What’s the best way to fix my Rubbermaid 100 gallon water tank that has developed a slow leak around the drain? What should I buy at the hardware store and can I do the repair in cold temperatures?
I don’t use the drain so don’t mind if it is sealed, also I could not see a crack so will probably just goop the stuff around the whole drain.
Plumber’s pipe dope. It won’t seal it permanently (in fact it is a lubricant) but it will create the seal you are looking for.
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if it is the threaded drain plug use thread tape, cheap nonhazardous
if a caulk is needed you might want to use Dow Corning 1892070 732 Clear Multi-Purpose Sealant, it can be applied in cold conditions and meets FDA standards for products with direct contact to food preparation surfaces (Fda 177.2600)
- Application Temp. Range -20 Degrees to 122 Degrees F
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Is it leaking from the threads? Teflon tape will take care of that. Find it in the plumbing section–a roll will cost less than a buck.
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In a pinch, until you can get a repair done, a glob of mud, the sticky goey kind, may keep a leak to a minimum, some sealed until you clean the tank again.
On a dry tank, “roofing cement” seals leaks well.
We have some metal tanks that worked well for years.
Should work on plastic ones also.
There is a caulking for such leaks you can apply under water.
If you can unscrew the drain plug, plumber’s tape or dope will work fine.
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I really think that the Rubbermaid tanks are not as durable as they once were. 2 of my horses go through at least a 100 gallon tank a month during the summer months. They play kickball with the tanks or something.
What I do when the tanks spring leaks is use J&B weld (Tractor Supply carries it.) I plaster it over the leak using a popcycle stick (drain plug too), let it dry overnight and it’s good to go for another couple of months.
When the tank is almost covered with J&B weld and I really can’t repair it any more, I buy another one and convert the old tank to a raised garden (last year I planted tomatoes in 2 of them).
What about Flex-Seal? His ads show fixing everything from the Titanic to small leaks.
Holy cow! That’s crazy! I have one who loooooves to swim in the tank. So I put the tank outside the fence and removed the middle board so they can reach through to drink. It’s worked SO WELL. Might be something for you to try?
Yes that works great! another similar way is if you have a fence line separating two paddocks, you can take out the middle board and have half the tank in one paddock, half in the other. For some horses it is small enough they don’t stick feet in, think they fit in it, etc.
