# What to paint the inside of fiberglass water tank???



## Cruxandreams (Mar 8, 2011)

I opened up the fiberglass water tank under the v birth the other day, and the old paint and fiberglass is flaking and its just a huge mess. So I scraped all the loose stuff off, and am wondering if there is a product that I can use to totally coat the inside of this tank that will hold up to constant contact with water. I want this tank to be able to hold drinking water so it is important that what ever I use doesn't start to mix with the water after a year or so, and contaminate it. Some sort of epoxy paint that sticks to fiberglass? Any ideas are welcome. Thanks 

p.s. I called west marine and told them about this problem, and they had no answer for me...


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

There are food grade coatings for water tanks. You will need to do some research on this. But you don't want to use any coatings that are NOT food grade.


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## CorvetteGuy (Jun 4, 2011)

You mite want to check into replacing with a new plastic holding tank, a couple of bucks but no headaches in the future.


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

What you need is a low amine epoxy that is *certified* for usage with potable water to NSF or FDA standards.

Best source I can recommend is Purchase industrial marine garage Epoxy Resin -| Paint - repair Best $$ - 603-435-7199 a TERRIBLE website but good products .... what you are looking for on that website is product NSP-120 ... available in quarts for small jobs. Because of the relative internal surface area to mass of water most probably the 'leachables' will be slightly beyond 'standards' ... so change the water often and add a charcoal/carbon filter on your spiggots, etc., change the carbon filter regularly/often. This about the best you can do to isolate and protect the water from chemical fragments ... short of ripping out the current tank and reinstalling with metal or roto-molded polyethylene.
;-)


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Is there anything wrong with just leaving it raw fiberglass? Once it is cleaned and blasted with chlorine to kill everything, is epoxy paint any better?


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## Squidd (Sep 26, 2011)

Pull it out and replace it with new... (you'll have to pull it out to get paint on all surfaces anyway)


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

Barquito said:


> Is there anything wrong with just leaving it raw fiberglass? Once it is cleaned and blasted with chlorine to kill everything, is epoxy paint any better?


Raw fiberglass, including gelcoat, etc. contains either styrene / polyester which never fully 'cures' thus continually emits unbound styrene monomer, etc. into the water; or, epoxy unless a low amine epoxy will also emit high amine levels into the water .... both of these species of chemical fragments are linked to quite severe pathology on long term and additive exposure. You definitely dont want to be drinking water, or brushing your teeth, washing your dishes, or even taking a shower with water from a 'raw' fiberglass tank.

With water or food, etc. you really need to use NSF or FDA rated materials .... and that includes the hose that you use to fill such tanks.

Sanitization is a whole 'nuther' story but suffice it so state that the tank internals must be mechanically cleaned to a high degree before sanitization ... or the sanitization will be incomplete and very short in time before the microorganisms begin to 'flourish'. Surface 'roughness' vastly retards the efficacy of sanitization.


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

> contains either styrene / polyester which never fully 'cures' thus continually emits unbound styrene monomer, etc.


I thought there might be a good reason. But them are some good eats!


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## Cruxandreams (Mar 8, 2011)

*Thanks soo much*

Thanks a million Rich, this is just what i was looking for, also appreciate all the info on the matter. Man I love the sailing community!!


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