Hose diameter and others?

[Charlie Hope]

Just purchased a rather old but well kept 85' Bayliner Contessa and am getting it ready for the next season. In addition I have no previous experience with marine heads but am handy and will do the work myself. Have read most of Ms. Hall's articles and find them great in answering most of my questions. Noticed a strong odor in the boat and as a result of the articles I plan on replacing the hoses with the best Trident hose as recomended. My tank dosen't seem to have any permeation and I also plan on putting in a second vent to get air flowing through.Questions:Why is the piping from my head to tank 1 1/2. The outlet from the macerator is 1" and it would seem to me that in order to push the results through the hose and leave less standing water a smaller hose would be better?Presently the 1" outlet hose from the macerator at the base of the head has quite a large upwards loop almost to the seat before it travels back down and joins a 10' long 1 1/2" hose at the deck beside the head. Is this loop necessary?How good are these chemicals for RV toilets and are there any I should avoid?Unfortuneately in this boat there is alot of low bends and long runs that dosen't seem to have a alternative. Things would have been much more efficent if the holding tank had been placed on the same side as the pump out and head.In addition due to the placement of the drain it is impossible to completely empty the tank. There is always 3 - 4" left. Thought of angling the tank but this would also decrease it's capacity.Sorry for such a long post.ThanksCharlie

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Answers to your questions...

But first, I recommend you use SeaLand "OdorSafe" hose instead of Trident. It's far more expensive, but has proven to be just about "bulletproof" against odor permeation."Why is the piping from my head to tank 1 1/2. The outlet from the macerator is 1" and it would seem to me..."Jabsco is the only toilet mfr whose toilets have a 1" discharge.... The industry standard for head and tank discharge hoses (also water and fuel fill hoses) is 1.5". There's a logical argument for a smaller diameter hose coming out of a macerator--because the solids and paper have been "pureed"...but intact solids and paper need a bit more room to get through the hose without creating a clog.If the toilet is below the waterline on the boat, the loop is necessary to prevent water from rising in the bowl when the intake seacock is left open. Relying on the dry/flush valve to keep water out has sunk more than one boat when the valve was accidentally left open or the valve failed--which happens all too often.Avoid chemical holding tank products...use only non-chemical organic products--enzyme, live-bacteria or nitrates."Things would have been much more efficent if the holding tank had been placed on the same side as the pump out and head."There's not a reason in the world why it can't be moved to a better location. An inch or so left in the tank is normal, because suction is broken when the contents drop below the top of the discharge fitting. 3-4" means that the discharge fitting was placed too high in the side of the tank. If you have at least 5" clearance above the top of the tank, that can easily be fixed when you install a new venting by sealing the existing discharge with a threaded plug (available at any hardware store) and installing a new discharge fitting with a pickup tube in the top of the tank. (Details if you have the space to do it)