iron rainwater tank leak quick fix needed please

[Rattrap]

My corrigated rainwater tank has just sprung a leak, right down on the bottom rung. The tank is situated up the hill in thick bush & its going to be a long slow job clearing a track big enough to roll a new polytank & i've got a garden shed & hothouse construction just starting here so i need a short term fix to the problem.
Its a pretty good size hole squirting water a good meter or more.
I'm thinking along the lines a a wooden plug so some sort.
Suggestions muchly appreceated.

[weisyboy]

ok

how biger hole

pop river is good for patching a small hole

bigger hole rivet a patch of corigated iron over the area with selastic under it.

[Rattrap]

hard to tell what size the hole is, it was almost dark when i found it. Going by the size of the stick i have shoved in the hole its around 4 -5mm.
I don't have much to rivet into on the bottom as its only round 20mm off the bottom. Might be enough but i'd like to leave that sort of patch as a last resort.

[weisyboy]

can you build a concreat mound over the hole we seal up taps in tanks like this whean they leak. just mix in some bondcreat watterproofing.

[weisyboy]

how about a short roofing screw witht the rubber seal

[tea lady]

Selley's Aqua Knead it? Can even be used under water. kneadable epoxy putty.

http://www.selleys.com.au/Selleys-Kn...a/default.aspx

[flynnsart]

we have used a roofing screw before, good if you got one with the thread up close to the washer

[Cruzi]

Get a green tapered stick and shove it in as hard as you can, it will make the hole a little larger but it is then is the shape of the stick helping it seal, works a treat.

[Steve Fryar]

The tank sounds pretty bad to me so forget about screwing a patch.You'll have to drain the water out below the hole.Wet the iron around the hole and place a piece of canvas over it.Sift some cement to get the lumps out of it.Get one of those bottles you use with plants,the type that can mist water when you squeeze.Mist water on the patch and surrounding iron.Flick cement with you fingers over that area.Apply more water and cement till you have a good covering over the patch.When dry,this will hold the water.Any other places on the tank can be treated the same way but without the canvas.
If the bottom of the tank is really bad,consider emptying it totally and painting the inside with a slurry of cement and bondcrete only.Make a consistency that allows you to use a paint brush.Do not scrub the inside with a wire brush first.You'll create a thousand holes if you do.Hope this helps because it works.My grandfather was a tankmaker for fifty years.

[Rattrap]

Thanks for all your suggestions guys, i think the Selley's aqua kneed will be the go for me i only want a quick fix that will last 4-5 mths. By that time i should have the hothouse finished & have a good track cleared up to the tank. I've concreted a rainwater tank out before but this is just a small header tank & isn't worth the effort.
I've known this was coming for a while but its 1 of those things that u keep hoping will last a little bit longer or at least until you have the time to take care of it. Sitting an iron tank on the ground is a really bad idea, whoever did it should be shot.

[Vernonv]

I'll add my vote for aqua knead-it. Kept an already 30 year old tank going another 8 years.

[Lignin]

I'm with Cruzi UNLESS the tank is all but cactus.The water pressure will stop you getting a good seal with any of the putty-like solutions.
Once you've stopped the leak, you can reach for the putty!!
Been there and done it!!

[Rattrap]

Thats a good point Lignin, wood plug first to seal then putty.

[Vernonv]

I'm with Cruzi UNLESS the tank is all but cactus.The water pressure will stop you getting a good seal with any of the putty-like solutions.
Once you've stopped the leak, you can reach for the putty!!
Been there and done it!!

That's certainly not my experience with aqua knead-it ... and I've used it dozens of times. The key is to stop the water flowing (white the putty) and then holding the plug there while it starts to set - this can take 30 minutes. The other thing I have used is a ratchet strap around the tank the "hold" the plug while it sets.

[InterTD6]

Just drain it & render the inside or the tank with sand / cement render mix, no need for a new tank you have just relined the old one, if your desperate only give it a few hours to go off before filling it back up, water is the best curing agent there is
Regards inter