Water supply set up and plastic welding

Finally got to try out the new weir at the creek. it works and the hydraulic ram pump survived the cold winter. None of the pipes busted. Last year one of the valves in the pump busted because i forgot to open and drain it before the frost.
Still working on the water barrels. We wash them every other year and fill them fresh. This year we have to replace several.
I need to fix a hole in one of the Ibc tanks. I tried to use a plastic welding kit from Harbor Freight but the two plastic pieces won't stick together even though it is the same plastic.
Does anybody know why?

 

I love those hydraulic pumps!!! I bought the supplies to build one and put in the neighbors creek to play with as a science project for my son. Will try to build it this summer.

 

Build a Hydraulic Ram Pump - DIY - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

 

In case you are wondering why there is a ratchet strap on the pump: those pumps vibrate when they pump and walk off. The the pipes come loose and leek and the pressure quits. We tried heavy rocks but that didn't hold it long term.

 

Should i post the welding question somewhere else where more people see it? I just can't understand why the melting plastics won't stick together.

 

So you're trying to plastic weld 2 ibc totes together?

If so, do you have a pic of the exact things you are trying to join?
If it's thin plastic, it could be moving and you may need a way to make the pieces rigid before they can stay connected.

 

That makes more sense.



It appears guys even use that flex seal stuff to fix holes in ibc totes.

 

Thanks Horkn, Yes i saw that video. I have the patch material and the heat gun but for some reason the plastic gets soft and i thought they should stick together but they just won't stay. It peels right back off. I cleaned it thoroughly and it is the identical plastic. It would be very useful for other things as well if i could get this to work.

 

Thanks Eric VW, Can't go from the inside, can't reach it's too far down. Yes i did scuff it all up and cleaned it thoroughly. May have to go with some kind of apoxy instead.

 

Yes, the videos I saw said to scuff them up. I'd also use a cleaner to ensure there's no residue.

 

JB weld. That stuff rocks.

 

Before doing that, I'd use epoxy, then flex seal, then make a gasket and a sammich as a last resort. A plug like that won't work well on such a thin container.

 

Ive weld fixed a few plastic things but its been more rigid than an IBC tote. That stuff is on the flimsy side.
Id prolly cut a piece that will cover the hole out of some sacrificial plastic. Turn the tote so that the hole is on the top side. Drill holes around the perimeter of your patch into the tote.
Silicone the patch and pop rivet it to the tote. I fixed a camper chit tank that way once about 10 years ago and hasn't leaked to this day. The $450 replacement prompted me to get creative.

 

Well, I tried to weld again without success It just will not stick together. So i ended up using JB weld epoxy and so far so good. The barrel is filling up now. We'll see if it can handle the pressure of the full barrel. I'll send some pics.

 

No leak, it's holding. Barrel is full to the top and has been sitting for a couple of hours.
Tempted to return the heat gun, very disappointed.
The pics:
Original hole was very small this is after i tried to weld. It started getting bigger.
Barrel with JB weld and a small wooden stick to keep it from running. Stick got stuck. Just painted over it.
Barrels rows to the right in background are under old billboard covers. Ugly but very durable.
22 barrels back there. Still have 6 to clean and refill. Then i'm done for the year.
I tested a couple of the 2 year old barrels and water was still good no smell and crystal clear. Only some sediment (mostly sand) in the bottom and we pump the water from the top so that stays in the bottom.
This year i will add H2O2 when i use a barrel to clean out the bleach and freshen it up. We'll see how that works out.