Does anyone know a source for "shaped" holding tanks? I am looking to maximize the area where my holding tank is located. Currently I have a rectangular tank but the space is next to the hull and lots of the surrounding area is wasted. Tim
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Ronco Plastics is your best source
They have more than 400 shapes and sizes, including over 100 that are non-rectangular. Their catalog is at http://www.ronco-plastics.com
They have more than 400 shapes and sizes, including over 100 that are non-rectangular. Their catalog is at http://www.ronco-plastics.com
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Tim
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Keith
Flex tanks
Several people make flexable tanks, Fresh water, holding, and fuel. I bought one for fresh water and installed it on my Mac 26X it contours to the hull and effectively give me more space with twice the water capacity.
Several people make flexable tanks, Fresh water, holding, and fuel. I bought one for fresh water and installed it on my Mac 26X it contours to the hull and effectively give me more space with twice the water capacity.
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Bladders ok for water, fuel, but not for waste
The very "features" that make them attractive also make them all but impossible to keep odor-free--at least insofar as odor out the vent is concerned. And while water and diesel can be held in unvented tanks, waste cannot...because methane is flammable, CG regs require that all waste holding tanks be vented to the outside of the boat. Another consideration is, water and fuel tanks start out full and are gradually emptied...while waste tanks start out empty and are gradually filled. This means that a water or fuel tank isn't likely to become pressurized and blow out a fitting (and even if water tank does, it's ONLY water), but blocked holding tank vents are all too common and often do result in a pressurized tank...and bladders are highly prone to blowing out a fitting when even slightly pressurized. Taking all that into account, bladders are an ok choice for water, but a bad choice for waste holding.
The very "features" that make them attractive also make them all but impossible to keep odor-free--at least insofar as odor out the vent is concerned. And while water and diesel can be held in unvented tanks, waste cannot...because methane is flammable, CG regs require that all waste holding tanks be vented to the outside of the boat. Another consideration is, water and fuel tanks start out full and are gradually emptied...while waste tanks start out empty and are gradually filled. This means that a water or fuel tank isn't likely to become pressurized and blow out a fitting (and even if water tank does, it's ONLY water), but blocked holding tank vents are all too common and often do result in a pressurized tank...and bladders are highly prone to blowing out a fitting when even slightly pressurized. Taking all that into account, bladders are an ok choice for water, but a bad choice for waste holding.
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Fred Ficarra
Should have known about Peggie before my first
tank. We didn't blow one out. That was just luck because everything else Peggie talks about did happen with our flex tank. The cure? LectraSan. Love it. Only two hoses, one in and one >. Now I have four useless holes in the head bulkhead to close.
tank. We didn't blow one out. That was just luck because everything else Peggie talks about did happen with our flex tank. The cure? LectraSan. Love it. Only two hoses, one in and one >. Now I have four useless holes in the head bulkhead to close.
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Tim
LectraSan?
Fred, can you give me more info on this? How much did it cost? Does it use a lot of power? I have a 12v system on my Pearson 28. I would love to eliminate my holding tank alltogether. Tim
Fred, can you give me more info on this? How much did it cost? Does it use a lot of power? I have a 12v system on my Pearson 28. I would love to eliminate my holding tank alltogether. Tim
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Whether you can use a Lectra/San depends
on where you sail. About half the waters of MA and all the waters of RI are "no discharge"...so if those are your "stomping grounds" most of the time, you'd have to use a holding tank more than you'd get to use the Lectra/San However, except for a few harbors, Type I and II MSDs are legal the rest of the east coast waters. List price is about $1000...can be found at discount if you shop hard for around $700-750, occasionally a little less. Amperage DRAW is 1.7 AH/flush...but don't let that scare you...it sounds like a lot, but actual average AH consumption for two people is about 10/day--well within what any decent 12v power supply should be able to handle. You can find all the specs for it, including the complete manual, on the Raritan website at http://www.raritaneng.com
on where you sail. About half the waters of MA and all the waters of RI are "no discharge"...so if those are your "stomping grounds" most of the time, you'd have to use a holding tank more than you'd get to use the Lectra/San However, except for a few harbors, Type I and II MSDs are legal the rest of the east coast waters. List price is about $1000...can be found at discount if you shop hard for around $700-750, occasionally a little less. Amperage DRAW is 1.7 AH/flush...but don't let that scare you...it sounds like a lot, but actual average AH consumption for two people is about 10/day--well within what any decent 12v power supply should be able to handle. You can find all the specs for it, including the complete manual, on the Raritan website at http://www.raritaneng.com
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