Excessive hose length to holding tank

[Ed Ryan]

Have to replace the last of the sanitation hose and the runs seem to be exceedingly long. The ones in question go from the head on the port side, to the area under the bench seat in the main saloon (so that the hose can turn), underneath the sole to a vented loop in a drawer stack on the starboard side of the v berth. The hose length of that run is about 13 feet. From the other side of the vented loop, it goes down under the v berth to a Y valve (a run of another 4 feet) and then on to the holding tank (another 3 feet). (The other side of the Y valve goes to a through hull for pumping overboard, which is never used although it may be at some point. In addition, I have the capability of pumping the holding tank overboard with a Whale pump, although that is not used currently either.)Based on what I've read, the total distance from the head to the holding tank should be around 6-8 feet. Any ideas to change the configuration and/or shorten the main run from the head to the holding tank? With a total distance of 20 feet, it would take a lot of pumping to clear the line.Peggy - I have a Raritan PHII. Assuming that I have to maintain the status quo of about 20 feet, how many pumps does it take to move whatever is in the bowl to the holding tank? Also, would it make sense to add the KO through the pump out fitting instead of flushing it through the head?

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

Excessive is an understatement!

If I understood all that, someone has run the hose from a toilet in the aft end of the boat all the way to a holding tank in the bow--and wandered all over the boat to get there. There's NO way to flush any toilet long enough to move the bowl contents that far. IMO, there are only two options that make any sense at all: 1. Find a new location for a tank that's within 6-8' of the toilet;2. Better yet, find a location within 6' of the toilet that a Lectra/San (CG certified Type I MSD that treats waste and discharges it overboard) will fit. The Bay is not "no discharge"...unless you go to Herring Bay or way north to the Coastal Bays, you won't ever use your holding tank again...and treatment is a MUCH sounder ecological solution than holding tanks. If you're unfamiliar with the Lectra/San, check it out on the Raritan website at http://www.raritaneng.com (btw, because the Bay is brackish you will need a salt tank with it unless you want to add a coffee measure (2 tablespoons) of table salt to each flush).