Tornado Recovery Tank X3857

The recovery tank holds everything the machine pulls back out of the carpet, which makes it the dirtiest and hardest-worked moulding on the machine. Part number X3857 is the genuine OEM recovery tank for the Marathon 800 and Marathon 1200 extractors, supplied as a matched pair with chassis 19241.

Compatible Models for the Recovery Tank

This part fits the following Tornado machines:

• Tornado 98166 20″ Marathon 800 Carpet Extractor (8 Gallon, 115V)
• Tornado 98167 20″ Marathon 800 Carpet Extractor (8 Gallon, 230V)
• Tornado 98168 12 Gallon Self Contained Carpet Extractor
• Tornado 98168 20″ Marathon 1200 Carpet Extractor (12 Gallon, 115V) — all series
• Tornado 98169 20″ Marathon 1200 Carpet Extractor (12 Gallon, 230V)

Recovery tanks fail in three ways and only one of them is obvious. The obvious one is a crack, usually at a moulded corner or around the standpipe boss, which shows as water tracking down the outside of the machine during a job. The second is a failed float shutoff: the tank fills past its mark, water reaches the vacuum motor and you get a very expensive failure downstream of a cheap one. The third is odour — a tank that has been put away wet for long enough grows a biofilm in the corners that no amount of rinsing shifts.

Before replacing the tank, rule out the things that look like tank faults. Water on the floor can come from a perished lid gasket, a loose standpipe clamp or a split exhaust hose fitting rather than the tank itself. Fill the tank with clean water on the bench, leave it ten minutes and look for where the water actually appears — it is often not where you assumed.

If the float shutoff is the problem, check the float and its cage before condemning the moulding. Debris packed around the float stops it rising, and a float that has taken on water through a crack sits low and never closes. Both are cheaper than a tank.

On odour, the fix is procedural rather than mechanical. Empty and rinse the tank at the end of every job, leave the lid off overnight so it dries out, and flush with clean water before it is put away. A tank stored damp and sealed is being incubated. Where a machine has been neglected for a long period the biofilm can be far enough into the surface that replacing the tank is genuinely the shortest route back to a machine that does not smell.

Fitting is simple but do it with the chassis in mind: the tank seats into the specific moulding of chassis 19241 and the two are supplied together for that reason. Check the seating gasket and the standpipe clamp while the tank is out, and refit the standpipe square so the pickup sits where it should.

A practical note for fleets: a spare recovery tank is worth holding if you run several of these machines, because a cracked tank takes a machine out of service immediately and the crack is almost always discovered mid-job rather than during a service.

Browse every assembly for this machine on the Tornado 98168 Marathon 1200 parts hub, and see the manufacturer’s range at tornadovac.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Tornado machines does the recovery tank X3857 fit?

It is used on the Tornado 98166 and 98167 20″ Marathon 800 carpet extractors, the Tornado 98168 12 Gallon Self Contained extractor and the 98168 20″ Marathon 1200 in all series. Call 763-535-0770 with your model number if you are not sure.

Water is running down the outside of my machine — is the tank cracked?

Not necessarily. A perished lid gasket, a loose standpipe clamp or a split exhaust hose fitting all look the same from outside. Fill the tank with clean water on the bench, leave it ten minutes and watch where the water actually appears before you order a tank.

Why does my recovery tank smell even after rinsing?

A tank stored damp and sealed grows a biofilm in the corners that rinsing does not reach. Empty and rinse after every job, flush with clean water, and leave the lid off overnight so it dries. Where a machine has been neglected for a long time the growth can be far enough into the surface that replacing the tank is the shortest route to a machine that does not smell.

How do I order the Recovery Tank (part# X3857) or get help?

You can add the Recovery Tank (part# X3857) directly to your cart on this page, or call us at 763-535-0770. Our staff at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428 has been servicing Tornado equipment since 1956 and can help confirm the right part for your machine.

Questions? Call us at 763-535-0770 or visit us at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428.