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Tank lifespans
I've got a chance to purchase some *old* tanks from a friend's
cousin's friend. You know, in other words, I have no idea how old
they actually are. I've seen them and they don't look _too_ bad.
One has the stainless frame and a slate bottom from what I could
tell. The other two are just old glass tanks. The sealant isn't
peeling or show signs of mistreatment. It is discolored, kinda
yellowish, brown. They haven't been used in 10+ years, just sitting
in a closet serving as storage boxes. They have no brand name
markings or anything that could point to manufacturing dates.
My oldest tank is a 20 gal from about 1985. It still looks great.
The sizes are also unknown. I didn't think to measure them, but I
would guess 2 are ~ 30gal and the metal-framed one maybe
~40gal. That's a lot of water to try to mop up after-the-fact! I guess
the smartest move would be to get them on a "testing period loan"
and fill them full and leave 'em outside for a while. He's not asking
much for them, they're just glass storage boxes to him.
Anyone have any experience with these "old" tanks? I would guess
they're circa early 1960's.
An article in the lastest FAMA is about a man who says he breaks
down his old tanks into five pieces and reseals the joints etc. Boy,
I'd probably rather save my lunch money for a while before
attemping something like that. My wife would probably fly the coup!
BTW, Tom Barr is enlightening the world yet again with a cork
background article. Excellent job! I may have to try it myself one
day.
TIA,
Jamie <"\\\><
Greenwood, SC