Reuse Drilled Tank?

[VR28man]

So an LFS is giving away some of their old tanks, they are drilled with an outflow in one corner and a return in the other.

If I wanted a different configuration, it is easy enough to plug one of the holes and reuse the other, or should I just get a new tank? (given they're aqueons)

 

[92Miata]

Plugging one of the holes can be done in 2 ways:

1. Cut a piece of glass larger than the hole and silicone it to the glass on the inside of the tank so that water pressure is reinforcing the seal instead of pushing against it.

2. Put a bulkhead in the hole with a valve, and close the valve. Put a union followed by a cap.


First is safer, but requires the tank to be drained past the hole - so if the bottom of the tank is drained, it requires a full teardown to do it after the fact. Second you could just close valve, disconnect plumbing, and go from there - but you've got a bulkhead that can leak and a piece of pipe that if whacked could break the tank.

 

[VR28man]

Thanks. Yeah #1 sounds like the best bet, and since I'm not an LFS and I'll take the tank home dry...... :D.

 

[92Miata]

If you don't plan on ever using the hole - a glass patch is definitely the way to go. Just make sure you use a decently thick piece of glass (ideally about the same thickness as the tank) and have enough overlap to seal properly and spread pressure a bit.

When I first read the post it sounded like you were thinking of setting the tank up using their configuration and then changing things later - or setting it up sump-less and looking for the option to use the hole later for a drain.

 

[VR28man]

Thanks, yeah not quite: I'm thinking of a central overflow, or (more likely) one entirely on the left side, so at least one hole will probably need to be filled.