Black tank repair.

[IYQ]

what kind / brand of glue is used to repair a hole / rip in a black tank?

I thinking of cutting a hole near the top of the tank to drill holes in the vent pipe that was installed all the way to the bottom of the tank. the vent has a 45 degree bend in it and can't be pulled from the top. If plastic weld is recommended. where can I get small pieces to weld over the hole and to use as the weld?

[homelesshartshorns]

Not sure what kind of hole or crack you have but I fine eternabond tape to be my patch of choice for all things needing sealed. It works wonderfully on the roof!

[Devilishjim]

There should be a grommet in the top of tank. I think I would cut the vent off about 6" or a foot above the tank and see if I could pull the rest out of tank. If there is a grommet there should be enough room to pull that 45 around the corner. Then glue a straight piece in the right length

[RBH]

Plastic welders can be found at Harbor Freight and is the preferred repair. I would also consider Eternabond for ease of use. I have used the Plastic tank repair kits found at auto parts stores with success. I would add a patch of Eternabond tape over either weld or kit repair also.

 

Rich

[chirakawa]

My black tank plumbing was all ABS and I used ABS cement on it.

[Ed ke6bnl]

I have repaired my white tank with homemade welder worked great silver soldered a stainless plate on an 150 watt solder iron keep one in the trailer one at the house. I have herd that you can grind up some abs plastic and put it in the abs cement and make a paste that will make a patch paste.

[Pat & Pete]

what kind / brand of glue is used to repair a hole / rip in a black tank?

I thinking of cutting a hole near the top of the tank to drill holes in the vent pipe that was installed all the way to the bottom of the tank. the vent has a 45 degree bend in it and can't be pulled from the top. If plastic weld is recommended. where can I get small pieces to weld over the hole and to use as the weld?

 

Consider using a spade bit ( as used for wood ) and simply drilling a single hole through the tank top and then a couple holes in the vent pipe . You would likely have to buy a bit extender , but , a single hole , the size of what ever bit , will be much easier to deal with than anything bigger .

 

You could 'patch' the hole with a toggle bolt through a fender washer over a rubber washer . Cover that with Eternabond type tape . I've been using a roof repair tape for years , with excellent results . I buy it at Menards . The bonding agent is a bit thicker than Eternabond . You best put it where you want it the first time , because once it's down , there's plenty of work getting it up .

 

Bit extender :

 

 

The tape I keep on hand :

 

[Ronbo]

I would cut the pipe and pull it out. Then rebuild the vent pipe.

[PeteSKP]

I'd look into adding another vent pipe.

[IYQ]

Today I drilled a 3/4" hole in the side of the tank up close to the top. I tried to line it up with where the vent pipe should be in the tank. I'll have to wait till I get back to my other rig to get my drill bit extender or find a hardware and buy another to drill through the vent pipe inside the tank. The hole I drilled worked just fine and the john no longer burps gas everytime it is flushed. For now a wine bottle cork fits the hole I drilled nice and snug. I'll cork it up while on the road and uncork it while parked. I have Sea Level gauges so monoriting the tank and not letting it fill high enough to come out the hole will be easy. Thanks gang for all the responses. Pulling the pipe up isn't possible. There is a double 45 degree ofset in the pipe just under the roof and the paneling that covers the pipe in the bathroom is glued in place. It would mess up everything if I tried to take it apart. The black tank is in a basement compartment and easy to get to just by opening the compartment door. So it won't be much trouble to cork and uncork it while on this trip.

[Jerry-H]

I had a black tank leak on one of my motorhomes, and I tried various products that didn't work. Finally I tried hot-glue, and it did the job. Never leaked again.

[IYQ]

New development. I got the Idea of using my smart phone to take a photo of the inside of the black tank through that 3/4" hole I drilled. First I put black tape over the flash to keep it from bouncing off the plastic and causing the camera to under expose. Guess what it showed the vent grommet with no vent pipe at all coming through. I'll bet there is no hole and the vent pipe is just sitting on top of the tank. I'll have to wait till I get back to my other rig to get a ladder and fish cable. So I can push the fish cable down the vent pipe avd take another photo to see if it actually enters the tank. One way or another I think I'm to the point of handing this problem back to Winnebago. And tell them fix it or give me a new rig.

[Devilishjim]

New development. I got the Idea of using my smart phone to take a photo of the inside of the black tank through that 3/4" hole I drilled. First I put black tape over the flash to keep it from bouncing off the plastic and causing the camera to under expose. Guess what it showed the vent grommet with no vent pipe at all coming through. I'll bet there is no hole and the vent pipe is just sitting on top of the tank. I'll have to wait till I get back to my other rig to get a ladder and fish cable. So I can push the fish cable down the vent pipe avd take another photo to see if it actually enters the tank. One way or another I think I'm to the point of handing this problem back to Winnebago. And tell them fix it or give me a new rig.

Why do I get this feeling that Winnebago is going to tell you what you can do with that hole you bored in the tank ?

[Kirk W]

New development. I got the Idea of using my smart phone to take a photo of the inside of the black tank through that 3/4" hole I drilled.

I would expect that your dealer/Winnebago would stand behind the vent problem, but they may not repair the hole that you made. What I'd do with that hole is to use it to install a tank flush nozzle.

[Phaeton10]

I would go with Kirk's idea, an extra flush want hurt.

[Tireman9]

what kind / brand of glue is used to repair a hole / rip in a black tank?

I thinking of cutting a hole near the top of the tank to drill holes in the vent pipe that was installed all the way to the bottom of the tank. the vent has a 45 degree bend in it and can't be pulled from the top. If plastic weld is recommended. where can I get small pieces to weld over the hole and to use as the weld?

The type of glue depends on the type of plastic the tank is made of. Many tanks are made of Polyetheline and to my knowledge there is only one glue made that will adhere to that plastic and it is a special 3M 2 part adhesive that requires a special gun.

 

Think of it this way. Most adhesives come in plastic containers made of HDPE or LDPE. How can those adhesives work if the adhesive stuck to the container?

 

The other alternative is heat plastic welding.

 

I went through the process early this Spring so learned a lot on the topic.

 

My black tank plumbing was all ABS and I used ABS cement on it.

 

 

I discovered that while my pipe was ABS Coachmen had used a LOT of glue plus a large hose clamp on the neck of the HDPE tank where the ABS was attached.

 

What is uese depends on how long you want the repair to last. You can do it quick and simple and have questionable repair or do it the correct way with proper materials.

 

Read the fine print on many of the adhesives in the bib box store and you will see the exclusion of PE.

I suggest Google Polyethaline adhesive

[IYQ]

I put a plastic wine bottle cork in the hole. It goes in very tight. I dont think the sloshing will dislodge the cork because it is near the top of the tank. I plan on leaving the hole so I can take a picture if it starts the belching gas again. When I was making a right turm out of the park the other day I hit a pot hole. The rv naturally made a fast side to side shake. The john has been flushing properly every since. It shook something loose but I don't know what. When I get back to my other rig and tools I'll run a fish tape down the vent pipe and take another photo of the inside of the tank to see if the end of the fish tape actually intered the tank. If it did, fine, if not it means the pipe slide away from the hole it is supposed to go in and the tank is venting out the hole but may slop sewage when traveling. There is no oder coming from the tank when you open the basement door covering the tank and no sign of sewage running down the side after traveling.