New Fuel Tank - Stainless, Mild Steel or Plastic

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mark1882

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It looks like I going to have to bite the £ bullet and replace the fuel tank on my Westerly Oceanlord as I seem to have small leak at the bottom of the tank where one of the brackets is welded.

Any advice as to whether I should go for a stainless, painted mild steel or plastic (Tek Tanks) would be very much appreciated and in particular thoughts on the pros and cons of each.

Many thanks

Mark
 
This is PBO, why not make one. You can build one to fit out of plywood and then glass it over with epoxy. That way it fits exactly and will use the space better, saves a few pennies and makes you feel good. Otherwise, in the absence of information, I would go for plastic.
 
TekTanks (style) plastic is the best in my opinion, but it won't be cheap.

Stainless is ok.

I'd worry about the long-term effect of water in the bottom of a mild steel one.

Pete
 
What ever you make it from ensure it has an inspection hatch big enough to get your head in, then at least you can get 2 arms in to do any work inside.

Mine are mild steel but so is my boat.
 
This has ben discussed many times and opinions do vary.

My opinion is that if you are replacing a mild steel tank in a boat the chances are it is probably at leat 20 years old and maybe even 30. So why even consider paying so much more for stainless or plastic when mid steel has a life almost certainly more that of your ownership of the boat.

Just make sure the outside is well protected with paint and you fit a water trap and drain valve in the bottom.

So go for the cheapest (almost certainly mild steel) and spend the saving on something you really need.
 
As I recently said in the "Diesel in freshwater tank" thread - I replaced the steel tank in my Westerly 25 for a 48 litre plastic (HDPE) "Diablo" tank from Force 4. (Not seen the tek tanks)

The large access panel is great but the connecting pipes are flimsy (and too few in number). It was also a pain to fit due to differences in the connector sizes and positions. Those reinforced inlet pipes don't bend very well & I'm sure they're designed to inflict as much pain to the installer as possible! Lol

In retrospect - I should have tried harder to have the old one repaired by someone who's not going to blow them-self up. Probably would be simpler & cheaper.

Of course - I haven't seen your setup. You're in the best position to judge & the lure of shiny new parts is strong! :)
 
Plastic every time. Although expensive for a custom made, probably not much more than a good stainless - at least when I got quotes for holding tanks there was little difference. Why buy a cheap mild steel when you have a failed one? While some people have good experience with mild steel, many don't and given the amount of work involved in replacing it better to get something that will last. as suggested make sure you have an access hatch. Tek Tanks are very experienced and will help you design a good tank for your boat - probably done one already.
 
mark1882 said:
It looks like I going to have to bite the £ bullet and replace the fuel tank on my Westerly Oceanlord as I seem to have small leak at the bottom of the tank where one of the brackets is welded.

Any advice as to whether I should go for a stainless, painted mild steel or plastic (Tek Tanks) would be very much appreciated and in particular thoughts on the pros and cons of each.

Many thanks

Mark
Click to expand...

Hi Mark

I fitted twin 53 litre Tec Tanks 11 years ago and no problems at all as they are strong and well made.

Also you can buy inspection hatch and fuel gauge monitor equipment for the tank all at the same time, do it right do it once !

Mike
 
mark1882 said:
Any advice as to whether I should go for a stainless, painted mild steel or plastic (Tek Tanks) would be very much appreciated and in particular thoughts on the pros and cons of each.
Click to expand...
I did this recently and went for a bespoke plastic tank from Tek Tanks. Pros are the guarantee plus the fact that there should really never be any issues with it, particularly if you take all the inlets and outlets from the top of the tank with dip tubes where appropriate as per TT advice.

Cons of the bespoke TT option is basically the cost which is about double what an SS tank would be.
Cons of SS is pinhole leaks in the welds where water in the fuel eventually corrodes through.
Cons of painted MS are you will never be certain what is going on inside it, same as SS but worse. Advantages are the price though and the fact that anyone can make one.

I would try to get a standard sized plastic tank if I could find one that fit - has the same advantages as bespoke TT (subject to inlet and outlet location) and about as cheap as SS. Failing that it depends whether you can afford bespoke plastic or not, up to you...

Boo2
 
I just had an Aluminium tank made from these people.
No connection but i cant stress enough how helpful the were and the tank was a funny shape and they made it to my measurements and were 1/4 the price of the 2 stainless workshops at both local marinas here on the Orwell..

Pressure tested and certified and delivered with guage and fittings.
I am more than happy.

Jay Wolfe Metalwork Ltd

Shop4tanks

T: 01604 720988

F: 01604 244880

www.jaywolfe.co.uk

www.shop4tanks.co.uk
 
Boo2 said:
How do you glass the inside of the ply where the lid attaches ?

Boo2
Click to expand...
That's the good thing. You can have any size hatch you like. The top can be pre-finished and then only the seams need done. Reinforce outside and bobs your uncle. The benefits of bespoke plastic at the cost of a bit of ply and epoxy
 
I went for an off the shelf rectangular plastic tank to replace the original mild steel 40 gall. tank. I chose the 91 litre tank which gives me at 24 hrs motoring. MUCH cheaper than trying to replace the original tank as it would have been impossible to get it in the original space(I had to cut the original tank into 3 pieces to get it out!). And it gave me extra space to move the calorifier from under the sink to alongside the new tank so gaining another storage cupboard.
Several off the shelf tanks available - Tektanks, Vetus, Osculati and possibly others. I also fitted a mechanical fuel gauge instead of an electric unit.
 
As shown by the age of many mild steel fuel tanks there is nothing fundamentally wrong with one, provided it is adequately protected from both internal and external corrosion. I understand that the tank on the Oceanlord is fitted with a sump to contain any water that arrives inside the tank, but no means of draining it. The addition of a drain valve and the routine of using it from time to time will overcome any internal corrosion.

External corrosion is controlled by painting, but also by the elimination of any brackets and supports that could trap water. A central heating tank I owned corroded through from outside due to rainwater that gathered between it and the plinth it stood on. Ensure that this cannot happen and a mild steel tank will last indefinitely.
 
A note to add about aluminium tanks: They need to be painted outside if in contact with supports. I had one in with a row of pinholes where it had been retained by a wooden battern. Fitted a thin plastic seperation gasket when it went back in.
 
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