flushing holding tank

[jerry]

I would like to know is it better to have your holding tank pumped out or it it wrong to discharge the content as long as you are three miles offshore?And if you can discharge offshore do you just open the Y-valves and seacook?thanks in advance

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

It's legal if you're more than 3 miles offshore

And btw that's 3 miles out to sea from the nearest point on the US coastline, not just 3 miles from the nearest shore. Turn the y-valve, open the seacock and start the pump--or if it's a manual pump, start pumping. A tankful of waste has less impact on the environment if it's spread out over half a mile than it does all in one place, so dump while you're underway, not sitting still. I strongly recommend rinsing the tank after pumping it out OR dumping it. After dumping, pump several gallons of sea water into it through the toilet...during or after each pumpout, fill the tank at least 1/4 full with fresh water. This stirs up any sludge on the bottom so it can be pumped out. And at least every 4th or 5th pumpout, completely fill the tank with fresh water till it's overflowing out the vent...let it run till the water coming out the vent runs clear. This not only cleans out the tank, it flushes out the vent.

 

[Jerry]

holding tank

I really hate to ask some of these questions, but the manual seam to be so imcomplete. I do have a manual pump, so when you say start pumping do you mean the pump on the head?

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

The toilet

in common. There's a 1.5" ID hose coming out of the bottom of the toilet that goes into the top (on the top or on a side at the top) of the holding tank...another 1.5" hose comes out of the tank at the bottom and goes to a pumpout fitting on deck. In THAT hose there's either a y-valve or a tee or wye fitting--one side coming out the fitting goes to the deck, the other side to a macerator pump or manual pump and to an below-waterline thru-hull with seacock. That's the pump you use to dump your tank. To rinse the tank, add water by pumping the head (be sure to leave the dry/flush valve set to bring flush water in when you pump it. Two completely separate operations that can be done together.Spend some time exploring your plumbing...read the articles in the HM formum reference library...and don't be shy about asking more experienced dockmates to show you how things work. It's a lot easier when you're looking at pumps, toilets, valves etc than trying to figure out what someon is putting in writing here!