Gray Tank #1 leaking

[danemayer]

We normally camp with full hookups and leave the gray valves open; so the gray tanks are usually empty or hold a few gallons at most.

Last week we camped without a sewer hookup for 4 days. I started the washer and happened to be outside a short while later and noticed water coming from the drain hose on the doorside, in front of the steps. This is supposed to be the drain from the washer overflow pan, which was bone dry. On closer inspection, the water was coming down the outside of hose, from the underbelly.

We're back home now and tanks are close to empty. I dropped that side of the coroplast this morning to inspect. The tank heater pad is on the doorside of the tank. When I pressed up on the tank, water came out along the far edge of the heater pad. There are no connections to the tank anywhere near there, so I think I have a leak underneath the heating pad.

So my questions:

1) Has anyone successfully repaired cracks on the bottom of a water tank? How?

2) Does anyone know if the tank heating pad can be removed (without damaging it) and reinstalled after the tank repair? What type of adhesive would be used?

 

[JohnDar]

Dan, seems kind of strange that your tank would spring a leak if you used it as infrequently as you say. Could it be that the drain into the tank from the W/D has a problem and the water was running over the top of the tank to below it?

 

[brianharrison]

It would be quite unusual to have a leak under the tank heater pad. I would suspect water could saturate between the heater pad and tank if water was running down off the tank and around and underneath to the pad (usually low spot). I suspect it may be water saturated between the pad and tank, allowing water to squeeze out even after the tank around the pad is dry.

If you can duplicate the scenario you may be able to see more things going on with the coroplast removed. It may be a leak halfway up the side of the tank (sensor leak) or connection on the top, running down and around.

My thoughts before I would suggest taking off the heating pad.

On your first question, I had a lower fitting on the fresh water tank plastic welded to repair a crack. Seemed to work well

Brian

 

[westxsrt10]

Best to find the source of the leak first, since all leaks travel down. If it is a leak on the tank ( ABS, plastic,) then LORD Fusor 152 will fix it fast.

 

[TravelTiger]

Dan, from our experience putting a heat pad on, it would be very difficult to remove the pad without damaging it. (been there, done that.) They are only a quarter inch of foam with a layer of fine wire mesh, between the foam and the self-adhesive backing.


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[danemayer]

Thanks for the responses. I drilled some small holes in the coroplast and thermal shield to allow water to drain out. I think I'll let it dry out a bit and take another look next week.

Until I saw water coming out when I pressed up on the tank, I suspected the washer drain connection. So I'll look again and more thoroughly and also try to get a look at where the washer drains into the tank. Maybe even run the washer a little.

Love wrestling with the coroplast.

 

[JohnDar]

Won't Eternabond hold well on the coroplast? Might be easier to cut the coroplast away in a section under the tank and then use some wood furring, screws and the tape to replace it. Maybe even just enough of an inspection section to be able to get an eyeball on the top of the tank before going the full Monty.

 

[TravelTiger]

Chloroplast wrestling, now there's an Olympic sport I want to see!

Get an auto crawler (a platform with small wheels that you lay on to go under cars) at harbor freight, it will help immensely. Don't buy the one at Wal Mart, it's too light duty and will not hold up very long.




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[danemayer]

Already using the crawler from Harbor Freight. Also have the landing jacks on blocks to get the frame up higher. I'm thinking about 2x4s and clamps to help hold the coroplast in place while reinstalling it.

 

[camr]

Dan, have you found out what the problem was. I would be interested in knowing.

And secondly, since you haven't posted about this in three days, I will assume the worst. Ruth Ann, run out and check under the corplast. Dan may have accidentally sealed himself into the underbelly of the trailer, while practising for the Corplast Wrestling Olympics.

 

[mrcomer]

I used 5 gallon pubckets to hold up the cloroplast while reinstalling, seems to work pretty good.

 

[JohnDar]

Dan, have you found out what the problem was. I would be interested in knowing.

And secondly, since you haven't posted about this in three days, I will assume the worst. Ruth Ann, run out and check under the corplast. Dan may have accidentally sealed himself into the underbelly of the trailer, while practising for the Corplast Wrestling Olympics.

Maybe the creature from the black "lagoon" popped out and ate him up! No telling what evils lurk in the Basement o' Doom.

 

[danemayer]

Just got back from the storage lot, with mixed findings. The area around the heating pad is now dry, so that was likely just trapped water I saw a few days ago. I ran the washer through a couple of rinse/drain cycles and looked for water leaking. Nothing appears to be coming down the sides of the tank, from around the gate valve, or around where the drain pipes enter the tank in the basement. So I don't think the tank is leaking after all.

The bad news is that I did get some more water running inside the coroplast. I pulled out some more wet insulation from further up front on the ODS and put in a few more drain holes further to the front.

My best guess at this point is that the washer drain is leaking somewhere up front. Next time out, I plan to take down the cover where the auto-level control panel is mounted. I think the washer drain pipe is routed through there and I may be able to see what's going on further to the front.

While working with the coroplast, I rigged up a 2x4 with a 1/4" bolt sticking through at each end. A spring clamp holds the 2x4 to the frame, supporting the coroplast (like a third hand). The bolt spaces the 2x4 away from the frame so the coroplast is held loosely.

I'm not nearly as tired right now as on previous matches with the underbelly. So it either helped, or I'm getting stronger.

 

[TravelTiger]

Nice coroplast wrestling invention, you might want to patent that idea!

We were doing such major renovations (adding heating pads) we cut the c'plast. putting back that section, about 30' long, was quite an endeavor. Wish we had that invention.


Dan, while you're in there, maybe consider adding those gate valve heaters you talked about? Link.

E

 

[danemayer]

This Fall I have to do a bunch of stuff to get ready for the winter - replace the insulation I pulled, out, extend the underbelly heater ducting, put heat tape on a couple of water lines, and I'm planning on adding gate valve heaters of some type. I'm also planning on putting an access panel in the coroplast on the ODS. I've had to open it too many times to get at gate valves or water lines. It's bad enough in the summer, but it's a real pain at 3 degrees.

 

[jbeletti]

Dan, make sure that the washer discharge hose is fully inserted into the drain in the wall. Let's just say, once, I had an incident (self induced).


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[danemayer]

Dan, make sure that the washer discharge hose is fully inserted into the drain in the wall. Let's just say, once, I had an incident (self induced).

Jim, I'll take another look back there. If the hose isn't fully inserted, where's the water end up? In the closet?

 

[brianharrison]

Could the water have gotten into your underbelly from travelling in a heavy rain/wet roads? Happened to me.

Just a thought.

Brian

 

[danemayer]

Could the water have gotten into your underbelly from travelling in a heavy rain/wet roads? Happened to me.

Yes, I'm pretty sure that's also happened. But after sitting for 3 days, if I run the washer, water leaks from the underbelly.

 

[jbeletti]

Dan, when I snagged my washer discharge hose out of the waste pipe, yes, it discharges onto the closet floor. Forcefully. And leaked out the pinbox area. Fans and a shop vac cleaned up that mess.


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