repairing holes in poly tanks

[moscowmule]

hey all, does anyone have advice for getting a pin hole repaired in a poly tank? i have one of the 275 gallon ones with the metal cage. i saw you can buy polyethylene repair kits with a plastic welder on the internet, but online reviews of those kits are mixed, and it is such a small hole i dont really feel like shelling out the cash if there is a easier way. i was wondering if anyone ever had any success either using a kayak patch kit, or just melting some scrap polyethylene with a lighter like this site recommends: http://www.madrivercanoe.com/education_portal/index/learn/repairing_polyethylene_cracks_and_fractures ??

thanks !
cory

[unc23win]

Small pin holes? I have had success just melting them. Take a wood burner or even a nail heated with torch and melt it back together. If you have a piece of plastic from something else you can even add to it. For a bigger hole JB Weld has a plastic kit that works pretty good.

[happy thoughts]

how about a drop of beeswax or parrafin? Try a birthday candle.

[BreezyHill]

There is a product at tractor supply called water weld it only lasts about a year but has worked well for us.

Good Luck!

Ben

[Timberwolf]

Small pin holes? I have had success just melting them. Take a wood burner or even a nail heated with torch and melt it back together. If you have a piece of plastic from something else you can even add to it. For a bigger hole JB Weld has a plastic kit that works pretty good.

I am with Maple Addict here, these tanks are made from HDPE and in industry this plastic is often ground then melted again to mold new products, thus you certainly can do as he described. If you have a good soldering iron that might work also.

[unc23win]

I have used that method to fix rc cars, gas tanks (on chain saw), printer (in the middle of the night when term paper was due), and just about anything else plastic. A good reason to keep the piece that got cut out of my tank with a hole saw you never know.

[moscowmule]

wow thanks for the quick reply everyone!
sos was i did was take a scrap of the plastic cut off from the handle and melt if with a lighter and let it drip into and over the pinhole as it melted..seems like it worked, cant be sure until i fill it with water though, but it seems OK!

[Russell Lampron]

I have used food grade silicone sealer to fix my water bed mattress and it has lasted a long time. I would try that if the repair that you made doesn't hold.

[maple flats]

Plastic milk jugs are HDPE. Just cut a jug into pieces, throw out all parts that have any ink or labels on them. Then melt it . Once liquid, just smear it over the hole.
Some prep: wash the jug before cutting and clean the leak area. This should seal the hole. Be sure, while still hot, smooth and taper the edges.

[adk1]

Oh man now u have me thinking. I got a used poly cage tank used from a guy. I haven't checked it for leaks at all!

[Super Sapper]

If it is just a pin hole you can just put a stainless steel screw in it. You can use a small piece of rubber material for a gasket to seal if you want. We used to do this on older steel tanks at work to stop pin hole leaks.