Question about Holding Tanks

[mcrow33]

This may be a stupid question. I have a Kracor 15 gal holding tank. I am replacing the head and all the lines. The tank has both lines, the line from the head and the line to the pumpout port on the top edge. Coming out of the top left side of the tank is a 90 degree PVC elbow. The tank is mounted on the port side, under the V-berth. So here is the stupid question? How does pumpout work if the line to the deck top comes out of the top of the tank? If must work, since the tank was dry when I bought the boat. I know the boat was set up for direct overboard dumping, and this was disconnected a few years ago by the PO. I just don't understand how this works. I haven't opened the tank to look inside, but shining a bright light through the side of the tank, I can't see where there is any type of line or pipe leading from the top of the opening to the bottom of the tank.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Only two possibilities...

1. That's not the discharge fitting. If the hoses were replaced as a condition of sale, it's possible that the line in from the toilet and the pumpout line were put on the wrong fittings.

2. There has to be a pickup tube inside the tank (see 1. above).

You said, It must work, since the tank was dry when I bought the boat.

Oh wait a minute...there just MIGHT be a #3: If the tank was BONE dry, it's likely that the PO never used the tank...maybe never even used the toilet since he replumbed it to eliminate the overboard plumbing. So may be it doesn't work after all...taking us back to #1 again.

Try pumping it out...if it works, there has to be a pickup tube. If it doesn't, hopefully there's a cleanout fitting in the tank that'll let you empty and rinse out the tank so we can solve this problem...which, btw, isn't hard to do.

Let me know what's next.

 

[mcrow33]

#3 may be possible. He may never had used the tank. The boat was coastal until the early 90's when the PO bought the boat and moved in to Lake Champlain. The work orders from the boat yard that I got before buying the boat, said the boat was made legal for inland waters, removing the discharge through hull in 2007. There is a cleanout fitting on top of the tank, but it has been sealed with a lot of caulking so I assume it must have leaked. The only use of the tank by use was my wife used it for peeing only one weekend. So the tank only has about two inches of mostly water and what ever sludge that was in the tank. So I guess I try to pump it, or open the cleanout fitting and hope I can reseal? The whole system looks like a mess to me. The discharge from the toilet goes through a maze of hoses with gate valves. My plain it to remove eveything and plumb the new toilet as simple as possible, directly to the tank. Then from the tank to the deck pumpout.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

An idea to get you through the rest of this season

Go to the camping dept at Sears or Walmart and buy a portapotty. That'll cost you about $50 and allow you to use the boat while you rip everything--the whole system--toilet, tank, hoses etc. A new tank from Ronco Plastics that has the fittings in the right places (we should prob'ly talk about the tank vent size and location)...a new Raritan PH II toilet if you want manual, or Raritan SeaEra if you'd rather have electric...some Trident 101 sanitation hose...and voila: a new state of the art "no discharge" sanitation system that's both durable AND reliable for a very reasonable price.

The alternative is a tank with more holes in it than a swiss cheese if they're gonna be the right sizes and in the right locations...and an inspection port that WILL most likely leak.

 

[mcrow33]

I already have the Raritan PH II. I ordered it last week and it's sitting in my dinning room. I measured for the new hose, which got me looking at the tank and saying to myself. "Self, this dang thing don't look to goodly". So new tank? I assume that since I have a 15 gallon now, I should be able to replace it with the same size. I don't have the measurment of the tank. It has real easy access though. Can Ronco deliver a tank in a week or so? So we should prob'ly talk about tank vent size and location. I guess for another $150 and since I going through this crappy job anyway. I might as well do it all.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Ronco turn-around time is about 2 weeks.

Send me an email (EMAIL pleeeeeeeeeze, I hate PMs!) And we'll discuss where to put the fittings. Meanwhile, Ronco's catalog is online at Ronco Plastics

You'll want a tank level monitor too.. Profile Tank Monitors

You're a lot further along with this than I thought you were...I figured you'd want to buy a little time for some post boat purchase economic recovery (and also cooler weather!) before tackling this project.

 

[Dennis Ferriello]

Re: Ronco turn-around time is about 2 weeks.

McCrow33
Drop me a line when you are ready for your monitor, I give discounts to Sailboat owners.com
The link in Peggies message is my page.

Dennis
www.ferriellosales.com
dennis@ferriellosales.com

 

[redunculous]

Dennis

If ok I would also like to drop you an e-mail regarding tank monitors.

I am in the process of spending every penny I have on my dollar swallowing 1995 hunter 40.5 and any discount offered would be greatly appreciated!

Kind Regards

Redunc

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

B.O.A.T. is really an acronym that stands for

Break Out Another Thousand

I am in the process of spending every penny I have on my dollar swallowing 1995 hunter 40.5 and any discount offered would be greatly appreciated!

You're also learning that every word on a wonderful T-shirt that DYI Boatowner magazine gave me a few years ago is true:

Everything on a boat will eventually, break, burst, chafe, chip, crack, corrode, decay, delaminate, fail, fade, leak, mildew rip, rot, rust, shatter or STINK! :dance:

As dozens of people on this board will attest, you will love working with Dennis for your tank level gauges. Outstanding highest quality products for a very reasonable price...and the best customer service on the planet...no one is more helpful, few people even come close.

 

[redunculous]

Peggie

I learnt B.O.A.T before I'd even bought it hahaha

Still, less expensive than a woman.... (well the ones in my life!)

The t-shirt sounds like my boat when I bought it!

As for Dennis - looking forward to it

 

[alexco38]

The best boat name I saw the other day: "Other Women"