Mild steel waste water tanks?

[Alan N]

Does anyone have any experience using mild steel for a black water tank?
I know it's not ideal but I have a tank that I could modify easily.
The tank will not be in a storage bay so a leak after time won't be a huge problem.
I know that it won't last forever but neither will I.
Anyone have an idea of how long I can expect such a tank to last?
Is it worth doing or will it rust out in short order?
Thanks.

[Brassman]

Will weigh a lot and rot out in short order.

[eagle19952]

small scale (500-1000 person) extended aeration wastewater treatment plants are made out of it. the ones i over saw in the oil patch were 40 years old and did not rot out in any fashion...

note the sludge tanks are highly fecal/poopy



ps...the water in a plant is not blue ...except in the effluent/chlorinator
...and if treated properly it can be made potable.

[Lin]

There are steel septic tanks.  They are said to last 15 years or so, but since they are in the ground, they can still function even if there is a leak from corrosion.  Your tank would not be so secretive.

[Brassman]

I would say steel would work if there is limited Oxygen, and the interior is coated. One could say plastic is the way to go. I've just seen so much steel turn to dust.

[chessie4905]

Are you willing to deal  with the mess and removal a leak would create down the road after your conversion is done? If yes, then go for it. Also replacing that tank later could be problematic as the area the tank is installed may not allow for flexibility in replacement.

[lvmci]

You won't be able to squeeze a metal tank in a bay,  it has to be smaller than the tightest space, sounds logical doesnt it? But if its not fabricated from scratch to exact measurement some have to be ssqueezed in, lvmci...

[TomC]

Plastic tanks are best. Steel will rust out in short order with the combination of salt and ammonia in waste.

[edvanland]

Believe me you do not want a steel tank. Just ask the BCI members about the Vanlandingham's s#%###t experience at Pahrump last year. Now have a heavy plastic made by one of the BCM advertisers. Go ahead Garry Hatt jump on this one.
ED

[chessie4905]

Our 4104 had a fabbed  aluminum tank. After approx. ten years it started leaking, fortunately slowly. Replaced with a fabbed plastic tank fabbed from sheet stock and a plastic welder. Never leaked.

[Iceni John]

If you're set on using a steel tank, why not coat its inside with epoxy or tar or something that will be a barrier to the pee and poo?   Otherwise it may not last long.   Also, how will you reliably attach all the various fittings for it?

Roto-molded 3/8" polyethylene with spin-welded fittings is still the preferred way, for good reason.

John   

[DoubleEagle]

On the other hand, if it is already available, the right size for the space you have, why not make use of it? Since it is for a Gillig, right, you will probably hang it off the frame with straps. A plastic tank would require more support. There are coatings that car restorers use to coat the inside of gas tanks that you pour in and slosh around. If it works for gasoline, it should work for sewage. Of course, if someone wants to donate a plastic tank....

[TomC]

Both my 45gal black tank and 85gal gray tank are "hung" from the sub frame of my bus. Since I have a transit, I have only 22" of under space. I created a 3/4" platform with 1 1/2" angle Iron around the perimeter, hung with the 1 1/2" angle iron. It has worked for 22 years. I learned this from 800,000mi of driving my truck with its 20 gal black tank and 25 gal gray tank that never leaked. Good Luck, TomC

[Alan N]

On the other hand, if it is already available, the right size for the space you have, why not make use of it? Since it is for a Gillig, right, you will probably hang it off the frame with straps. A plastic tank would require more support. There are coatings that car restorers use to coat the inside of gas tanks that you pour in and slosh around. If it works for gasoline, it should work for sewage. Of course, if someone wants to donate a plastic tank....

Exactly.
I like the coating idea. I will have to look into it further.
I am just trying to find out if anyone has tried this and had problems.
The steel tank is free.
My bus budget is limited.
I'd like to save money for important things like shiny aluminum wheels and chrome lug nut covers.
I really appreciate you gentlemen and this site.
I am not a big internet guy but I look at this site most days.
Educational and entertaining.
Thanks.

[belfert]

My bus budget is limited.
I'd like to save money for important things like shiny aluminum wheels and chrome lug nut covers.

If your bus budget is limited I would stay away from aluminum wheels unless there is something wrong with your current wheels.