Starboard water tank

Bill Asbury · December 14, 2009, 01:59:56 PM

My starboard water tank has a pressure leak near the inspection port so I'd like to remove the tank for repair, but having trouble getting the hose off the bottom plastic fitting on the tank. Hard to get at and can't pull the hose off by hand, so I figure someone knows the best way to get the hose off without breaking things. Thanks for any guidance.
Bill
91 C34

Ron Hill · December 14, 2009, 05:35:20 PM

Bill : A pressure leak at the 4" inspection port is normal if you fill the tank using the fwd tank deck fill and let it overfill!!
Just look at where the vent overflow is (lower than) in comparason to that inspection cap. The vent is lower and if you fill from the deck you can overfill the tank to the point the water will try to get out of the inspection cap.

Here's what I'd do. Fill from the deck and closely monitor and shut off the water as soon as you hear it starting to come up the fill pipe -OR - only fill by opening both FWD and AFT tank valves under the galley sink, and let the FWD tank fill by gravity from the aft tank. Then shut off the FWD tank and refill the aft tank. You have probably noted that the aft tank fill is larger (and will let you set the hose inside it) than the FWD tank fill.

Take the FWD tank cap off (it's a standard plumbing 4" cleanout cap), clean it, dry it and put some pipe dope(thread sealant - nonhardening) screw the cap back on and your leak is fixed. Then fill by gravity.

Much easier than trying to get the fill hose off of the bottom and removing the tank. A few thoughts

Bill Asbury · December 15, 2009, 01:06:12 PM

Thanks for your thots, Ron! Actually, I don't fill the starboard water tank from the deck, I just let gravity fill it from the stern tank. The problem is that when I turn on the water pressure pump it forces water out of the starboard tank thru a pin hole near the inspection port, not from the port. I was getting fresh water in the bilge and in tracing the source I found the leak on top of the tank coming from a pinhole in the plastic 'weld' around the inspection port. To stop the leak I simply shut down the starboard tank and have been using water from the stern tank only, which is sufficient for our use. Just thought I'd pull the starboard tank and get the leak repaired as a winter project in an effort to have all systems operating normally. Of course, as you've mentioned previously, it's best to keep the water moving thru the tanks.
Kind regards,
Bill

Mike and Joanne Stimmler · December 15, 2009, 02:13:12 PM

Bill,
Unless I'm missing the point here, I don't understand how turning on the pump can cause the tank to leak. There shouldn't be any pressure created in the tank since it's being sucked out by the pump. Maybe Ron or Stu has an idea but it's just not making any sense to me. Could the leak be in the hose ahead of the pump rather than the tank ? But then it would happen no matter what tank you were using.

Ron Hill · December 15, 2009, 02:56:29 PM

Mike : Bill 's water is comming out of the stbd tank pin hole by gravity from the aft tank when both valves are open. That's why he's been shutting down the stbd tank.

Bill : You can always cut the hose as close as possible to the tank connection. Then remove the tank and carefully cut that small piece of hose off of the connection. There should be enough extra hose, but if there isn't just splice in a short piece.
You're probably best to do that cut from the top by removing the cushions and boards. A thought

Bill Asbury · December 15, 2009, 04:02:59 PM

Thanks, Ron. That's what I was planning to do - cut the hose - unless someone had a better idea.
I always pay close attention to your thoughts and very much appreciate your interest in doing anything you can to help your fellow members of C34IA.
Best wishes,
Bill

Ken Juul · December 16, 2009, 04:30:59 AM

That hose has probably not been removed since the tank was installed. It will not be as flexible as the rest of the nose. Is there room to heat the connection with a hair dryer to soften the end of the hose?

Bill Asbury · December 16, 2009, 06:08:06 AM

Thanks, Ken. I'm assuming that hose is original with the boat and is determined not to come off by pulling on it or twisting it with pliers or visegrips. Location in very tight quarters is the main problem, and the hose fitting is plastic. Thought of trying to get my heat gun down there but figured it might do more harm than good. Will give that a try today. Thanks for your suggestion.
Bill

Mert Gollaher · December 16, 2009, 08:12:22 AM

I had to pull that hose off last fall. I expect it hadn't come off in 21+ years. I was worried about cracking or breaking off the plastic fitting, so I didn't want to pull, twist, etc. with much of a mechanical advantage. After some bloodied knuckles, I made a small slice lengthwise in the very end of the hose (went about half-way down the fitting) and applied a little heat with a hair dryer. The hose then came off by hand and there was plenty of slack to clean up the end and reattach it. If you have trouble, cut the hose near the fitting - replacing that hose has to be cheaper (and easier) than replacing a damaged fitting on the tank.

Mert

Bill Asbury · December 16, 2009, 08:36:41 AM

Thanks, Matt. It certainly helps to hear from someone who's been there done that. Thought about trying to make a cut in the hose as you did but didn't try because it's so hard to get at down there. Your experience encourages me to give it a try, and then to apply some heat. Also agree that replacing the hose rather than the fitting is the way to go...:-)
Bill

Phil Spicer · December 16, 2009, 11:08:07 AM

Bill, can you make the repair without removing the tank? Can you use a sealent of some kind? Could you get the glue/sealent from the manufacturer? Or is the port sealed in by a heat process?

Bill Asbury · December 16, 2009, 11:40:12 AM

Thanks, Phil, for your suggestion to stop the leak with glue. Just got back from the boat and glad to report that a 15 second shot with the heat gun on that hose connection did the trick---the hose came off the fitting as if it wasn't attached to anything. Unscrewed the fitting and the tank came out easily. Regarding sealing the leak with some kind of glue, I don't know what material the tank is made of (some kind of plastic) but the area surrrounding the inspection port looks like what I would call plastic 'welding', which is the same light translucent color as the tank. Was thinking of trying 5200, but perhaps some other type of glue would work better???
Bill

Ron Hill · December 16, 2009, 03:55:37 PM

Bill : The only way to repair that tank pin hole is to have it "hot air welded". In the Annapolis area I'm sure that there is someone that can do that special weld.
I don't know of any other material or sealant that will stick to that tank plastic, so go for the weld.

Rick Johnson · December 16, 2009, 06:06:56 PM

Bill, I agree with Ron that nothing will stick to the tank (I also tried 5200). Call a local motorcycle shop (Honda, Yamaha, etc, not a Harley shop), the new motorcycles have lots of plastic that needs repair in a crash and they will know the local plastic welders.

My 2 cents.

Rick

Lance Jones · December 17, 2009, 08:31:32 AM

Sort of related to this link; but, not really in the long run. I'm finding more non-marine sources for my cruising/live aboard needs. For the most part, these sources tend to be cheaper than the trad marine stores. I primarily use, RV stores, Home Depot and other similar stores. However, when it comes to marine specific items, I tend to stick to marine stores.