Porta Potti Pump out mod Question

[flynhi4u]

After much thought and a discussion with our Head Mistress Peggy, I have decided to add a pump out option to our porta pottie as not all places have a place to dump it and almost all places do not like you emptying them into a toilet. I don't want to be doing the walk of shame at midnight either as I would prefer to sleep. So I want the option to be able to take it to the pump out and suck it out. Our boat doe not lend itself well to a deck pump out as there is no where to hide the hose or vent and I would really have to chop up the boat to install a hose out of the potti as it is very tight in its storage area.
That said, what I need to know is if I use a uni seal to penetrate the hull of the storage container how to I get to a water tight sealable fitting that I can attach to the pump out suction line? I just plan on cracking the slide valve to vent the tank to keep it from collapsing when I pump it out. I want to keep the fittings as short as possible to the tank and since I don't have much experience in this area I thought I would float this by everyone and see if someone might be able to steer me the right direction as to what fittings I need.
Everything I have found so far uses barb fittings to attach a hose to the tank and then to the deck fitting. I want to skip the hose and barb fitting and connect the pump out fitting directly to the tank.
As far as the pump out fitting goes, does the pump out suction hose just slip in it or does it connect to the pump out fitting via threads or a cam lock device?

Thanks
Sam

 

[rgranger]

You porta potty needs to have MSD fittings like this...

 

[flynhi4u]

Ranger,
Will those fittings attach directly to the pump out at the dock or is it designed to a hose barb fitting then to a deck pump out fitting?

Sam

 

[rgranger]

hose barb fitting then to a deck pump out fitting.

That is actually a pic of the type porta potty I have... but I've since swapped out the holding tank for a 5 gallon tank. I have not plumbed it yet but it is on my winter 2-do list.
What you can't see in that picture is a second valve opening for the vent line. There is something called a "pick-up" tube inside the larger fitting that kind of looks like the tip you put on the end of your shop-vac hose but it is angled at the opening so it sits nearly flush right over the bottom of your holding tank. When they apply vac at the pump out, it just sucks it all up.... like a giant shop-vac system. The vent line is needed to keep the porta potty form imploding. I guess you could crack the opening of the bowl instead of plumbing a vent line but .... considering the consequences if you forget, I'd plumb the vent

The vent line should exit the boat above the water line but not necessarily on deck. I think I'll send mine off the transom.. or just off of the port beam.

 

[flynhi4u]

Thanks Ranger,
After talking to Peggy I decided to bite the bullet and install a MSD with a deck pump out and vent line. I too am going to run the vent aft oUT the transom.
9 days tI'll we leave for the north channel nothing like a good project with not much time to do it in.

Sam

 

[rgranger]

... nothing like a good project with not much time to do it in.

Sam

Haha.... keeps it interesting.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I too am going to run the vent aft oUT the transom.

Noooooo! It needs to be as SHORT as possible!

 

[rgranger]

Noooooo! It needs to be as SHORT as possible!

Ooops... thanks. I was thinking I wanted it someplace where the wind would not blow the vapors towards my face.... But I get why you want it short.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

The wind/breeze would have to be coming over the stern to do that. On an anchor or a mooring you'd always have your head in the wind so it's the people downwind of you that you'd be gassing if the vent exits the transom.

 

[rgranger]

On the Hunter 26, the head's closet is just to port as you enter the cabin. The cabin goes from gunnel to gunnel. So it seems like it would be easy to vent just below the port rub rail right below the scupper.... and put the pump-out port right above and slightly to port of the potty itself... out the top of the cabin roof. All the runs would be under 3'.

 

[flynhi4u]

[QUOTE="On an anchor or a mooring you'd always have your head in the wind so it's the people downwind of you that you'd be gassing if the vent exits the transom.[/QUOTE]

That's the idea ;-)

 

[Doug J]

So it seems like it would be easy to vent just below the port rub rail right below the scupper....

Where is there a scupper?

 

[Doug J]

[QUOTE="On an anchor or a mooring you'd always have your head in the wind so it's the people downwind of you that you'd be gassing if the vent exits the transom.

That's the idea ;-)[/QUOTE]
I concur
In line with that theory, if you put the vent forward amid ship, when sitting in the cockpit the fumes will come your way.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

if you put the vent forward amid ship, when sitting in the cockpit the fumes will come your way.

A 20' vent line out the transom is guaranteed to discharge "fumes." However, the "fumes" out a short straight vent line that's installed and maintained to keep the tank aerobic will be odorless. And it's not that hard to do.

 

[flynhi4u]

What is the best product to use in a Porta pottiE to keep it aerobic? I don't think the blue juice is it.

Sam

 

[rgranger]

Where is there a scupper?

I'm thinking of this as the scupper

and given the current location of the head, I think these locations would make sense

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

No need or reason to run the pumpout line that high...install the deck fitting right next to the vent thru-hull...on the side deck if it 's wide enough...on the hull right below the toe rail if it's not...in which case I'd buy TWO extra caps for it!