Anyone know how to fix a leaking 5000 gallon steel water tank on a concrete
pad?

One of two tanks is leaking from the bottom. Not much, but enough to keep
the concrete always wet (which likely is rusting it out even more).

I can't figure out how one would go about fixing this kind of leak.

On Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:04:53 -0800, "Bob F" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Godspeed wrote:
>> Anyone know how to fix a leaking 5000 gallon steel water tank on a
>> concrete pad?
>>
>> One of two tanks is leaking from the bottom. Not much, but enough to
>> keep the concrete always wet (which likely is rusting it out even
>> more).
>>
>> I can't figure out how one would go about fixing this kind of leak.
>
>Drain it. Weld it.
>
or . .
Drain it. Replace it.

That was easy.

Jim

On Jan 13, 6:59*am, Jim Elbrecht <elbre...@email.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:04:53 -0800, "Bob F" <bobnos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Godspeed wrote:
> >> Anyone know how to fix a leaking 5000 gallon steel water tank on a
> >> concrete pad?
>
> >> One of two tanks is leaking from the bottom. Not much, but enough to
> >> keep the concrete always wet (which likely is rusting it out even
> >> more).
>
> >> I can't figure out how one would go about fixing this kind of leak.
>
> >Drain it. Weld it.
>
> or . .
> Drain it. Replace it.
>
> That was easy.
>
> Jim

Dont put the next steel tank directly on concrete

On Jan 13, 1:17*am, Godspeed <godsp...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Anyone know how to fix a leaking 5000 gallon steel water tank on a concrete
> pad?
>
> One of two tanks is leaking from the bottom. Not much, but enough to keep
> the concrete always wet (which likely is rusting it out even more).
>
> I can't figure out how one would go about fixing this kind of leak.

1 - Fill the tank with some really nasty stuff...maybe even plumb your
toilets into it.

2 - Call Mike Rowe over at Dirty Jobs. He's always whining about
running out of Dirty Jobs for his show.

Maybe they'll come out and fix it for free.

On Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:43:38 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> Not enough information. Chances are, the tank is rusted, very thin

When the well had a problem in the summer, the well guy took a look at the
tank leak and said the tank was in "good shape" externally.

This steel tank is lying on very thin slats of wood (most of which are
rotted out). The two tanks are about 20 years old since the home is only
about 20 years old.

They're painted steel on the outside with absolutely no visible rust on the
outside. Inside, there is rust on the steel and there does not seem to be a
"lining" that I know of (the water inside looked yucky from the top but the
well guy said that's normal).

The well guy said he never "fixes" leaking water tanks. Said it's like
fixing a radiator on a car. Plug one spot and the hole opens up somewhere
else. He recommended a brand new non-steel tank. Sure. It's not his money.
That's twenty grand.

Of course a new tank is "better". But, does it pay to weld a plate?

Since the tanks are in great visual shape, I'm hoping there is a viable
fix-it solution. Does a "normal" welder do this kind of work or is there a
specialty shop somewhere out there like roto rooter or something?

Godspeed wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:43:38 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
>> Not enough information. Chances are, the tank is rusted, very thin
>
> When the well had a problem in the summer, the well guy took a look at the
> tank leak and said the tank was in "good shape" externally.
>
> This steel tank is lying on very thin slats of wood (most of which are
> rotted out). The two tanks are about 20 years old since the home is only
> about 20 years old.
>
> They're painted steel on the outside with absolutely no visible rust on the
> outside. Inside, there is rust on the steel and there does not seem to be a
> "lining" that I know of (the water inside looked yucky from the top but the
> well guy said that's normal).
>
> The well guy said he never "fixes" leaking water tanks. Said it's like
> fixing a radiator on a car. Plug one spot and the hole opens up somewhere
> else. He recommended a brand new non-steel tank. Sure. It's not his money.
> That's twenty grand.
>
> Of course a new tank is "better". But, does it pay to weld a plate?
>
> Since the tanks are in great visual shape, I'm hoping there is a viable
> fix-it solution. Does a "normal" welder do this kind of work or is there a
> specialty shop somewhere out there like roto rooter or something?

Flat bottom or round? Upright/horizontal? Internal access?

Who knows from here?

As the well guy said, you can try but it's likely if it's rusted out in
one spot it's terribly thin in many.

A decent welder can do the welding; question nobody can tell w/o looking
is the condition overall and where the leak is, access, etc., etc.,
etc., ... You possibly could simply rotate it 180 and extend life;
otoh, disturbing it might open it up completely if it's really thin.

If this is just a residential installation, why such a large tank or are
not using a pressure pump? Could potentially go w/ a much smaller
pressure tank far cheaper.

--

On Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:39:10 -0600, dpb wrote:

> Flat bottom or round?
Flat bottom and top.

> Upright/horizontal?
Upright. About 10 or 12 feet tall and about 8 or 10 feet wide. Cylinder.

> Internal access?
Has about a 2-foot hatch on top for access. No ladder inside so I'm not
sure how you get to the bottom (or back up for that matter). I guess a thin
ladder would work.

> As the well guy said, you can try but it's likely if it's rusted out in
> one spot it's terribly thin in many.
It really "looks" good on the outside. I wonder if it's not just a pipe
leak somewhere on the bottom.

> You possibly could simply rotate it 180 and extend life;
I don't think something that big can be moved.

> If this is just a residential installation, why such a large tank
Large? I asked the well guy why everyone had 3 or 4 tanks and I only had 2
and he said anything over 10,000 gallons needs special earthquake
foundations so everyone just puts in a set of small 5,000 gallon tanks. So,
5,000 gallons, out here, is small since I can see on google clusters of 3,
4, and 5 tanks all around.

> not using a pressure pump? Could potentially go w/ a much smaller
> pressure tank far cheaper.

There is a 3-foot tall blue pressure tank in the well housing that has a
motor that pressurizes the water to about 80 psi (said the well guy). That
pressure tank is about 2 feet wide. Dunno exactly what it's for but it
seems to hold the pressureized water (all the water except the water to the
fire hydrant).

On Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:53:29 -0600, Jim wrote:

> Cut the bottom off it and weld a new one on.

That's an interesting idea since it's the bottom that must be leaking.

One question is how to "move" the tank. It's on quarter-inch thick wood
slats (most of which are eaten away by now). The other tank is on good
quarter inch slats so I assume the rot from the water ate away the wood.

Can something like this be tipped over? It's on a hill so I'd worry about
it rolling down the hill. Can the "bottom" be welded in place?

I guess straps can be used to hold it from rolling down the hill?

Godspeed wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:39:10 -0600, dpb wrote:
>
>> Flat bottom or round?
> Flat bottom and top.
>
>> Upright/horizontal?
> Upright. About 10 or 12 feet tall and about 8 or 10 feet wide. Cylinder.
>
>> Internal access?
> Has about a 2-foot hatch on top for access. No ladder inside so I'm not
> sure how you get to the bottom (or back up for that matter). I guess a thin
> ladder would work.
>
>> As the well guy said, you can try but it's likely if it's rusted out in
>> one spot it's terribly thin in many.
> It really "looks" good on the outside. I wonder if it's not just a pipe
> leak somewhere on the bottom.

OK, so the only way you could do anything about it anyway is either thru
the top hatch anyway unless there's an access underneath somewhere.

How is/was the connection made; where's the line?

The fact that what is visible looks good doesn't mean much (like
anything) in comparison to the bottom that isn't. You've got one dry
side every where except there; that side has been corroding from both
sides for a long time now so it is likely quite thin in many places. It
isn't uniformly thin, it'll have pitted locations and they'll be
scattered all around if that is the failure.

>> You possibly could simply rotate it 180 and extend life;
> I don't think something that big can be moved.

Well, it got there, didn't it? I doubt it grew from seed...

If it were horizontal round, that's a doable thing. Cylindrical upright
not so much which is why asked...

>> If this is just a residential installation, why such a large tank
> Large? I asked the well guy why everyone had 3 or 4 tanks and I only had 2
> and he said anything over 10,000 gallons needs special earthquake
> foundations so everyone just puts in a set of small 5,000 gallon tanks. So,
> 5,000 gallons, out here, is small since I can see on google clusters of 3,
> 4, and 5 tanks all around.
....

OK, you have your own fire protection supply, too. A 80/100 gal
pressure tank is typically sufficient for simply a residential water supply.

I'd wager a new tank is in your future; you may be able to put it off
but likely not repairable.

--

Jim wrote:
> "Godspeed" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:hijof1$qg3$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Anyone know how to fix a leaking 5000 gallon steel water tank on a
>> concrete
>> pad?
>>
>> One of two tanks is leaking from the bottom. Not much, but enough to keep
>> the concrete always wet (which likely is rusting it out even more).
>>
>> I can't figure out how one would go about fixing this kind of leak.
>
>
> As a Journeyman welder and pipeline welder of 30 years, and as a few
> other posters said, drain it and weld it. I have come across this
> before...putting a patch on it will just prolong the enevitable. Cut the
> bottom off it and weld a new one on. I used to build 35-50 thousand gallon
> fuel tanks for the oil industry. Normal prodedure is after having replaced a
> tank bottom. The outside bottom is covered in thick tar to prevent
> rusting...doesn't really matter what it sits on then..ie wood, concrete,
> soil. Hope that helps... Jim

I'd guess maybe that it would cost as much or more for a 5000 gal tank
to do that as a new one by time paid rigging costs, etc. Certainly for
10X that but in a residential (apparently?) installation it'll be a
major hassle getting it done an all likelihood as compared to the
industrial setting where it was "just bidness"...

$0.02, etc., ... altho I suppose in an area that has requirement for
residential fire water storage there may be some folks around that
specialize so wouldn't be as big a deal as in most areas that don't have
such needs/installations at all commonly.

--