Things You Need To Get To Fix A Water Tank
In case you want to patch a small leak in a water tank, trough, or any other large metal container you can do a lot of things. Having this method comes recommended by the US Department of Agriculture and has the advantage of being cold. Actually, you don’t have to weld, solder or do anything else with heated materials. The main things you need are a drill, a toggle fastener and bolt, a rubber gasket and a brass washer.
An assembly like this usually won’t work on a seam and it is best to keep that in mind. Following that, this is not a permanent repair option. In case you find a hole in the tanks it meant that the whole tank wall is weakening and you’ll probably have to replace the tank soon.
Make sure you drain the tank. The second step is to remove any rust around the offending hole, either with a chemical rust remover or with sandpaper. The third step is to consult with a good hardware man.
Looking for all the things you need in a large store by yourself can be tricky. Get a small toggle fastener, the smaller the better. The type of fastener you want is a winged affair with a hinged joint in the middle that allows you to fold it together.
You put the fastener on the end of a bolt, fold the wings of the fastener, then shove the bolt end and the folded fastener through the hole in the side of the tank, where the fastener wings expand and give the bolt gripping power. With the smaller fastener, the smaller the hole you have to drill and cover. Finding a brass bolt to go with the toggle fastener is better because brass doesn’t rust.
One other thing you need is a rubber washer or gasket two or three times as wide as the hole of the tank, plus a brass washer about the same size or slightly smaller. With the two they should have holes in the middle not much bigger around than the bolt that will go through them. Having a fit that is not fairly snug, you’ll just have another leak to contend with.
Alternatively in case you find nothing, you may be able to use solid pieces of rubber and metal and drill your own boles in the middle. Keep in mind that you need to enlarge the leaking hole in the side of the tank with your drill, just large enough to slip the folded toggle fastener through to the other side. It is always good to smear the area around the drilled hole with rubber cement and let the glue dry for durability. Assemble your bolt with the brass washer outermost, then the rubber gasket, then the toggle fastener. If your bolt doesn’t have a head of its own, use a square or hexagonal nut.
Normally you have to Smear the back side of the rubber gasket with rubber glue and let dry. At the time that the glue at the back of the gasket meets the glue on the side of the tank, the two faces will bond to a certain extent. Quickly Slip the folded toggle fastener through the hole in the tank and tighten the bold head or nut with a wrench. With that you will now have an usable tank.
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