Poly tanks can be repaired
What happens when your poly water tank or plastic tractor fuel tank develops a leak? You get it poly welded. Yes, poly can be successfully welded.
With eight years’ experience repairing a wide range of plastic and particularly poly products, Plastic Fusion Service owners Rob Binns and Judy Gardner said they could usually help.
Mr Binns said in the ‘good old days’ the farm workshop could tackle most repair tasks, welding broken steel or even aluminium items.
“At worst it had to be taken to the local engineer,” he said.
“While poly can be very successfully welded, the welding equipment is expensive and specialised.
“It is therefore not practical to own the equipment and you’re unlikely to find a ‘local’ engineer with the skills or equipment. That’s where we can help.”
The specialist poly repairers are based in Horsham and travel across Victoria and South Australia with their work.
“Look around any farm these days and you will see plastic everywhere. There are the obvious items like poly water tanks, tractor fuel and diesel transport tanks and boomspray tanks. Look further and there is hardly a new piece of equipment built in the past few years that doesn’t have at least some plastic components,” Mr Binns said.
“So it is likely at some time you are going to be needing a plastic repair done.”
To demonstrate their confidence in their repair work, the business gives a 12 month warranty.
This is providing any underling problems are remedied and they are the first to do the repair.
“Incorrect poly repair techniques can damage the plastic beyond repair,” Mr Binns said.
With its extensive experience in repairing poly tanks, the business sees the same problems occurring over and over.
“Poor foundations and the way the tank is plumbed is the most common cause of failures,” Mr Binns said.
“We will identify any problems and suggest ways of avoiding further issues.
“There is a common misconception that because the tanks are plastic they will bend and conform to irregular surfaces.
“This is incorrect. Poly tanks need a smooth well-compacted level foundation that extends past the edge of the tank.
“A stick or stone the size of a golf ball under the tank is enough to crack the base.” Plastic Fusion Service’s fully equipped four-wheel drive mobile unit can undertake repairs onsite, whether it is in the back paddock or in city suburbs.
“Our primary service area is the Mallee, Wimmera, Western District and south-east of South Australia,” Mr Binns said.
“By grouping jobs into regions and sharing the traveling costs, we keep traveling costs to a minimum.
“Plastic Fusion Service is not just limited to doing repairs, we can manufacture one-off poly items or do short production runs. Custom heavy duty caravan and ute water tanks are a specialty.”
For examples of fabrication and repair work visit www. plasticfusion.com.au or visit the team at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.