# How to repair rubbermaid stock tank?



## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Hi,

My horse stepped in a brand new 100 gallon stock tank (greyish colored one by Rubbermaid) and put a small crack in it.

How do I repair it? I have tried fiberglass repair kits and they do not work. I am now going to try epoxy for ASB plastic but it says it will not bond to polyethylene or polypropylene plastic so am not sure this stuff will work.

What else can I try, I don't want to buy a new one as this one is NEW..I've about had it with horses this week, 

Sidepasser


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## ponyexpress (Feb 15, 2003)

If it is the actual Rubbermaid brand, doesn't it have a warranty?
Is it leaking? Some cracks don't...
Only two things I know to try and patch it. Chewed bubble gum worked for me for 10 years on a metal watering can. That polygrip stuff you use for false teeth might work.
My horses have never broken one, though they have demolished everything else!


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

They have a 5 year warranty, take it back.

Jena


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Not sure about what will stick to what, but at Walmart, you can get the same non-toxic silicone that they use to glue fish tanks together. I've used it for many things.


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## goatlady (May 31, 2002)

You may laugh, but I use duct tape to seal cracks in the chicken waterer trays and the plastic goat automatic waterers. I put a layer inside and one outside and they last forever and don't leak a drop!


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## Manny (Dec 26, 2003)

A trick I've used on plastics is to dab on a bit of acetone nail polish remover. If the polish remover causes the surface of the plastic to get sticky then you can find a glue that will work but if the acetone just evaporates with no change to the plastic surface you are probably out of luck. For a glue to work on plastic it has to disolve the surface, if it doesn't then the glue or RTV or epoxy will just peel off. Probably best to exercise your warranty.


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## Highground (Jan 22, 2003)

Eternabond. Sold in rolls or small pieces at most travel trailer places. The roll is about $70.00 but this stuff will seal most anything.


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## holleegee (Mar 3, 2005)

This may sound crazy but I have patched metal stock tanks with bumper stickers. I don't know if it would work on a rubbermaid stock tank or not.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Hi,

Thanks for the responses, although the tank is new I bought it several years ago from a feed store that was going out of business. I had stored this one in the barn until needed so don't think I can return it anywhere to get a refund (store is out of business). I am going to call Rubbermaid and see what they say...

oh and yep, the water just pours out that crack, so gotta get it fixed so I can use this "new" old tub...

sidepasser


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## twstanley (Sep 23, 2004)

sidepasser said:


> Hi,
> 
> Thanks for the responses, although the tank is new I bought it several years ago from a feed store that was going out of business. I had stored this one in the barn until needed so don't think I can return it anywhere to get a refund (store is out of business). I am going to call Rubbermaid and see what they say...
> 
> ...


Hmm, take a propane torch and melt the crack closed? Kind of brazing with plastic kind of thing....


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

I'm not doubting your word at all, but I am curious about the fiberglass attempt. 
I figured that it would have worked. Did you use putty or resin and cloth? I suppose it is like the plastic items that you can mix on and use to spread the putty, a flex and it pops off.


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## 2story (Apr 6, 2005)

[Plumbers Goop sold at walmart with the plumbing stuff, that is the best stuff i have seen on man made products


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## mikell (Nov 8, 2002)

2story said:


> [Plumbers Goop sold at walmart with the plumbing stuff, that is the best stuff i have seen on man made products



Took the words right out of my computer that stuff is evil stickey gooey. I love it. It's in the glue dept. at HD and Lowes.


mikell


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## plankman16 (Mar 1, 2003)

goop


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Harbor Freight sells a little plastic welder for about $25 some times. I've seen them weld ag tanks at a coop. It may have to be the right kind of plastic.

Now for a hijack attempt. I have a little old fibreglas rowboat and the keel seeps and weeps. The outer skin has cracked off there from landing on shore, I guess. Would plumbers goop or Eternabond work for sealing that? Does the goop ever get hard? Does Eternabond?


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Windy in Kansas said:


> I'm not doubting your word at all, but I am curious about the fiberglass attempt.
> I figured that it would have worked. Did you use putty or resin and cloth? I suppose it is like the plastic items that you can mix on and use to spread the putty, a flex and it pops off.



Hi,

I used the fiberglqss "cloth" and resin method after cleaning the inside of the tank and drying it. The fiberglass cloth would not adhere well to the tank so the leak is still leaking.

Is goop stuff safe inside the tank when horses drink? I would hate to poisen my horse trying to fix his water tank!!

Thanks
Sidepasser


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## FreeRanger (Jul 20, 2005)

BUMP!

Hey does anyone really know the answer to this question?

I need to know...I have a couple of tanks to patch...

Seeing how the Goop stuff is used for domestic plumbing, I think it should be safe to use. But does it last?


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Equilox?


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

your not going to find a glue for polyethyline 
to stop the crack you will need to drill a small hole at each end of the crack then get a plastic welder and fill the holes as well as the crack.
if you dont drill the holes hang it up the crack will continue even if welded .
If your dead set on trying to Glue/caulk it , scuff it up good with fine sand paper both inside and out , then apply a think patch of poly-urathane caulking.
or you can order an old town canoe repair kit and follow the instructions to the letter .
good luck 

A ******* repair would be to cut a patch out of a plastic oil jug .
using a heat gun heat the cracked area until it softens (flashes) then lay the patch also softened over the area and while still applying heat roll it down .
(basically welding the patch in place .)


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Okay....this is going to sound crazy, but just follow me here.

I know from the screen printing and also the adhesive industry that plastics have to be 'flame treated' before they will accept many glues or inks.

It has something to do with changing the molecular structure on the surface, and once that is done, glues and inks will be able to bond to the surface.

Plastics that are flame treated will stay good for maybe a month if left sitting on the shelf. After that, they have to be flame treated again. But if you repair a tank right away after flame treating, the bond will hold indefinately.

Companies that deal with plastics every day know this, and flame treat any back stock.

My aunt owns a plastic cup business that screen prints logos onto the cups. They have an actual flame treating machine. When someone orders 1000 cups, they flame treat them, and they are ready to print.

*How do I flame treat plastic at home?* You can use a plumber's hand held propane tank with a torch tip. Just run the flame over the areas that will recieve adhesive. DO NOT MELT THE PLASTIC. The goal is to warm it up a bit, and it doesn't take long. Just a few seconds of running the flame over the spot will do the trick. Again, DO NOT MELT THE PLASTIC.

Make sure you take safety precautions of course.

I honestly believe that this is the secret to making your adhesive stick to the plastic.

Clove


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## 7.62mmFMJ (Nov 19, 2008)

Sand it lightly then heat it mildly as mentioned above. 

Use RTV. Just let it cure so there is no odor. Once the odor is gone so are the harmful chemicals.


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## FreeRanger (Jul 20, 2005)

PyroDon said:


> you can order an old town canoe repair kit and follow the instructions to the letter .
> good luck
> 
> A ******* repair would be to cut a patch out of a plastic oil jug .
> ...


I am leaning toward trying the second method but will look in to the cost of the first method.


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## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

Well, take heart that you are not the only one who has had that happen but ours was out of warranty. Called Rubbermaid and they suggested JB Weld. It worked, at least so far so good.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

PyroDon said:


> your not going to find a glue for polyethyline


Don, I am a bit perplexed...I did a google search for polyethylene glue, and several products showed up.

What am I missing?

Clove


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

My mare did the same thing to her Rubbermaid tank. I just got an epoxy from the hardware store that is used for plumbing and plastic, sandpapered the area after I thoroughly dried it off, slathered it all over the area. 7 or 8 years later it is just fine- no biggie at all. Even with the little bored creatures playing football with it periodically.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

PyroDon said:


> or you can order an old town canoe repair kit and follow the instructions to the letter.


It is kind of funny that you mention the Olde Town canoes. One of the links that I checked out after searching for polyethylene glue was a guy that shows how to repair a damaged Old Town plastic canoe.

He also says that you must *flame treat the surface*, but tells how to do it much better than I did.

I think the web site is westsystem.com or something like that.

clove


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## Big Dave (Feb 5, 2006)

Have used a product called SUPERMEND. It will set up even under water or in the cold. Hard to find, well worth the hunt.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I used shoe goo. On the outside. It looks like clear rubber on there and it's been about 4 yrs. now.


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## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

A few years back one of our tanks cracked from the top down to about 1/3 of the way. My Dh used a heavy duty stapler to keep the cracked area in place and filled the crack with silicone. We still use it and the only place it leakes is at the very top. Worth a try, these things are too expensive to replace all the time. BTW, mine is a rubbermaid too.


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

clovis said:


> Don, I am a bit perplexed...I did a google search for polyethylene glue, and several products showed up.
> 
> What am I missing?
> 
> Clove


Clovis
I do not doubt that they may have come up with a solvent for PE or HDPE but if they have I have yet to find a source. 
the PE glues Ive tried were at best temp fixes that were too brittle to deal with the expansion and contraction . 
It should be noted that too much heat can also cause PE to become brittle its self . Before attempting a repair on an expensive stock tank Id suggest practicing on an old PE container such as an oil jug or gas can (if a gas can fill with water and avoid open flames )
I own two old town canoes that get pretty rough treatment so learning to repair them is a must . the instructions are explained far better than any I could write as well . The advantage of the canoes is that the out shell is actually Polyvinyl 
PE and HDPE present the problem of being resistant to nearly any solvent where as ABS or PVC tend to have a wide number of solvents readily on the market. 
The way plastics change constantly Im open to any advances or information . I only offered my limited knowledge and welcome any who have more info to please share


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

PyroDon said:


> Clovis
> I do not doubt that they may have come up with a solvent for PE or HDPE but if they have I have yet to find a source.
> the PE glues Ive tried were at best temp fixes that were too brittle to deal with the expansion and contraction .
> It should be noted that too much heat can also cause PE to become brittle its self .


One thing that I should have noted about *flame treating:* When using open flame on the surface, we are talking about seconds, and not enough to make the plastic brittle.

I am glad you brought that up.

Interesting about the glues....thanks for the info!!!

Clove


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## awhobert7 (Jun 1, 2002)

get some silicone caulk, some metal flashing, sheet metal screws. cut the flashing larger than the crack put caulk around then attach flashing with be sure the caulk seals around the screws. let dry then test. i've repaired several tanks this way.


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## FreeRanger (Jul 20, 2005)

One of the biggest tank is not Rubbermaid. I am not sure the other two are either. 

One tank about 24 inches deep and eight foot round is actually a lick feeder. so there is a botton tank and a lid with two lick wheels. t I just want to store water in down at the barn. It's a flexiable material, the crack is a long the bottow corner.

The other two are 100 gallon hard plastic type, maybe Rubbermaid can't see from here. The cracks on those two is in the bottom corner area as well.

If I can't get them to hold water, I can still use them for holding grain to keep mice/rats out. BUt I really need the bulk water containers. Right now I use 45 gallon soda concentrate drums (white drums that look like 55 gallon drums but the label says 45 gals). They are not big enough and the water does freeze in them as well.


Time to go shoot the deer in my back yard......


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

I agree with PyroDon... We bought a plastic welder on ebay, and used it on a RV water tank. Worked great...


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## FreeRanger (Jul 20, 2005)

the big tank is five feet across...DW says she didn't put any water in it. I inspected tonight, no cracks, will be filling it tomorrow for sure. Poor heifers need a better water source than they currently have.

The second tank, YES Rubbermaid 150 Gallon with 8 inch crack across the base just below the drain hole. Two inch plastic pipe with cap sticking out drain hole is the lever that got stepped on... wire brushed the crack on both sides....found JB MarineWeld in the tool box. .....also have a freshly opened tube of silicone caulk....leaning toward using the caulk....JB Weld did not list any types of plastics but is good for just about every other material.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

Plastic welding can work great. That said, I can't do it worth a darn. At least not yet. Oh, I can melt the plastic, I just can't create anything that resembles a weld.

Most patches are rigid, so when the plastic flexes, the patch pops off. I tend not to use them because of this. Though on very rigid applications, patches can work ok. They need a mechanical bond to the plastic, so you need to rough up the plastic to the extreme. 

On flexible plastics I've had reasonably good results using stitch and glue techniques. Poke a bunch of holes along the fracture and use wire or such to sew the crack up. Then goop it with something like the goop product already mentioned.


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