BW self pump out

[rog guiver]

There is a suggestion on narrowboatworld.com today that BW are doubling the token charge for self pumpout from 1st November.

 

The facility is still available to order them at the £6.30 price (postage free) on waterscape.com

 

Just ordered ten, should see me OK for a month or two!

Edited October 22, 2006 by rog guiver

[dor]

If NBW are to be believed, it would seem that BW have looked at the prices at marinas and copied it. That would be reasonable enough in today's commercial world, but it is hardly like for like: When I get a pumpout at the local chandlers, they do it in all weathers - someone else deals with the messy pipes, it is always pumped right out and very well rinsed, and a generous dose of 'blue' (a coule of quids worth) is added as well. Not exactly what you get at the BW pumpout, most of which seem to spend more time "out of order", so not a service you can rely on.

 

BW need to wake up on this one!

[William Martin]

as i understand...

 

 

BW charges for things such as pump out are directly connected to their charges for electricity because they use the same chage cards - electricity has increased in cost massively in the last couple of years - so BW are playing catch up on that cost - with the knock on that things like pump out will jump too - that may be unreasonable but that was the tracker they chose in a time of more stable lekky costs

[whammy]

British Waterways automated pump out ???????? now there is a rare animal, we bought half a dozen cards from the shop in Devizes in the summer on the K and A, we still have one left and we pump out about every 2 weeks. Yes there are a few on the K and A but you try and find one on the Grand Union.

 

[Tiller Slave]

BW are raising their pump out prices because they have been losing money on them!!!

 

Apparently they have not even coverde the marginal costs.

 

The pumpout machines cost £1000s to install and maintain, energy price hikes and sewage costs are alos very high.

[Bernie]

It is cheaper in the long run to purchase your own self pump out kit from either Midland Chandlers or Leesan. Just think even £6 a time each 2 weeks or just under £200 or less as a one off, it will pay for itself in less than 2 years. OK it takes a bit of effort but IMHO well worth it in the long run, especially for liveaboards who have a PO toilet.

[stuart]

It is cheaper in the long run to purchase your own self pump out kit from either Midland Chandlers or Leesan. Just think even £6 a time each 2 weeks or just under £200 or less as a one off, it will pay for itself in less than 2 years. OK it takes a bit of effort but IMHO well worth it in the long run, especially for liveaboards who have a PO toilet.

 

 

 

Interesting idea this one. I've seen plenty of signs around saying "no self pump outs" and the like - where do you actually pump out to?

 

 

 

Where do you store the waste pipe afterwards as well? Its got to be long and its a heavy thing to carry around and full of nasty stuff ?

[Bones]

Interesting idea this one. I've seen plenty of signs around saying "no self pump outs" and the like - where do you actually pump out to?

 

 

 

Where do you store the waste pipe afterwards as well? Its got to be long and its a heavy thing to carry around and full of nasty stuff ?

 

you rinse it through so it isn't full of stuff, and the kit itself includes the pipe which wraps around - rather like a hoover.

[Bernie]

Interesting idea this one. I've seen plenty of signs around saying "no self pump outs" and the like - where do you actually pump out to?

 

 

 

Most Elsan emptying stations are also able to take self PO.

[Yoda]

Most Elsan emptying stations are also able to take self PO.

 

Isn't it good hedge food?

[tomsk]

Isn't it good hedge food?

 

Revolting you are

[Enfield Phil]

It is cheaper in the long run to purchase your own self pump out kit from either Midland Chandlers or Leesan. Just think even £6 a time each 2 weeks or just under £200 or less as a one off, it will pay for itself in less than 2 years. OK it takes a bit of effort but IMHO well worth it in the long run, especially for liveaboards who have a PO toilet.

 

Been there, done that, now proud owner of porta potti.

[Yoda]

Revolting you are

 

OK but where did they go in the past as it is a bit hazzardous squating over a canal?

[tomsk]

OK but where did they go in the past as it is a bit hazzardous squating over a canal?

 

True...but we don't send kids up chim-chimneys or the unemployed to the workhouse either, although thinking about it that might not be too bad an idea

Edited October 24, 2006 by tomsk

[alan_fincher]

Most Elsan emptying stations are also able to take self PO.

I think this must depend on which part of the country you are in.

 

A considerable number I have seen definitely say "not suitable for self pumpout", or something similar.

[dor]

A considerable number I have seen definitely say "not suitable for self pumpout", or something similar.

 

Most BW elsan stations say "not suitable for self pumpout" because they are not connected to the main drainage but to a septic tank. If too many people used self pumpouts, the capacity would soon be overwhelmed.

 

So whilst you 'could' use an elsan station, it is generally not permitted by BW.

[Chris Lingwood]

Crikey! £12.10 and there was me thinking that £6.30 was steep! My pump out might find itself being replaced by a cassette soon!

[blackrose]

It can't be purely coincidental that BW has suddenly doubled the price for many services (pumpout, electricity cards, laundry), at the same time that the shortfall in their funding has been announced. Catchup with their own costs it may be, but it's pretty obvious what prompted it.

Edited November 6, 2006 by blackrose

[Chris Lingwood]

*dons cynical hat*

And you can guarantee that no prices will fall if they get their money back.

[RichardH]

I've had a complete strop with BW on this after they replied to a query stating the price rise was due to rising electricity.

 

£12.10 is outrageous.

 

The average price at Boatyards is roughly 12.50 (cheapest £10, dearest £15) but for this, a chap gets

his hands dirty, properly swills your tank and adds Elsan blue. With a BW pump out:

 

1) it is a race against time and invariably I only just manage 1 pump

2) I'm the one who gets my hands full of sewage

3) the machines are nowhere near as powerful as those at boatyards.

 

Why could they not either:

 

1) increase the time limit on the machines

2) reduce the price to 15 credits so a card can be used twice.

 

In light of the hugely publicised DEFRA cuts I see this very much as a back door penalty in the direction

of boaters to get revenue back in the purse.

 

Also, recalling the recent survey which heavily weighted questions towards 'would users prefer facilities in boatyards' it does seem another dubious way of reducing demand thus justifying removal of pumpouts on the network.

Edited November 7, 2006 by rjholt