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Should I rip out my composting toilet in favour of a cassette?


Shangela

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14 hours ago, Shangela said:

 

Has anyone done this? My main worry is taking value off the boat as capacity would be reduced I suppose, but would buy an extra cassette too. I’m torn!

 

Are you selling the boat soon then?  If not why are you worrying about the potential value to someone else? I think this obsession with the market value of our possessions comes from the housing market mentality. Think about the value of your boat to you and do what you want with it. That will make you feel much happier.

 

2 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

What a load of messing about just to have a loo that works, chuck it as far as possible as soon as you can.

Self pumpout kit, tank and sea toilet for me everytime, monthly to 6 weeks between emptying, no smell, no spills, no hassle, no contest.

 

Self pump out, no smell, spills or hassle? That's the funniest joke I've heard for ages ? It does make me laugh when people on this forum try to tell us that their sh*t doesn't stink ?. I had a self pump out kit on a previous boat for a couple of years. Bloody horrible idea. Never again. Still, each to their own, if that's your thing.

Edited by blackrose
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I knew I had blackrose on ignore for a good reason, sneaky peeked.

 

From one who has practical experience over 20 years living aboard with our pumpout, it never smells, has never spilled and with an electric pump has been no hassle at all.

I can pump out into any loo, manhole or Elsan point that is on mains drainage, takes about 20 minutes to set up, empty an 80 gallon tank and wash through with dilute disinfectant.

If I was building another boat I would have a pumpout outlet on both sides for ease.

 

I use no blue or anything else in the tank, the only smell is from the place where we pump into, some Elsan points are disgusting, I would hate to have to stand there washing a cassette out rather than just sticking our pipe in.

But to explain, the Baby Blakes sea toilet macerates everything well so there is no chance of blocking up a loo or Elsan pit, and the only vent on the tank is outside on the roof well away from the steerer.

 

When we were on the marinas, the stink was from the on shore drains because there was so much blue used that no natural bacteria stood a chance. Septic tanks on land should not  stink, because the bacteria in them are working properly, its only when this natural action is stopped by bleach or blue that the pong starts.

 

Hire fleets still use pumpouts because they know that the hirers will not tolerate carrying boxes of sewage to empty them. And those people pay money to be on their boats.

 

I think no hirer would tolerate your composting messing about either.

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15 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

From one who has practical experience over 20 years living abroad  with our pumpout, it never smells, has never spilled and with an electric pump has been no hassle at all.

We know you are in pines BS. 20 years living abroad :)

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1 hour ago, Boater Sam said:

I can pump out into any loo, manhole or Elsan point that is on mains drainage,

Never having considered a self-pumpout a couple of questions :-

 

With many Elsan disposal points being 100mts+ way from the waterside, how do you store sufficient hose on the boat ?

I also wonder how you manage to empty that 100mt of discharge hose between the pump and the outlet when your tank is empty.

How do you flush out / clean the discharge hose ?

 

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1 hour ago, Boater Sam said:

True, but as we have a pumpout loo that  can just be left for 4 months, and costs us nothing to empty, we can afford to live in the tropics in Winter.

 

Has there ever been a poll about loo types on the forum? Time to do one? Anyone know how to?

Yay! another referendum! I love arguments!

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34 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Never having considered a self-pumpout a couple of questions :-

 

With many Elsan disposal points being 100mts+ way from the waterside, how do you store sufficient hose on the boat ?

I also wonder how you manage to empty that 100mt of discharge hose between the pump and the outlet when your tank is empty.

How do you flush out / clean the discharge hose ?

 

Very simply, use layflat 1 1/2" hose. I have a 7m length and a 18m length that can be joined. I could use a longer length but have found I can find plenty of places in range of one or both together. It coils up into a  small bucket along with the end fittings and disinfectant.  Short stiff suction hose is attached to the electric diaphragm pump permanently.

 

For example, Top of Farmers Locks in Brum I use the service point, very close. Cropredy is more thought provoking  due to how you have to moor but still in range. Fazeley was tricky, up hill and ignore the prohibition notice but used many times. Its not there now I believe. Calden junction T&M an easy one. On odd occasions when we have to use a lavatory bowl, I clip the hose to the seat so it can't fall out. On Elsan points with the grating it clips to that.

 

Our mooring has a septic tank 23m away from the canal so its both hoses, easy.

 

Once the tank is empty, the suction hose is taken off the tank adapter and dropped into the canal to pump a few gallons through, Meanwhile the bucket is filled with water and a dash of disinfectant, I like the whiff of pine forest.

The adapter comes out of the tank and into the bucket, the plug goes into the tank outlet. By which time the hose contains only canal water, the end is then put into the bucket and the disinfected water washes through the hose, it never smells even when left all winter on the boat.

Pump run until hose is not full, taken off the pump and coiled up, emptying the water into the dump as it goes. Pack all away.

 

Its all very simple and quick. A clean process, I never even wear gloves, and all the waste is gone.

 

I've made up kits for several boaters the same way over the years, save a lot of money in a year not paying for pumpouts.

Edited by Boater Sam
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5 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Very simply, use layflat 1 1/2" hose. I have a 7m length and a 15m length that can be joined. I could use a longer length but have found I can find plenty of places in range. It coils up into a  small bucket along with the end fittings and disinfectant.  Short stiff suction hose is attached to the electric diaphragm pump permanently.

 

For example, Top of Farmers Locks in Brum I use the service point, very close. Cropredy is more thought provoking  due to how you have to moor but still in range. Fazeley was tricky, up hill and ignore the prohibition notice but used many times. Its not there now I believe. Calden junction T&M an easy one. On odd occasions when we have to use a lavatory bowl, I clip the hose to the seat so it can't fall out. On Elsan points with the grating it clips to that.

 

Our mooring has a septic tank 23m away from the canal so its both hoses, easy.

 

Once the tank is empty, the suction hose is taken off the tank adapter and dropped into the canal to pump a few gallons through, Meanwhile the bucket is filled with water and a dash of disinfectant, I like the whiff of pine forest.

The adapter comes out of the tank and into the bucket, the plug goes into the tank outlet. By which time the hose contains only canal water, the end is then put into the bucket and the disinfected water washes through the hose, it never smells even when left all winter on the boat.

Pump run until hose is not full, taken off the pump and coiled up, emptying the water into the dump as it goes. Pack all away.

 

Its all very simple and quick. A clean process, I never even wear gloves, and all the waste is gone.

 

I've made up kits for several boaters the same way over the years, save a lot of money in a year not paying for pumpouts.

Thanks for that, but I think I would need 4x the amount of hose, I often have to double up my 175 foot "magic" water hose to reach the 'facilities'.

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11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Thanks for that, but I think I would need 4x the amount of hose, I often have to double up my 175 foot "magic" water hose to reach the 'facilities'.

Not surprised Alan if your boat is sailing around the Visayas, no facilities around here! Still 100m of layflat is only a roll about 600mm in diameter.

 

Pretty boat if it was yours, congrats.

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55 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Very simply, use layflat 1 1/2" hose. I have a 7m length and a 18m length that can be joined. I could use a longer length but have found I can find plenty of places in range of one or both together. It coils up into a  small bucket along with the end fittings and disinfectant.  Short stiff suction hose is attached to the electric diaphragm pump permanently.

 

For example, Top of Farmers Locks in Brum I use the service point, very close. Cropredy is more thought provoking  due to how you have to moor but still in range. Fazeley was tricky, up hill and ignore the prohibition notice but used many times. Its not there now I believe. Calden junction T&M an easy one. On odd occasions when we have to use a lavatory bowl, I clip the hose to the seat so it can't fall out. On Elsan points with the grating it clips to that.

 

Our mooring has a septic tank 23m away from the canal so its both hoses, easy.

 

Once the tank is empty, the suction hose is taken off the tank adapter and dropped into the canal to pump a few gallons through, Meanwhile the bucket is filled with water and a dash of disinfectant, I like the whiff of pine forest.

The adapter comes out of the tank and into the bucket, the plug goes into the tank outlet. By which time the hose contains only canal water, the end is then put into the bucket and the disinfected water washes through the hose, it never smells even when left all winter on the boat.

Pump run until hose is not full, taken off the pump and coiled up, emptying the water into the dump as it goes. Pack all away.

 

Its all very simple and quick. A clean process, I never even wear gloves, and all the waste is gone.

 

I've made up kits for several boaters the same way over the years, save a lot of money in a year not paying for pumpouts.

Or pull out cassette at whichever of the thousands of elsans that abound the system and empty in twenty seconds and each of the two spares so all done and gone off boating again before you have finished rolling out the hose. Another thing Sam you dont need a pump out fitting either side of the boat, mine has one in the centre of the " Roof " thats easily useable and not back breaking from either side of the boat. :) 

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38 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Not surprised Alan if your boat is sailing around the Visayas, no facilities around here! Still 100m of layflat is only a roll about 600mm in diameter.

 

Pretty boat if it was yours, congrats.

No, its for the 'other boat'.

The cat has holding tanks for when inshore, then just open the valve and it 'self-dumps' when off shore.

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32 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Or pull out cassette at whichever of the thousands of elsans that abound the system and empty in twenty seconds and each of the two spares so all done and gone off boating again before you have finished rolling out the hose. Another thing Sam you dont need a pump out fitting either side of the boat, mine has one in the centre of the " Roof " thats easily useable and not back breaking from either side of the boat. :) 

Have experienced trying to pump out from roof fittings on a marina, I avoid them. Many pump outs will not pull satisfactorily from the roof, the one at Macclesfield was a pest, sometimes it would then it would only pump half.

And the length of internal hose up to the roof often is the source of a smell if not the best hose has been used.

Its easy to fall from a roof too and many are now covered with PV panels.

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I have been to CRT elsans where there are signs saying no self pumpout, how long before that becomes all CTR elsans?

I had a pumpout in my first boat it broke a few times and I was iced in a few times, Dave a mate used to pump me out using his tanker in the end, as I lost count of the times I cruised to either Sheffield or beyond Doncaster to discover the pump out were broken!

This boat came with nothing so I borrowed a cassette I gave up on the idea very quickly, as I was frozen in at Mercia and so were the elsan points frozen that is.

I have a Seperate Villa composting toilet seven years of use no problems so why would I ever want to go back to another method?

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2 hours ago, peterboat said:

 

I had a pumpout in my first boat it broke a few times and I was iced in a few times, Dave a mate used to pump me out using his tanker in the end, as I lost count of the times I cruised to either Sheffield or beyond Doncaster to discover the pump out were broken!

 

 

  The pump out at Sheffield has never been broken when you've been there and should it ever break there is a portable one to replace it. The pump out at Sheffield needs to operate every week as there are two Hotel boats there that need to be emptied weekly, also there's a large Trip boat as you know that needs to empty when required. So I don't know what your on about. 

Edited by PD1964
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36 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

  The pump out at Sheffield has never been broken when you've been there and should it ever break there is a portable one to replace it. The pump out at Sheffield needs to operate every week as there are two Hotel boats there that need to be emptied weekly, also there's a large Trip boat as you know that needs to empty when required. So I don't know what your on about. 

I have had this boat for 8 years, and the one previous to that for 6 years, so we are talking 14 years ago when I first went up the flight to Sheffield to use the pump out, and it failed at the first attempt [It was a CRT asset then] Anyway over a year or so I tried popping up to use it  as well as just going to Sheffield for a few days and at the end I decided it was more trouble than it was worth. It might be better now but then it wasnt,  I have watched the trip boat self pump out so it doesnt need the official pump out, maybe it changed because the official pump out was unreliable?

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You can't just use it, as it is not self operate.  The pump and controls are in a locked building and only part of the hose and nozzle was next to the water, the new hose configuration is now also locked away indoors to prevent frost/ice damage.  The pump out has worked fine since the widebeam hotel boats have been there and it has a 6 month interim service and a full yearly service by Selwood pumps. So there is no problem with the pump out at Sheffield.

Edited by PD1964
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20 hours ago, peterboat said:

  I have had this boat for 8 years, and the one previous to that for 6 years, so we are talking 14 years ago when I first went up the flight to Sheffield to use the pump out, and it failed at the first attempt [It was a CRT asset then] Anyway over a year or so I tried popping up to use it  as well as just going to Sheffield for a few days and at the end I decided it was more trouble than it was worth. It might be better now but then it wasnt.

Then seams to be over 13 year's ago. It works fine now and is used every week. So for anyone thinking about going to Sheffield there is a working pump out there should you require your tank to be emptied.

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A cassette toilet gets my vote. Simple and quick to empty,and swill out,and with practice you can hold your breath long enough to empty it at an Elsan point,stick your head out of the door,take another breath and swill it out.

There is quite enough stuff to go wrong on a boat without adding to the list.

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I am at a loose end so I will again volunteer that my Jabsco full size flush toilet & 70 gal PO tank is a absolute delight (now that I've replaced the white drain hose with thick ABS pipe) and even changing the check valve is no big deal.  Emptying cassettes?  Never again.

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On 20/02/2019 at 21:43, system 4-50 said:

I am at a loose end so I will again volunteer that my Jabsco full size flush toilet & 70 gal PO tank is a absolute delight (now that I've replaced the white drain hose with thick ABS pipe) and even changing the check valve is no big deal.  Emptying cassettes?  Never again.

The voice of sense and reason. 

I have no qualms about pumping into "no pumpout" Elasan sites, the waste is already shredded and is less likely to block anything than a porta crapper being dumped in.

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