20:12
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 20:12
Thanks Bob
I am going to
Sydney tomorrow, will get some while I'm there.
FollowupID:
771272
Reply By: garrycol - Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 20:13
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 20:13
Weld it up using a soldering iron and a plastic cable tie as the "solder".
AnswerID:
495649
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 21:35
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 21:35
Hot air welding is the best way.
The tank is polyethylene.
If you try with a soldering iron, a piece of a milk bottle would be better than a zip tie.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome
AnswerID:
495653
Reply By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 23:18
Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012 at 23:18
Boo Boo,
I agree with Peter that the tank is probably Polyethylene and is not easily repaired by regular adhesives or 2-part putties. Selleys specifically exclude their Knead-IT for use with polyethylene and polypropylene.
There is a product called Permatex specially formulated for this type of repair.
Data sheet here.
Permatex is available from Supercheap.
See here. and probably other auto accessory stores.
Welding the crack is possibly the best repair but is not easy without the right hot-air welding tool and experience. There are businesses that offer plastic welding but it may cost more than the tank is worth.
AnswerID:
495660
Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 08:45
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 08:45
Thanks for those 2 links, Allan.
Wasn't aware that the Knead-It wasn't any good for "plastics". But then I don't read the directions either!!! lol
Permatex make some good stuff, but wasn't aware of this repair kit. As I've got a couple of plastic tanks to fit to my ute, will have to get a kit or two, for when we head off.
Re the plastic welding, Makita make a good heat gun package, that includes a number of nozzles etc, and some filler rods, to do the job. But it's a bit of an art.......
Bob.
FollowupID:
771287
Follow Up By: Tim HJ61 (WA) - Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 19:04
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 19:04
The 'art' Bob, is the best description of the blob of plastic when you've put just that little bit too much heat into the plastic, over slightly too big an area and the whole things collapses and resembles,
well, art!
:-) Yes, a tricky thing to get right, not yet mastered by me. But it was fun trying with a $35 Ozito hot air gun that came with heaps of attachments at a third the price of a better brand with no attachments.
Tim
FollowupID:
771301
Follow Up By: Member - Keith Berg - Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 19:39
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 19:39
There are plenty of plastics fabricators around who can weld it up for you. Weldiing plastic reliably is a bit of a black art.
FollowupID:
771303
Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 20:57
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 20:57
Tim,
Nothing wrong with an Ozito, when you get all the attchments!!!
Welded up a crack in a 10K gallon tank once, only on the outside. Didn't look too good, but it didn't leak, UNTIL we filled it up. Water everywhere lol. Probably should've done the inside as
well. Got a new tank out of the makers later on.
Bob.
FollowupID:
771308
Reply By: Phil 23 - Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 21:00
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2012 at 21:00
Seen many a thing like this repaired by a thick smear of Silastic or something similar over a large area of damage.
A simple pin hole may be covered with a 2 inch patch that's 4 or 5mm thick in the middle.
Simple, cheap & seems to be durable. Not pretty, but if it's out of sight.....
Cheers.
AnswerID:
495709
Follow Up By: Member - Boo Boo (NSW) - Thursday, Sep 27, 2012 at 14:44
Thursday, Sep 27, 2012 at 14:44
Thanks for all the replies gentlemen.
Alan, the last time I 'tried' to weld a trailer I left holes the size of 50 cent pieces everywhere. lol
Fortunatley I have the memory of a dead dog and forgot to get the kneed-it on the way
home from
Sydney this morning.
Sooo I'll now get the permatex.
FollowupID:
771337
Reply By: wozzie (WA) - Friday, Sep 28, 2012 at 16:09
Friday, Sep 28, 2012 at 16:09
One other option is a product called "Rapid Fix"
It's a superglue type of product that I have suceessfully used on plastics and seems to work
well.
It come as a 2 part pack,
1. the super glue
2. A filler which is in a powdered form to fill holes etc.
Last time I purchased some, I picked it up from Bunnings, previously from a tradies hardware type store..
I have now always gopt some in my toolbox, and this current trip (2 years) have solved a few various problems for myself adn others along the highways and byways on our travels.
Cheers
AnswerID:
495828