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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Old wood water tank leaking
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paulz
Member
# Posted: 14 Oct 2019 22:45
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Asking for a neighbor. He has a great old wood water tank, huge, like the one on Petticoat Junction, you could swim in it. It's leaking pretty bad I guess. He hired a guy who came out, they drained it dry and epoxied some bottom areas, not the whole bottom. Didn't work. He says they can't put a liner in it, too big. I thought about gunite, like a swimming pool.

Any other ideas?

darz5150
Member
# Posted: 14 Oct 2019 23:26
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Maybe check out Oakum.
Many moons ago, I remember using it to seal oldschool water mains and sewer tiles.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 14 Oct 2019 23:35
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Quoting: paulz
He says they can't put a liner in it, too big.


Bigger than 33 ft dia. x 6 feet tall?

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 14 Oct 2019 23:38
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Don't think Oakum would be any better than epoxy. Sounds like leak may be big. He may be trying to save a total failure that needs complete replacement. Gunnite is sprayed concrete stuff. If the wood barrel is faiing, I would not trust the structure to hold that added weight. Paul, go get some pictures so we can stop guessing.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 15 Oct 2019 00:08
Reply 


Thanks guys. He said the problem with a liner is it's too tall, I'm guessing it's around 20'. I'm headed to my cabin tomorrow and will get a photo.

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 15 Oct 2019 03:07
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"a photo?" How about several.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 15 Oct 2019 10:39
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Yeah 20 feet is too much for a pool liner I think. May be time for a new tank.

Sprinkler Guy
Member
# Posted: 15 Oct 2019 13:16
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At my brothers farm they built a 3/4 acre pond with an epdm product, so there are liners available that big. not sure the manufacture but here is a link to a similar thing https://justpondliners.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3JXtBRC8ARIsAEBHg4l5OnhAmDbeD_KZkQghUksoKB9 ekwYXlSJtLWe2hu5rXkR9vmArP44aAlByEALw_wcB

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 16 Oct 2019 08:31
Reply 


Pond liner is a good idea. You would def need help getting that all layed out and folded properly. That will be a few hundred pounds easily.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 16 Oct 2019 14:25
Reply 


His gate was closed when I went by, had to take a photo over the fence. It's even taller than I remembered, at least 30' and maybe more but only maybe 15' diameter. Really cool old tank. Thanks for the ideas so far.
1016190842_HDR.jpg
1016190842_HDR.jpg


Arctic Bushmaster
Member
# Posted: 20 Oct 2019 19:50
Reply 


Can't be too big to put a liner in you can line pounds I'd recommend rebuilding it,or a harbor freight tarp,just as a get by,petti coat was before my time so I'm not sure the size but a squared box doesn't cost that much and could hold water,or now u can get food grade 250 gallon water tanks with a roll cage on them for around 250 $ just Google, Craigslist food grade water containers,,,hope he gets his problem fixed

paulz
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:09
Reply 


He's been away for a week and haven't talked to him about the latest plan. I do remember he said something about the problem with a liner was that the tank is too tall, you could't just drop in a flat tarp. It's got to be a at least 4x as tall as wide. It would have to be a premade cylinder with a bottom attached, which of course is doable, and maybe not a bad idea. The other potential problem with a liner is the wood would then dry out and shrink, might lead to structural problems with the iron bands, the liner and what not.

Thank for the input. Not my problem (I have plenty already), just thought I'd ask here among the ingenious folks on this forum. I should see him again soon and will update the current situation.

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