ᐅ Plastic (PE) cistern cracked. Is repair possible?

Hello,

I have a 3,300-liter (870-gallon) rainwater tank made of PE plastic (manufactured in 1998) in my garden. Unfortunately, the garden in the front area settled by about 3cm (1 inch) while the downspout was removed for several months due to external work.

Because of the ground settling, the tank bent and cracked on both sides near the bottom.

Is it possible to repair the leak from the inside? Replacing the tank is unfortunately not an option.

Thank you very much

I would be cautious about that. Perhaps there is a swimming pool contractor in your area who can install a durable liner using an appropriate adhesive?

For damaged wastewater pipes, a resin-saturated "plastic liner" is, for example, inserted by air pressure. This is then cured under constant air pressure. It might also be possible to have a "liner" custom-made for this purpose. However, the last prices I remember for such procedures were, well, not exactly bargains. ops:

There are plastic welding rods available. Some are specifically made from PE plastic. These are also used for car and boat body repairs. I’m not sure if they are suitable for larger damages like these. Maybe try contacting a manufacturer. Orbi-Tech, for example, could be one.

You need to access the damaged areas with a welding pen. If a repair is possible, it will probably cost around 150-200€.

Afterwards, you could sell the device again.

Thanks for your replies!

I had also considered pond liner. It might even be feasible since the liner wouldn’t need to be cut for pipe penetrations, etc.

There is pond liner made of PE plastic. I could weld this at the upper part of the cistern. PE to PE should hopefully hold.
I would straighten the area around the crack and cover it with protective fleece.

Does this sound doable?

Yes, that sounds quite good. Perhaps you could attach or weld the membrane not only at the top but completely around the edges to the cistern.