HELP... Please... Holding Tank (Grey) Cracked and Leaking

[ReflectionNC]

Hello all! New member. 312BHTS Reflection. This is an issue I observed a couple months ago but have been waiting for it to cool down a bit before I attempt the repair. Now is the time and I'd like to get some advice from you more experienced individuals.

I have a leak coming from my front grey tank (bathroom sink and shower). The leak is located at the low/drain point of the tank, where the fitting for the gate valve meets the tank (SEE PIC). The tank body itself is cracked and there is also an additional leak from under the glue (I'm assuming) on the fitting between the valve and tank.

QUESTIONS:
1. Is the tank made of ABS?
2. Does anyone have experience with West Systems GFlex? https://www.westsystem.com/specialty...poxy-adhesive/
3. Does the Oatey multi-plastic work well in this area considering the tank body and plumbing are different materials?
4. What is involved in REPLACING the tank? I know I'll have to drop the belly, cut the valve plumbing and inlet plumbing then reassemble... I just don't know any specifics and I like to have all parts on hand to keep from having delays while I wait for something to ship in.
5. Is there an alternative tank that might be more robust and less prone to cracking than the OEM tank?

My thought is to try to make the repair first (clean and prep, epoxy or glue in some fiberglass in layers). That way I can avoid removing the underbelly and the tank, saving myself a bunch of work. If the repair fails, I'll have a go at replacing the tank. I have a new tank that was sent by GD but it was shipped in a box with ZERO protective packaging. When it arrived, the tank was on it's end, drain end down. If the box was mishandled at any point the tank could be damaged the exact same was as my existing tank. Oh well.

Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[TucsonJim]

Fortunately, we don't see too many cracks similar to yours on this forum. Unfortunately, that means that few of us have experience in these types of repairs. However, I did some surfing on YouTube this morning and there seems to be some pretty good success in patching and repairing the tanks instead of just replacing them.

I'm with you. I'd really prefer to attempt a repair vs. trying to replace it. One of the video's I watched showed Good success with GFlex. So unless others weigh in with alternatives, I'd give it a try.

Jim

[Dave27]

ReflectionNC "Does anyone have experience with West Systems GFlex?" I had a crack on the corner of one of the gray tanks. It must have been dropped at the factory and someone applied some kind of glue on it. That didn't last very long, and I found it was the source of a leak. I cleaned off the area around the crack, and roughed it with sandpaper. I used West Systems GFlex, and it has held up well for several years now. Attached is photo of the crack, I can't find one of the final repair.

Good luck,
Dave

[ReflectionNC]

TucsonJim
Dave27
Thanks for the replies! I discovered GFlex through some youtube searching. Ill give it a shot and document the process. See you guys with a successful (i hope) update in a few days!

[ReflectionNC]

(I've never really made a repair like this so your mileage may vary... just letting you know how I did it, probably other ways to handle it, but this is the path I chose after seeing other methods leading to failure).

Well it is done. I've had the tank completely full (shower backed up and not draining) and not a single drop of water leaked. I must disclose that I live in my RV full time and will not have it on the road for a true shakedown.

1) I removed the old sealant in the general area including around the fittings above the damaged area as it seemed some water was leaking from that area as well.
2) Completely drained the tank which took a while as there was a build up of soap, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste that remained on the bottom of the tank as the water constantly leaked out.
3) Flushed the tank as well as I could.
4) Cleaned the exterior with soapy water, sanded with 80 grit sand paper, then cleaned with soapy water again.
5) Jammed a bunch of TP in the opening to absorb any water that might try to drain out from the tank while the water weld was installed/curing.
6) Mixed the JB Weld - Water Weld and packed it into the tank crack and around the general area. Waited until the next day for it to completely cure.
7) Tested for leaks by filling the tank with fresh water and waited 24 hrs.
8) Applied West Systems G Glex in very heavy and thick coats. Waited until it was barely tacky (probably close to being too long wait time) and applied a final heavy coat on top. The repair is probably 1/8" - 3/16" minimum thickness throughout.

I tried adding chopped strand fiberglass mat strips to the repair area in order to make it super strong, but I have no experience with the material. It kept peeling up around the applied area and I just pulled it off. Might work better in less contoured repairs but my repair area was essentially the most contoured section of the tank and also included the plumbing connections in that area.

I called West Systems tech support and learned the following about G Flex:
A) G Flex will not cure properly if it gets wet while being applied. It will remain more flexible or softer than desired when exposed to water while it is curing. Dry application is best
B) They also said adding fiberglass mat would definitely strengthen the repair.
C) Subsequent coats of the product should be applied when previous coats are not cured. The base coat should still be tacky.

[Cate&Rob]

ReflectionNC

Thanks for the update ! . . . what this owners-helping-owners site is all about.

I have used many West System Epoxy products over the years, but never the G/Flex version . . . so, I looked it up on the West site. Interesting that their product information says that G/Flex will bond to damp surfaces . . . which is different than the advice that you got directly from them.

Rob

[ReflectionNC]

ReflectionNC

Thanks for the update ! . . . what this owners-helping-owners site is all about.

I have used many West System Epoxy products over the years, but never the G/Flex version . . . so, I looked it up on the West site. Interesting that their product information says that G/Flex will bond to damp surfaces . . . which is different than the advice that you got directly from them.

Rob

Well they said it would bond but it would remain soft in the water contact areas. I wanted something more rigid and structural(ish) in the immediate crack area and also a barrier against water exposure, which is why I used the water weld product first.

[Jlawles2]

Flexible may not be a bad thing on those plastic tanks as they can move a bit.