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Holding tanks


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Just don't have the room to get larger in Murky, we aren't some big beamy powerful machine like yours ya know :)

 

As it is the tank will be 3 maybe 4 inches from your face as you fill it. The front bums are going to love that....Knot.

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Interesting thing about the macerator systems is that they may be more polluting than the gravity draining because the smaller waste particles are more likely to be consumed by shellfish. This was a consideration in some NZ research I found on the Lectrasan systems when I was looking at the options 18 months ago:

 

http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/wat ... -jun02.pdf

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Hmmmm, possible. But then I would have thought the Salt and UV would have destroyed most of the bacteria faster being fine particles. Certainly it produces "nutrients" for Algae in a far easier to consume state. Not sure what I would rather swim in. Something you can't see or floaters that may be less harmful :eh:

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My understanding is that even if you pump a dump raw into the water the bacteria are dead within a meter or so. Remember salt water can eat stainless steel, ya think a little poop is gunna be a problem.

 

 

Strangely enough the reason I want to try the airhead or similar is more to do with the size of the hole (it should never block), lack of smell, ease of installation/maintenace. That it is legal everywhere (no through hulls) is only a bonus.

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Strangely enough the reason I want to try the airhead or similar is more to do with the size of the hole (it should never block)

Maybe those who call Squid a big asshole aren't actually being derogatory, going on the above comment :lol: :lol:

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Used beer and groceries

Hi I have Farr 1020,

I installed a purpose made black plastic tank, about 44lts, up directly under the anchor well, which is above the waterline and is some 2.5m from the head.

The head has a standard manual pump, the outlet pipe rises up above the waterline and has a anti siphon valve at the top ( this is standard toilet installation and was in the boat) I ran a new pipe from the above riser, into the bottom of the tank.

The trick is to have a PVC pipe inside the tank going up to within 25mm of the top. The purpose of the pipe is to act as a none return valve.

The tank outlet, from the bottom of the tank is piped to the existing sea cock.

When you want to empty the tank, you just open the sea cock and gravity does the rest.

The breather pipe I have connected to the anchor well drain pipe via a shutoff valve.

IF when you open the sea cock, the contents dont empty out due to wads of paper, shut the sea cock again, shut the breather pipe valve, a few pumps on the toilet pump, whereby pressurising the tank, then open seacock first and quickly the breather valve, and contents will empty. The trick is not to overflow the tank or you might get a surprise in the anchor well.

I have installed it this way as I do not like drilling more hole in the boat.

Its been in the boat 7 years and works well.

A 44lt tank will last 2 people 2 days provided you dont go mad flushing.

Bigger would be better but I made the tank as big as I could, so as to get it into the access hatch under the anchor well.

When ever yachies get together the subject sooner or later gets around to the potty problems.

Cheers

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A couple moored in a lovely bay for the evening, had called up another boat in the bay and invited that couple over for a meal and drinks. Not long before the visitors arrived, the wife had to go to the loo. She flushed the thing only to find the pump wouldn't move. She called out to her hubby, Honey! the pump is stuck. Oh the holding tank must be full. I'll take care of it. But just as he was about to, a "permission to come aboard" came from outside. He went outside and welcomed the guests and made the painter fast to the rail and all the rest of the pleasantries. Some time into the Meal, the Husband suddenly remembered the job he was supposed to do and quietly sliped to the Toilet and pumped the tank empty. The evening went splendidly and it came time for the guest to depart. The guests stepped down into their tender and the Husband makes a startled comment. "Oh no, theirs water in our Tender! :shock: " He bent down and his next startled comment was, "Eeeewwww and it stinks!!" :wtf:

The Tender had been sitting under the outlet to the Holding tank, which stupidly was above the water line and above the height of the Gunnale of the tender. All four spent the rest of the night washing and cleaning everything.

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I too have a Farr 1020, and installed a very similar set up 12 months ago. I bought an off the shelf shaped tank from Burnsco (45lt) which sits perfectly under the starboard side of the double vee berth. Only difference from the previous 1020, is I fitted a muncher between the tank and skin fitting. I too hooked the vent into the anchor well drain. Only thing I plan to change is to fit a level gauge, so I know when its getting near full ! Spent 2 weeks in the Sounds at Christmas, 2 of us, and it lasted a couple of days before emptying each time. :thumbup:

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Only thing I plan to change is to fit a level gauge, so I know when its getting near full !

Fantastic idea - why do none of them come with this option or even the appropriate fittings? Perhaps it is the unappealing visuals.

 

Having become gun-shy after an overflow or two, I am sure that we are often conservative in our decision to go out and offload but there is just no other choice.

 

What are you thinking of using for the level gauge - one of the electronic BEP type models?

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Only thing I plan to change is to fit a level gauge, so I know when its getting near full !

Fantastic idea - why do none of them come with this option or even the appropriate fittings? Perhaps it is the unappealing visuals.

 

More potential for problems? Leak points at joins, holes, welds?

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All quite possible.

 

I'd have just thought that - as with any tank, fuel and water also included - being able to assess what is full and what is spare capacity is an essential part of using it.

 

They all need three openings (inlet, outlet, vent) that have to be watertight so surely another one/two can't be an insurmountable obstacle.

 

I agree with you though that leaks are vile. :thumbdown:

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My last boat had a stainless tank which would invert a panel when it was about to be full. Sounded like a jamaican kettle band in one big hit.

The user would get such a fright that he or she would reflex leap off the seat( the tank was behind ' you' ) hit their head on the cabin top and nose on the head door and curse loudly.

That was a pretty effective way of knowing how full it was.

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You can get sensors that work through the side(on the outside, no hole) of a plastic tank now. They sense an eletric field that changes when the water level comes past the sensor. Won't give you an infinite level, but it will at least tell you when it is full. My tanks have a four position float sender. Empty, low, mid, full. Water tank works OK, but I get false readings with the Holding tank sometimes. Like all sensors, stupid expensive, especially for what it is.

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In issue 188 (Jan 10 ?) of Trade a Boat NZ magazine, they advertise a system by 'Gobius' which sticks to the outside of your plastic/stainless/ali/steel or glass tanks. They read fuel/water or holding tank levels. I have still to check out www.tibomarine.com.au or phone Tina @ 0061 416200879. If I didn't spend so much time on Crew.org, I might have time !!!

No prices quoted.

J. :D

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I had a holding tank put in. "Put in" because it was such a hassle getting the old hoses off and because the seacocks and thru-hulls proved to need replacing. Don't ask how I found out. In theory it should have been a simple job, but proved less so when marelon rather than bronze valves proved bigger and the space of course is confined.

The Lavac is supposed to be economical at 1.5 litres per use, more or less depending. Even so that works out at about 4 person days for 45 L. Overfilling doesn't help much as it blocks the carbon filter and pressurises the system.

I wonder a bit about getting too concerned with urine. The sea is full of plankton etc all excreting. A bucket and chuck it seems better than dangling over the side but both are illegal.

Sea water and urine react and can smell, but apparently the sulphurous smell, which seems like H2S to me, which arises after a few days non use is due to algae in the sea water dying in the inlet hose and there isn't much you can do about it, though you could perhaps leave the valve open and the bowl empty.

Someone told me a lot of boats with heads don't have holding tanks.

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I will be fitting a gauge for the very reason you mention - my tank got over-filled at Christmas, filled the carbon filter, and pressurised the system ! Not good.

I had an old 'Sea Dog' on board visiting in December, and he said "I know what that smell is" and yes, he said about the things dieing in the pipes ! He used to run a charter launch in the Sounds, and would poor half a bucket of fresh water through the system at the end of each day, to flush out any unwanted bugs ! End of horrible smells ! I tried it, and found it to be true. :thumbup:

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Hang on, back up the bus.

 

If urine is sterile, which it is, is there an issue with it going direct overboard or am I missing something?

 

Lumps I can understand purely from the visual point of view alone.

 

Unpc, we don't have a holding tank currently. But one is on the cards for fitting when she comes out, how we'll fit one I have yet to work out due to knot having bilges deeper than 30mm or a place to put it really. About the only place I have figured out that may work is basically right in your face as you fill it. Knot too sure if that will mean any pooh that may have been pumped out is replaced with carrot filled chunder instead, time will tell I suppose. In the meantime we are careful on when the dunny gets used for what.

 

Lots of boats still don't have tanks and I'd suggest it is virtually impossible to put some in without serious modification and/or complex pumping systems.

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