I am thinking that this is a stupid idea (and potentially illegal) so I figured I would ask what people thought before I did a really dumb thing. My pumpout location does not rinse after a pumpout, they also walk away during the pumpout leaving you alone on the dock. Would it help rinse if I opened the dump valve and had the pumpout suck the ocean through the tank? Or is there not enough vacuum for that and I would just end up dumping out the bottom? Or how about pumping the daylights out of the toilet to help rinse. OK enough stupid ramblings for now...
Stupid idea or is it?
- Thread starter Doghouse
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No and yes....
If you have a maserator pump between your tank and the overboard valve you will not pull any seawater backward through the pump. And further, even if you could pull water through the pump, the pump is probably connected to the same line that is draining the tank so any water would simply be evacuated directly to the pumpout and never enter the tank. Regarding pumping the toilets- I commonly do this. However, I suspect the benefit is minimal. However, I figure it is better than nothing.
If you have a maserator pump between your tank and the overboard valve you will not pull any seawater backward through the pump. And further, even if you could pull water through the pump, the pump is probably connected to the same line that is draining the tank so any water would simply be evacuated directly to the pumpout and never enter the tank. Regarding pumping the toilets- I commonly do this. However, I suspect the benefit is minimal. However, I figure it is better than nothing.
Not a stupid idea, but Rich is right...it won't work
And pumping the toilet won't put enough water into the tank to do any good. So a couple of "Plan B" ideas... If they just hand you the pumpout and walk away, what's to prevent YOU from putting a couple of gallons of water down the pumpout fitting after the tank is empty and then pumping that out? Better yet...do you have a sea water wash down pump? If so, you could run a line off it into the tank ('twould require a y-valve--garden hose variety is ok for this--and adding a fitting to the tank, but that's easy to do with a li'l doodad called the Uniseal)...turn on the pump while you're pumping out the tank and just let the washdown pump run a while. You could even rinse out the tank when you dump it at sea, which would also rinse out the macerator and the plumbing to it. Or...there aren't any "no discharge" zones within a couple hundred miles of you--at least none of any size (the only one on the Cheseapeake is Herring Bay...none south of you till you get to Hilton Head...so you COULD solve the whole problem by installing a Lectra/San and never have to pump out or deal with a tank again.
And pumping the toilet won't put enough water into the tank to do any good. So a couple of "Plan B" ideas... If they just hand you the pumpout and walk away, what's to prevent YOU from putting a couple of gallons of water down the pumpout fitting after the tank is empty and then pumping that out? Better yet...do you have a sea water wash down pump? If so, you could run a line off it into the tank ('twould require a y-valve--garden hose variety is ok for this--and adding a fitting to the tank, but that's easy to do with a li'l doodad called the Uniseal)...turn on the pump while you're pumping out the tank and just let the washdown pump run a while. You could even rinse out the tank when you dump it at sea, which would also rinse out the macerator and the plumbing to it. Or...there aren't any "no discharge" zones within a couple hundred miles of you--at least none of any size (the only one on the Cheseapeake is Herring Bay...none south of you till you get to Hilton Head...so you COULD solve the whole problem by installing a Lectra/San and never have to pump out or deal with a tank again.
To me...
... a pump-out station is just another form of bathroom, albeit one in open sight of everyone. So....you really can't expect someone else to "do your business" for you. Pumping out your holding tank is the epitome of a DIY job -- and probably best done that way. Most all of the pump-out stations I've used also have a hose connected to fresh water, or at least of spigot you can connect your hose to. Pump out your tank, fill it and pump it out at least twice with fresh water, and you'll reduce the chance of odors building up.
... a pump-out station is just another form of bathroom, albeit one in open sight of everyone. So....you really can't expect someone else to "do your business" for you. Pumping out your holding tank is the epitome of a DIY job -- and probably best done that way. Most all of the pump-out stations I've used also have a hose connected to fresh water, or at least of spigot you can connect your hose to. Pump out your tank, fill it and pump it out at least twice with fresh water, and you'll reduce the chance of odors building up.
Pump and Rinse
Having followed Peggie's advice when I replaced my holding tank, I install a 1" vent line. Now when I pump out, I let 'er go until it starts to pull air (outlet is a diptube from the top), and then I stick the hose at the pumpout station into the vent line. I know there are no sags in that line, so all that water is going straight back into the tank and churning up whatever is left on the bottom. I keep that up until the pumpout hose is drawing clear liquid and then remove the hose from the vent line until the pumpout is finished. Result - clean tank, clear vent. It takes a little longer, but I handle my own pumpouts. As someone mentioned, I don't expect someone else to handle "my business". T J
Having followed Peggie's advice when I replaced my holding tank, I install a 1" vent line. Now when I pump out, I let 'er go until it starts to pull air (outlet is a diptube from the top), and then I stick the hose at the pumpout station into the vent line. I know there are no sags in that line, so all that water is going straight back into the tank and churning up whatever is left on the bottom. I keep that up until the pumpout hose is drawing clear liquid and then remove the hose from the vent line until the pumpout is finished. Result - clean tank, clear vent. It takes a little longer, but I handle my own pumpouts. As someone mentioned, I don't expect someone else to handle "my business". T J
What if they hook you up?
I pull up, slowly, and they catch the boat, hook on lines, and start working on the boat. I call ahead and let them know what I want, but when I get there they hook up everything, and hand me the pump for fuel, then walk away. After pumping, I put the fuel hose on the dock and wait for them to come back. When they do, I pay, tip, and they unhook me. I have only had a "marina" boat for less than 1 year, and have only had to pump out / fill up once so far. (Mostly use the bathhouse near my boat before going out.) So all this is new to me. Please do not condemn me for not handling "my business" when they are willing to do it for me.
I pull up, slowly, and they catch the boat, hook on lines, and start working on the boat. I call ahead and let them know what I want, but when I get there they hook up everything, and hand me the pump for fuel, then walk away. After pumping, I put the fuel hose on the dock and wait for them to come back. When they do, I pay, tip, and they unhook me. I have only had a "marina" boat for less than 1 year, and have only had to pump out / fill up once so far. (Mostly use the bathhouse near my boat before going out.) So all this is new to me. Please do not condemn me for not handling "my business" when they are willing to do it for me.
Pump-Out Service
To Warren's point that you can't expect someone else to "do your business" for you... There are a few companies in the Annapolis area that will come to your marina and pump-out on a regular basis...and if you pay extra they will flush the tank each time as well. Tom
To Warren's point that you can't expect someone else to "do your business" for you... There are a few companies in the Annapolis area that will come to your marina and pump-out on a regular basis...and if you pay extra they will flush the tank each time as well. Tom
thanks for the tips
At the same time, thanks for the tips, I did not think that it would work, but had to guess. I will talk to the guys working about doing a rinse.
At the same time, thanks for the tips, I did not think that it would work, but had to guess. I will talk to the guys working about doing a rinse.
For Tom...
Yes, I'm in the Annapolis area and am aware of the "mobile pump-out" services that are available here. I'm not sure what your experience has been with them and , as I indicated below, I think this is a job best done yourself. I have never used a mobile pump out service, but a friend of mine did. His boat had been hauled and he arranged for them to come to it and pump it out. A few months later, he found out the hard (and stinky) way that, although they billed him for their service, they never pumped out his boat (or at least never pumped it out completely). The "material" in it froze and cracked a hose. Guess what he found in the spring? You don't wanna know. He, like me, now do it ourselves...
Yes, I'm in the Annapolis area and am aware of the "mobile pump-out" services that are available here. I'm not sure what your experience has been with them and , as I indicated below, I think this is a job best done yourself. I have never used a mobile pump out service, but a friend of mine did. His boat had been hauled and he arranged for them to come to it and pump it out. A few months later, he found out the hard (and stinky) way that, although they billed him for their service, they never pumped out his boat (or at least never pumped it out completely). The "material" in it froze and cracked a hose. Guess what he found in the spring? You don't wanna know. He, like me, now do it ourselves...
Turning your boat over to someone else is risky
Too many OWNERS have been known to pump out their fuel tanks, put fuel in their water tanks or vice versa...handing the job over to a teenage dockhand only increases the risk of that happening. It's especially risky to turn pumpout over to someone else...'cuz if the tank vent is blocked, the pumpout will pull vacuum preventing more than a gallon or two from being pumped out...so the kid figures that's all that's in the tank and terminates pumpout (I suspect that's what actually happened to Warren's friend). That's the BEST case scenario. Worst case, he attaches a particularly strong pumpout and lets it run without paying attention to whether anything is coming out for as long as it should take to completely empty the tank, resulting in an imploded tank. So my advice: NEVER just turn pumpout over to someone else...stand there and watch the sight glass to make sure the tank is actually being emptied. If waste stops coming out after only a gallon or two, cease pumpout immediately...don't try to pumpout again till the vent has been cleared. I know that taking my advice makes it impossible to use a service that pumps out your boat when you aren't there...which is inconvenient...but not nearly as inconvenient as a cracked tank. If you absolutely MUST use a pumpout service, you'd best become downright anal (no pun intended) about making sure your tank vent NEVER becomes blocked...check both the thru-hull and the connection at the tank weekly, and especially after the boat has sat for any length of time. Backflush the vent line every time you wash the boat. A bit of a PITA, but again--not nearly as big a one as an imploded tank or a full tank that becomes so pressurized from continuing to use the toilet against a blocked vent that it either erupts through the toilet all over the head (and anyone in it)--IF you're lucky..or the tank bursts.
Too many OWNERS have been known to pump out their fuel tanks, put fuel in their water tanks or vice versa...handing the job over to a teenage dockhand only increases the risk of that happening. It's especially risky to turn pumpout over to someone else...'cuz if the tank vent is blocked, the pumpout will pull vacuum preventing more than a gallon or two from being pumped out...so the kid figures that's all that's in the tank and terminates pumpout (I suspect that's what actually happened to Warren's friend). That's the BEST case scenario. Worst case, he attaches a particularly strong pumpout and lets it run without paying attention to whether anything is coming out for as long as it should take to completely empty the tank, resulting in an imploded tank. So my advice: NEVER just turn pumpout over to someone else...stand there and watch the sight glass to make sure the tank is actually being emptied. If waste stops coming out after only a gallon or two, cease pumpout immediately...don't try to pumpout again till the vent has been cleared. I know that taking my advice makes it impossible to use a service that pumps out your boat when you aren't there...which is inconvenient...but not nearly as inconvenient as a cracked tank. If you absolutely MUST use a pumpout service, you'd best become downright anal (no pun intended) about making sure your tank vent NEVER becomes blocked...check both the thru-hull and the connection at the tank weekly, and especially after the boat has sat for any length of time. Backflush the vent line every time you wash the boat. A bit of a PITA, but again--not nearly as big a one as an imploded tank or a full tank that becomes so pressurized from continuing to use the toilet against a blocked vent that it either erupts through the toilet all over the head (and anyone in it)--IF you're lucky..or the tank bursts.
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