IP 31 Holding Tank

I have developed a small leak in the holding tank of my 1985 IP 31 (original holding tank). I am trying to decide if I should replace the holding tank and hoses or convert the entire system to a composting head. At this point I am really leaning towards a composting head (Natures Head).

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

On these older IPs, the holding tank and hoses are not to difficult to access. I have replaced our IP27 once and our ip35 twice, all three times with factory aluminum tanks and new odor safe hoses from Dometic/Sealand. I have heard of others going with a composting head, but even with these, you still have to deal with the liquid. We live aboard and now use the shower hose to flush with small amounts of fresh water. For us, it has worked well, and our holding tank system is working well. With these new odor safe plus hoses there is no odor on the boat at all. When I sniff the plumbing locker, all I smell is plastic. So my preference would be a factory reinstall with the best hoses.

Hayden

We are full-time liveaboard cruisers on a 1993 IP38. We replaced the holding tank with a 40-gallon plastic tank. Even IP will tell you that the metal holding tanks will inevitably corrode given the witches' brew they have to contain. We set ours up as a Type 2 system with a choice between deck pump-out or through-hull macerator discharge. There is no "Y" valve for direct discharge. We do not have a tie-down for the thru-hull valve; instead, we have a keyed ignition switch to turn on the macerator (by reading the regulations one learns that it qualifies for CG-mandated disabling, as do key-controlled locking doors to the heads).

We have maintained the simplest of heads, using the hand-pump Raritan toilet fore and aft. We added an electric motor to the after pump mechanism for guests. We carry two rebuild kits, and we can cannibalize the matching toilets if necessary. We use only the odor-free hoses throughout the boat.
We flush with raw water because fresh water is too precious. However; we regularly fill the bowl with fresh water and vinegar, and then flush just to fill the hose and let it stand overnight. From time to time we also completely fill the holding tank with fresh water and a full gallon of vinegar. These treatments keep the calcite from building up. Lastly, we occasionally flush through 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to lubricate the rubber parts. We have no smell whatsoever.

Hi, skipperr 100 again, I need to replace my holding tank. should lI go with the plastic or aluminum?

Who makes a plastic holding tank for an IP31???? Thanx..... This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I replaced my tank (before any leak developed) on my IP 35. I was unable to find a plastic one that would fit and had the capacity I was seeking. There are several photo essays on IP Photos. Mine is here:
ipphotos.com/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=440&CatLe...20tank%26category%3D

There is another one below that you may want to look at...

ipphotos.com/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=466&CatLe...ext%3Dholding%2Btank

I've found a company called Plastic Mart. They have a tank pretty close to original dimensions. Does anyone have experience or info on their product line? Thanks....Bud