waste water tank
- Thread starter sgiarc
- Start date
My boat was initially commissioned and sailed out of Chicago. Because it was to be used in a no dump locale, it was not built with a macerator pump to empty the holding tank offshore. The “y” valve for direct overboard discharge from the head was locked out with an official looking environmental tag from a government agency. So, now that the boat is on the Gulf Coast, I can’t pump waste into the holding tank and discharge overboard, 5 miles offshore; I have to use an onshore pumpout facility. I prefer to pumpout onshore rather than incur the cost and headache of installing another pickup tube in the tank, sanitation hose, and pump. Bottom line is that, if you don’t have a macerator pump you can’t dump the holding tank overboard. To my knowledge, Beneteau did not install manual pumps to empty holding tanks on any of their midsize + boats. Looking at your home port, I would guess that you’re not allowed to discharge overboard either.
Best practice is to install a tip tube from the tank top that extends to just above the bottom, and the bottom of the tube is cut at a slant. We have that arrangement. Open the cleanup port on top and check on this.
If the tank on a 46 foot boat does not have these features, contact the builder and see if 'mistakes were made' when their QC person passed it before initial delivery.
I mean, can you really have a "one use" holding tank? Oh my.
That would be highly unusual, for Beneteau not to install pump out provisions by way of a deck plate/port, hose, and pickup tube in the holding tank. My boat only has a hose extending from a fitting at the top of the tank to the deck port, directly above the tank. Tube is inside the tank that extends slightly above the bottom of the tank. If you register & visit the Beneteau spare parts site, you can see a schematic of the tank, dip tube, hoses, etc. If you really want to verify the presence or abscense of the dip tube, there is a cleanout plate on the side of the tank ( have to remove cover to access plate), the plate can be removed and you can visually inspect....but I don't advise that. As long as you can pump and rinse the tank at a dockside pumpout facility, your tank and plumbing is functioning normallly. As I mentioned in previous post, no sense in installing a macerator pump to empty tank if your locale, if you're in a no dump zone.If the tank on a 46 foot boat does not have these features, contact the builder and see if 'mistakes were made' when their QC person passed it before initial delivery.
I mean, can you really have a "one use" holding tank? Oh my.
I have looked inside the tank. Nothing. I guess they wanted you to pump directly overboard via y valve or dump straight out of the tank using bottom drain thru thruhull
Very unusual. Would think that previous owner would have corrected, if there was a problem. If you can't pump out your tank, you will have to install a dip tube inside the tank and attach to fitting and hose at top of tank. Again, you should be able to view the configuration for your boat on the Beneteau spare parts site. Should be easy to fabricate with PVC pipe.
Also, what are the pump out regulations / limitations for waterways around Ontario?
Also, what are the pump out regulations / limitations for waterways around Ontario?
Looks like you'll need to add a dip tube to pump out. It does seem strange to have a pump out deck fitting and hose to the tank, but no dip tube.
It is easy to install a dip tube. Use a piece of 1.5 inch PVC pipe cut at an angle and a Uniseal on the tank top to install the dip tube. The Uniseal does work, I've used one and @Peggie Hall HeadMistress recommends them for this application.
Our original system setup works great for our PNW waters. Holding tank has one discharge hose that connects to the tank via a stand pipe that extracts contents from the bottom. That hose connects to a wye fitting (not a valve). From there one hose goes to the deck pump out and the other to the overboard macerator pump and through hull. No fuss no muss.
I cannot imagine the boat being built without the capability to pump out at shore facilities. Follow the deck fitting pump out hose down to where it connects to the tank. My guess is you will find it either pumps from the bottom or there is a dip tube.
It IS easy to install a diptube, especially since--if I read your first post correctly-- you already have both the female discharge fitting and the male thread-barb hose fitting installed in the in the top of the tank.
As Dave said, all you need is a piece of pvc... long enough to touch the bottom of the tank and have enough above the tank--no more than 1"-- to PVC cement it into the hose fitting. So you might want to stick a tape measure into the tank before you buy anything so you'll how long the pipe needs to be.. But the tube can't be 1.5" cuz that would be too big to fit inside the hose fitting. You can measure that fitting's ID (inner diameter), but whether you do or not, I recommend that you take that fitting with you to the hardware to buy the pipe and make sure the pipe fits snugly into it. Cut the bottom of the tube off at about a 25 degree angle...any flatter can trap TP under it, any sharper leaves too much in the tank.
And that's all there is to it!
Unless you can't find a pvc pipe that'll fit snugly into that fitting. If that happens, the top end of the pipe becomes the hose connector. You'd need to find pipe that has a 1.5" OD (outer diameter) because that's the ID (inner diameter) of your 1.5" pumpout hose that has to fit snugly onto it (lubricate using K-Y jelly). No PVC cement this time...just make it long enough above the tank to secure the hose onto it with TWO hose clamps.
If you need to discuss the how-to for your specific tank in more detail than is practical in a forum, I'll be glad to walk you through it on the phone ...we can set a mutually convenient day/approx time if you'd like to send me a PM.
--Peggie
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Thanks sounds like an easy fix. The tank is already out.
ll HeadMistress, post: 1620051, member: 35248"]
It IS easy to install a diptube, especially since--if I read your first post correctly-- you already have both the female discharge fitting and the male thread-barb hose fitting installed in the in the top of the tank.
As Dave said, all you need is a piece of pvc... long enough to touch the bottom of the tank and have enough above the tank--no more than 1"-- to PVC cement it into the hose fitting. So you might want to stick a tape measure into the tank before you buy anything so you'll how long the pipe needs to be.. But the tube can't be 1.5" cuz that would be too big to fit inside the hose fitting. You can measure that fitting's ID (inner diameter), but whether you do or not, I recommend that you take that fitting with you to the hardware to buy the pipe and make sure the pipe fits snugly into it. Cut the bottom of the tube off at about a 25 degree angle...any flatter can trap TP under it, any sharper leaves too much in the tank.
And that's all there is to it!
Unless you can't find a pvc pipe that'll fit snugly into that fitting. If that happens, the top end of the pipe becomes the hose connector. You'd need to find pipe that has a 1.5" OD (outer diameter) because that's the ID (inner diameter) of your 1.5" pumpout hose that has to fit snugly onto it (lubricate using K-Y jelly). No PVC cement this time...just make it long enough above the tank to secure the hose onto it with TWO hose clamps.
If you need to discuss the how-to for your specific tank in more detail than is practical in a forum, I'll be glad to walk you through it on the phone ...we can set a mutually convenient day/approx time if you'd like to send me a PM.
--Peggie
[/QUOTE
ll HeadMistress, post: 1620051, member: 35248"]
It IS easy to install a diptube, especially since--if I read your first post correctly-- you already have both the female discharge fitting and the male thread-barb hose fitting installed in the in the top of the tank.
As Dave said, all you need is a piece of pvc... long enough to touch the bottom of the tank and have enough above the tank--no more than 1"-- to PVC cement it into the hose fitting. So you might want to stick a tape measure into the tank before you buy anything so you'll how long the pipe needs to be.. But the tube can't be 1.5" cuz that would be too big to fit inside the hose fitting. You can measure that fitting's ID (inner diameter), but whether you do or not, I recommend that you take that fitting with you to the hardware to buy the pipe and make sure the pipe fits snugly into it. Cut the bottom of the tube off at about a 25 degree angle...any flatter can trap TP under it, any sharper leaves too much in the tank.
And that's all there is to it!
Unless you can't find a pvc pipe that'll fit snugly into that fitting. If that happens, the top end of the pipe becomes the hose connector. You'd need to find pipe that has a 1.5" OD (outer diameter) because that's the ID (inner diameter) of your 1.5" pumpout hose that has to fit snugly onto it (lubricate using K-Y jelly). No PVC cement this time...just make it long enough above the tank to secure the hose onto it with TWO hose clamps.
If you need to discuss the how-to for your specific tank in more detail than is practical in a forum, I'll be glad to walk you through it on the phone ...we can set a mutually convenient day/approx time if you'd like to send me a PM.
--Peggie
[/QUOTE
Hard to imagine Beneteau making the boat like that, I wonder if the tank is not original. When I had my holding tank replaced I measured and made the fitting placements myself but had someone else install it. He hooked up the inlet and pump out hoses backwards. Fortunately I noticed before first use and fixed it.
It's original as far as I can tell. All the hoses are date stamped from 1997. The tank install looks completely orig and all 3 tanks (three heads ) are the same. I am going to fix the issue by installing drop tubes as suggested by a couple members.
