EDPM liner failure

[Bad Wolf]

Has anyone had a failure of his POND liner?
Someone just told me that STSS uses roofing EPDM and that pond liner EPDM would not holdup. Since I just purchased a liner from a pond supplier, I'm just a little concerned. Has anyone had problems? If so, was it just a leak, or was it a catastrophic failure?


Thanks
Greg H

 

[Reggie Dunlap]

To my knowledge it's all the same. Different thicknesses are available, but EPDM is EPDM.

 

[DaveBP]

Greg,
There is so much information and incomplete information out there on EPDM that it's hard to know what to do. There are literally hundreds of formulations on the market, some containing less than 25%EPDM, that are called EPDM. And most of it comes from China and India. Who knows what you have and where if comes from?

As I remember, the important distinction between 'pond and 'roofing' grades are that the pond grades don't have fireproofing or mildewcide additives that might harm the fish in a pond. I also heard rumors that some of the early EPDM lined storage tanks had leaks develope at the seams that were welded with some adhesive. It might not have been the liner but the adhesive that failed. I've seen it posted on this forum (I think) that STSS (unpressurized tanks that Tarm has sold for years) recommends an upper temp limit of around 170F.

These and other uncertainties helped steer me toward pressurized propane tanks storage. There are other tank liner materials out there but they are even more expensive than EPDM from what I could find. If you could take a large enough single sheet and fold it chinese-takeout-box style rather than cutting and seaming to fit and keep your maximum temperatures below 170F you could avoid the pitfalls I've heard about.

 

[Grover59]

I installed an EPDM pond liner in my wooden tank last year and had the temps up to about 170, I have not seen any problems yet however I have only had it running for that season I will be starting it up again soon.

Steve