convert water tank to holding tank

[flcorah]

I've got an old Ericson 35 with a 2.5 gal holding tank. It also has a secondary 20 gal water tank we're not using. Anybody ever convert a water tank to a holding tank?

[Reefmagnet]

Disconnect the taps first!

[flcorah]

LOL, and make sure to re-label the deck fittings.

[peghall]

If the tank is metal, not a good idea because urine will turn it into a colander in a few years. But if it's plastic, go for it. You'll have to replace the existing 1/2" discharge fitting with a 1.5" fitting, but that's not hard to do, especially if you have enough clearance above the tank to put it in the top of the tank with a pickup tube inside and put a plug in the small one.

[flcorah]

Thanks, but it is steel.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by flcorah

Thanks, but it is steel.

Hi, seeing that it is steel don't do it, you will be really pissed when it eventually leaks into the bilge and guess who has to clean up the mess.

[Classicsailboat]

Only to be legal, never used it

[Dave22q]

Seems like a foolish economy to me. You are going to invest significant time and effort into replumbing. A little more to get a holding tank that is new and designed for the job would be a safer play.

[sailortype]

I am sure you mean stainless steel. I have just bought an older Ericson 35-2 (1978) with a stainless holding tank that appears original and clean and free of any leaking. This is a problem waiting to happen..?
The tank is 15 gallons or so, strange you would have a 2.5 gallon tank... probably a modification by the PO

[BHI_Guy]

Nature's Head, maybe? As in no holding tank?

[flcorah]

Right about the tank being stainless steel. I have a Y valve in the system now and will replumb to remove the smaller tank and use the space to install a 110v electric water heater near the head/shower.

[Don C L]

2.5 gal holding tank? Are you sure? On my old set-up that would have been two or 3 flushes. Even a porta-potty has more than that. So where will your fresh water be going then? (I think I'd go back to the cedar bucket before I considered that!)

[Kenomac]

Keep your setup the way it is.

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by flcorah

I've got an old Ericson 35 with a 2.5 gal holding tank. It also has a secondary 20 gal water tank we're not using. Anybody ever convert a water tank to a holding tank?

On another boat I had enough space and yes I had converted from a 15 gallons to 40 gallons plastic tank. Was well worth the effort and is still going strong. On the present boat, I did not have the space and the tank was 15 gallons aluminum. I replaced it last august. It had lasted 26 years. I would have gone plastic but would have had it custom made.