Waste Pump Out

L

LADYBUG TOO

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 9, 2010
Messages
325
Fluid Motion Model
C-288 C
Hull Identification Number
FMLT2916B909
Vessel Name
LADYBUG, TOO
O.K. Here is an admission from one whos has owned one boat or another for over 50 years. I have never used a pump out station for sewage. I always used a porta potty and dumped it in a convenient clean out I set up so that it went straight to the municipal collection system. I would appreciate some sage advice for pumping out my 2009 R-29, Ladybug, Too. Hopefully without imploding the holding tank! Anything special I need to know?

Red Faced Pat, Ladybug, Too
 
Pat,

On my R27, the waste water tank has a vent very close to the deck waste fitting on the transom. This vent allows the waste to be pumped out without creating a vacuum in the waste tank, hence no implosion.

However, the pump-out facility will need to have a pump-out adapter that matches their nozzle and your deck fitting. In my case, a couple of marinas had the proper adapter, but my home port marina did not. They had to order an elbow adapter that would fit without interfering with the railing directly above the deck fitting, so I had them order an elbow adapter that I now carry with me, if needed.

I would guess that your R29 has a similar arrangement.
 
Ladybug Too,

I have an R29, and have done serveal pumpouts, with no problems. Like the R27, there is a vent that lets air in as the waste is pumped out. That same vent, vents the tank as you fill it with waste.

Rusty
 
I have not had any problems pumping out my R21. Something I have learned though, when I have finished pumping, I put a couple of gallons of water in the toilet and pump some more. It helps to clean out the last bit of 'stuff'.
 
Evey marina pumpout has been painless for us... Dunno why that one pumpout station did not have a nozzle that fit your boat...

To answer (as others did) the implied question - you do not have to do anything special to pump out... Remove the cap, insert the vacuum hose, hit the ON switch, then whistle and tap in time to the music in your head until the hose starts pulling air and you are done...
 
I think some marinas have found "the adapter" to serve two functions: less chance for mess (since the hose clamps on) and profit (they can sell the adapters for $8 to $20). We carry an adapter with us that fits our deck opening. That said, most marinas have a tapered end for the hose, a "one size fits all" solution.

Having worked in a marina the past two summers, one of my jobs was to train dock hands on how to use the poop pump. It's important to get a good seal for the vacuum to work properly... the adapters take care of that, but without an adapter it's important that you keep good pressure at the connection between the hose ending and the deck opening. Then tap your toe in time to the music in your head. I also recommend putting more water in the tank during and at the end of the pump out to flush thoroughly.

Some marinas hand you the hose, some are totally self service, and some handle the pump out for you. Be sure to give the pump out attendant a tip, put the cap back on the deck opening, take off the disposable gloves (you did use those, right?), and wash your hands.

At many marinas the pump out is free (they know what will happen if there is a charge), some charge a small fee. When we cruised the Trent-Severn in Canada, the charge was as high as $20 for a pump out.

Happy pumping,
Jim B.
 
May I also suggest if using one of the "one size fits all" tapered adapters, along with the gloves you wear a full face safety shield, hat, and a water proof coat........ Oh, and think of a reason to explain to the people on the dock why you are swimming at the pump out dock......

Don't ask........ All I can say is, it was not pretty!
 
Karma":2p12ooia said:
May I also suggest if using one of the "one size fits all" tapered adapters, along with the gloves you wear a full face safety shield, hat, and a water proof coat........ Oh, and think of a reason to explain to the people on the dock why you are swimming at the pump out dock......

Don't ask........ All I can say is, it was not pretty!
Click to expand...

Thus, my suggestion for keeping constant pressure on that connection. 😉

Our training session came about because one of our young dock hands "got sprayed"... followed by a trip to the clinic and shots to protect her from hepatitis. She didn't think it was pretty, either. 😱
 
You are so right about keeping that constant pressure on this type of fitting however, this marina's design of the hose was bad. I have seen a number of these with a "straight" fitting that means the valve is directly above the fitting allowing the user the ability to push down with both hands while opening the valve. This marina uses a 90 degree elbow and about 18" of PVC to the valve. Now you are trying to apply pressure while at the same time hold the nozzle while still trying to open the valve. If you had three hands, this would be perfect......

The other issue with this marina's pump out is it is high volume. So, once that valve is open, bam! I no longer use this facility. I go an additional five miles up the canal to another marina with a more user friendly system...

We do carry the screw in adapter that makes this whole process much easier. It just seems that the marina's on Lake Washington and Lake Union have made the decision that you are not going to use these by glueing the tapered fitting to the nozzle. I am sure it is because they have lost a number of fitting either through theft or simply being dropped into the water.
 
Thanks for all the advice. The pump out went well with the deck hand doing the pump out while I fueled up using a PVC adapter I made after seeing a discussion on this site not long ago. My main tank cap is aft of the sliding cabin hatch and difficult to get to so I added about one ft. of 1 1/4 inch pvc with a 1 1/2 inch 45 degree elbow and a short piece of 1 1/2 inch pipe. It threads right in and the fuel nozzel slips in deep enough to trigger the automatic shut-off so no spill from filling too fast. I still add a specific amount of fuel as I do not want to over do it. The young man helping me knew what he was doing and added flushing water without my asking. I noted that as one of the recommendations above. Thanks guys! I really appreciate your assistance.

Pat, Ladybug, Too
 
I have a problem and I need help. I had my holding tank on my R29 pumped out for the first time yesterday. However, the red light on the toilet is still on and I can't flush the toilet. Is there something else I need to do?

Jim Mockler
Moor Than
 
No mess, no fuss – Airhead!





No adapters, no black tank, no pump outs, no clamps to tighten, no tubes to replace, no rubber gloves/face mask/hazzard suit, no odor. 20 additional gallons of fresh water or fuel. A couple of pounds of free garden compost at the end of the boating season.
http://www.airheadtoilet.com/Air Head Composting Toilet System.html
 
Hey Jerry, if we keep on this Airhead thing they will finally get the idea that life is beautiful with an Airhead, plus I have 40 gallons of extra water! And the flowers in my home garden are twice as big as all my neighbors'.
 
Jim,

If your Ranger has the Tecma Marine macerating head there is a manual available online that may answer your questions. If you hold the flush button down for more than eight seconds it is supposed to overide the flush lock out. You can Google Tecma and download the manual. If the tank is indeed empty, doing the overide may reset the system. Hope this helps! Pat, Ladybug, Too
 
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