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Holding Tank

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Scotd
Navigator

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USA
136 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/17/2004 : 21:55:04

Today I tried to pump out my holding tank with my 6 Gallon wet vacuum, I could not get it to suck the contents out (had vacuum on the top of the cabin). So I took a garden hose and cut the ends off so I could get it down to the bottom of the tube. It still would not suck it out. I pulled off the end of the black tube behind the toilet and pushed the garden hose down to the holding tank, I put the vacuum on the floor in the head. Now it started sucking, when the vacuum was full I took the top off and disconnected the hose and tried to carry the open container of raw sewage out of the cabin to dump it. Well it was heavy and stunk and I was in a hurry to dump it. I slipped on the steps and dumped the container in the cockpit, what a mess, lots of TP and other stuff (the PO must not have cleaned it for a while). To make a long story short, I refilled the holding tank 4 times and made very many trips to dump the contents.

Question 1
Why would the Vacuum not work when it was out side on top of the cabin, I think that the suction was not enough to overcome gravity?????

Question 2
To make the easier, what can I use to pump the head? The Marina has a pump-a-head that is broken most of the year, I know this because some of the other sailors where complaining about it for the past few years.

Has anyone installed a Macerator pump next to the holding tank or a waste pump?

In the past all of my other boats have just had a portipoty so not problem, my wife loves the idea of the flush toilet so I don’t think it’s an option to pull the toilet and put in a portipoty.

Is this where I would put the pump? Behind the toilet?

Scot Dannenbring
"Getaway"
#3376 1982 SK/SR
Rapid City, SD
http://rap.midco.net/scotd6/

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2004 : 23:01:42

Let's see here... Your wife likes to be able to flush, so YOU get to suck the stuff into your wet-dry vacuum and try to get it out of the cabin and off the boat....... and now and then have a "problem"...

Was she there when the $H!t hit the cockpit? Do you use the vacuum anywhere in the house--like even the basement? If you don't have a working pumpout facility, then a carry-out holding tank is the answer. By that, I mean a porta-potti. But you already know that.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2004 : 23:20:36

"I think that the suction was not enough to overcome gravity?????"

You're right. Vacuum cleaners are really designed to move air, not empty holding tanks. Holding tank pumps are specialized and designed for moving 'heavy' liquids (slurry).

Edited by - on

Scotd
Navigator

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USA
136 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2004 : 00:19:40

Well Dave we have not even got to use the boat yet. I bought her the week before Christmas. Still getting her ready for the season. The $hit that hit the cockpit was from the PO.

The wet Vacuum is the one from the Shop. I could not figure out any other way to get the waste removed so I could work on the tank. LOL

Tomorrow the Clorox gets applied; just have to make sure the vents are open.

Edited by - on

svmoxie
Past Commodore

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USA
331 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2004 : 04:52:20

Scot

Get a copy of Peggie Hall's book "Get Rid of Boat Odors: A Boat Owners Guide to Marine Sanitation Systems and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"

Amazon has it, Paracay has it.... 20 dollars or less and she has lots of good advice. I consider her the ultimate authority on this subject.

Also, west marine has some pretty good advice too...

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WestAdvisorDisplayView?storeId=10001& langId=-1& catalogId=10001& advisor=sanitationsystem.htm

A lot depends on your specific situation, availability of pump out facilities, boat use, sailing area... but the ability to pump overboard when legal is nice but it also gets complicated pretty quickly.

Good luck

Edited by - on

Jack Heaston
1st Mate

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48 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2004 : 18:16:28

Hi Scot
I bought a Bozworth 400-H bilge pump with 1" OD ports (Defender # 500841)and 10' of 1" ID reinforced waterhose (Defender #500580) to pump out the holding tank. Haven't tried it yet, since I want to use it first to empty the water tank, which needs a good flushing. Waiting for these eastern Oregon night-time temperatures to get consistently into the 20s to avoid freeze ups.
Had hoped to mount the pump on a chunk of plywood and stuff the intake hose down the deck waste fitting into the tank, with whatever hose is left over serving to direct the contents away from the boat. The 1" ID hose just fits down the deck fitting past the little brass nubbin that the cap retaining chain used to attach to before it disappeared.
Hope to find one of those rare working pump-out facilities before trailering back from our Puget Sound sailing grounds, as I am reluctant to pump it over the side like everyone else does. We have some sandy ground here at home that could absorb the waste, if we had to haul it back with us. It's an 8-hour trip and hopefully the solids would have had a chance to break up so as to pass the 3/4" ID ports on the pump. Might have to buy the 500-H pump with the larger ports and reduce down to the 1" ID hose, but I didn't want to deal with the extra fittings to trap stuff and complicate cleaning.
If anyone has already tried this and had success or failure or other ideas, I'd enjoy hearing about them. Am also curious if the next larger hose size (1 1/4") will fit down the deck fitting (after I saw off the brass nubbin) and make the bend into the holding tank. Hate to reinvent the wheel, and surely someone out there has already figured this out.
Thanks,
Jack

Edited by - on

Scotd
Navigator

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USA
136 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 11:27:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jack Heaston
 
I bought a Bozworth 400-H bilge pump ....Had hoped to mount the pump on a chunk of plywood and stuff the intake hose down the deck waste fitting into the tank......Might have to buy the 500-H pump with the larger ports <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Jack

I have a septic tank at home that I would pump the slury into. The setup you are using seems to be what I am looking for. I think I will order the 500-H and mount it to a 2x6 or larger depending on its size. Have you tryed to find a hose the screws in to the hull fitting? The 500-h Description

Guzzler 400 and 500 Bilge Pumps
Capable of a 12' suction lift and a 12' delivery head. Surface-mount pumps include a fixed, horizontal handle. Thru-deck models include removable, vertical handle and thru-deck mounting plate with cover.

10 GPM (400) 15 (500)
Body: Delrin
Ports: 1" (400) 1 1/2" (500)
Shipping Weights 3, 4 for Through deck Model

Scot

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2004 : 12:29:07

Egads, am I glad I live near a full service marina. I don't envy your situations at all. I had a buddy who tried pumping out in his back yard with his Shop Vac. He said it was the worst experience of his life. He now spends the extra time and money to pump out at the local marina. Here in the UP of Michigan there is a pump out facility every 20 to 40 miles, certainly one within a days sail.

As a suggestion, RV parks sometimes have pump out facilities for their customers or perhaps the local municipal sewage plant could help.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

Edited by - on

Charlie Vick
Captain

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USA
423 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2004 : 12:54:31

Keep the porta-potti lose the wife! Just think of the weight savings and you won't have to empty it nearly as much.
Course that could be one of the reasons I'm on my second ex-wife!

CVick
PanaceaII '81 C25 #2439 SRSK
Fort Smith, AR

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