Due to an installation error a pinhole leak developed in my holding tank. Since it was a retrofit it is above floor level under the dinette. The tank will be replaced, but what can I do to clean the carpet and deodarize the cabin?

I'm assuming you've already cleaned up the mess. To get rid of the odor, buy a bottle of Raritan K.O. holding tank treatment...it's a live bacteria product that's similar to--but MUCH more potent and costs less--the microbial products sold in pet stores to eliminate pet accident odors in carpets. Put it in a spray bottle and spray it LIBERALLY all over the spill area..really saturate the carpet with it--not so much that you're swimming in it, but enough to completely penetrate the carpet backing and any pad under it. Don't rinse...just let it dry.Turn a fan on to increase air circulation. Leave it alone for 24 hours. If that doesn't get rid of all the odor permanently, you missed a spot.

Be sure your new tank is plastic, not _meta_l. Your best source is Ronco Plastics (no relation to the Vegomatic Ronco)...they make TOP quality extra-thick-walled tanks for a very reasonable price, and have more than 400 shapes and sizes, from 2-260 gallons. Their catalog is on their website at http://www.ronco-plastics.com

As long as you have to replace the tank, now would also be an excellent time to add a gauge. The best on the market IMO is the Snake River AcuGage...check it out on their website at http://www.snake-river.org.

Thanks for the help. It was a Ronco tank and they are well made and reasonably priced. The installer used _meta_l strapping and there was just enough movement to wear through where a sharp edge was protruding

That MAY be repairable. 3M has allegedly come out with the first sealant that'll bond permanent to polyethylene. If it's at the top, since it's not a stress fracture, you may be able to fill the hole with it. Otoh, if the installer who caused the problem is gonna replace the tank at his expense, go with a new tank.

Note that I said, "not a stress fracture"....I think this will work fine to mend a pinhole at the top...but I would not recommend trying to repair a cracked tank, not even heating welding it, because the weight of the contents will put pressure on the crack, trying to push it apart again...and will usually succeed in time. The only reliable fix for a cracked tank is a new tank.

The tank has a very small hole chafed into the bottom caused by using _meta_l strapping. My installer has been very hard to find, so, I'm pulling the tank myself this weekend. The plant engineer where I work thinks he can weld the hole using the welder we use to repair totes and non-pressurized tanks. What do you think of that option? I don't want to have to do this again anytime soon. Thanks for your help.

If your engineer knows what he's doing with a heat welder, it should work. The key is in not JUST melting some new poly into the hole, but in melting enough--but not too much--of the tank wall around the hole too...so that the "plug" and tank wall blend together to become a single mass without weaking the tank wall. It won't be pretty, but it should be sound.

To remove the hoses from the tank fittings: warm 'em with blow dryer--don't use a heat gun unless you really know what you're doing with one, 'cuz it's easy to overheat the hose and damage it--first and it's much easier to get 'em off. When you put 'em back on, warm 'em again. Don't use any sealant...just a little dish soap to lubricate. Double clamp ALL hose connections--if they aren't double clamped now, they should have been...screws on hose clamps should be on opposite sides of the hose.

Resecuring the tank when you put it back. There's no need to strap a holding tank down on a houseboat...they don't bounce, but they can slide. So all you really need are blocks at the corners to keep it from moving. Or, if it's easier just to use straps, lawn chair webbing works quite well.

you  might want to also try B J weld epoxy,  had a gas tank 2 year ago that i punctured on a lawn mower. sears wanted 150.00 to replace it so i opted to repair with b j  weld . to this day it is still holding.

That might work on a _meta_l tank, but nothing bonds permanently to permantly to polyethylene, Nelson. The size of the tank--the weight of the contents (8.333 lbs/gallon for water and waste) pushing against mended crack--can even cause a heat weld to fail on a 20-100 gallon tank that would hold forever in a tank that only holds a gallon or two.