Can you fix this?

[metal-doctor]

Customer came the other day with a water pressure tank out of his RV. Said on the phone he was having trouble fixing a crack bt the heat element port. Well guess what? Steel mig wire on an aluminum tank just won't cut it.Nice mess already. Had to cut out about a 3" X 3" piece & patch over it. Pressure tested & was good to go. Never be surprised by what challenge the customer will give you. 1st. pic is as brought to us & 2nd.was after cutting out bad material & patching.

[Sonora Iron]

Steel mig wire on an aluminum tank just won't cut it.

That is one of those, “Well I thought it would work”!

[cosmosuave]

That's hilarious... Gotta give points for trying...

[willy]

Nice!

Customer came the other day with a water pressure tank out of his RV. Said on the phone he was having trouble fixing a crack bt the heat element port. Well guess what? Steel mig wire on an aluminum tank just won't cut it.Nice mess already. Had to cut out about a 3" X 3" piece & patch over it. Pressure tested & was good to go. Never be surprised by what challenge the customer will give you. 1st. pic is as brought to us & 2nd.was after cutting out bad material & patching.

I don't do a whole lot of outside work for people, or claim to be a professional (or even good for that matter), but Jeez. This is probably another prime example of someone who watches shows like American Chopper etc etc etc and says - that looks easy, I can do that.
I always have 2 prices for a job:

(1) X amount of dollars if I do it.
(2) 2X the dollars if you try it first.

OK - confession time - I do watch shows like American Chopper

[Leefy]

I thought most water tanks had a glass lining in them. Since it is aluminum, it must not need one. I had a call from a guy with a steel tank with a pin hole. I'm sure it was a glass lined tank and I turned down the attempt at repair. Maybe I was wrong with the lining, but a plumber friend of mine said he had never seen a metal tank without a glass line. Anyway, nice repair. Surprised that someone even got the mig to stick without blowing a hole clear through it.

[safetydave]

Hey Doctor-Doctor

Yes your tank can be fixed and some times it can't be done because of the extent of the crack, the reason I say this is we would got them in all the time when we had our family R.V. dealership in Michigan.

It just depended on how much the customer wanted to spend on the repair or the cost of a new tank? We (I) would do just about the same thing for repairing tanks look at what would be the best route for our shop and the best cost saving method for the customer and still be good in the long run.

Pretty much just cut out the bad spot till got good materail to make repair then cut patch for over lay or cut to fit in spot from cut out then reweld back in place, put some pressure to it for a certain amount of time for safety reasons and also show the customer what we did and how we tested for leaks, so-far so good never had any that leaked in all the years we did them and still talk to some of the customers around town and still holding good pressure.

So yes it can be done just keep in mind the most cost effective way and "SAFE WAY" remember YOU ARE THE ONE WHO'S LIABLE IF IT FAILS!
then the customer can and will come back on you.

Just my opinion and dealings with these tanks.

[FusionKing]

I fixed my umptienth one thursday.
The ones you want to turn away are the ones with the pinholes at the bottom.
They have been leaving that pink RV anti-freeze to set in the thing, and it eats thru the tank.
You just need to let them know it could be the problem when they leave it. When you start the repair you will make more holes than fixed. Those babies pop open everywhere! Then they have to buy a new tank.

[SundownIII]

Hey FK,

LMAO

Couple years ago a customer with his boat in the yard complains that he can't seem to get any hot water from his hw heater.

Checked out continunty on the element. Checked out OK.

Pulled the tank. Shake it. No slosh. No water. Tank heavy on the bottom half.

Cut tank open. 16" dia/6" thick block of balistic gelatin.

Owner had left the water heater on for a week before he flushed the pink stuff from his lines. $600 later (new heater) he was good to go. Bet he doesn't do that again.

[metalmeltr]

the first words out of my mouth when I saw the first picture were oh my god. Then the second picture showed a good repair. Nice job.

[c wagner]

It takes all kinds to make the world go around!!!
Nice repair!
I fixed one of those this spring myself, it was split on the seam.
It too had been patched once before, but at least they used the right filler metal!
I cut the weld out and started fresh, it turned out pretty nice.