Pump out or Cassette

[Callunna]

...in my earlier post I was just wondering about retro fitting a pumpout/macerator thing - is it possible? Or do the tank and outlet have to be installed before you do the fitout?

 

Being all sort of girlie I do like my critter comforts and if the cassette toilet is a problem in our potential boat I'd like to have the reassurance that we could change the arrangements if necessary.

[carlt]

...in my earlier post I was just wondering about retro fitting a pumpout/macerator thing - is it possible? Or do the tank and outlet have to be installed before you do the fitout?

 

Being all sort of girlie I do like my critter comforts and if the cassette toilet is a problem in our potential boat I'd like to have the reassurance that we could change the arrangements if necessary.

As long as there's room then you can retrofit a p/o.

[Noodles]

Cassette with an extra cassette. I find that very suitable and easy to use.

[Sammie]

Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful. I think we must have been unlucky with the two companies that we have had hire boats from over the past ten years or so, as the pump out loos always smell - a horrible sour smell which usually starts after a couple of days. I think parents are going to go for cassette loo and are looking at more info on the vacuum one, as mum really wants a china toilet.

[pagan witch]

I think that may be a rhetorical question. You certainly aren't allowed to self pump into BW elsan points as they are for tipping small amounts of waste from cassettes only.

 

We have an ongoing argument with a chap where we pump out - he regularly comes out, demands to know if we are pumping out (the big pump and 20ft of hose ought to be a clue really) - takes photos, makes a note of our boat name and licence number. He's been on to all and sundry including EA about how terrible these boaters emptying their toilets is.

 

Not wanting to be on the wrong side of this argument I phoned my regional BWB office and asked if I was doing anything wrong, to which I was told "If you have a macerating toilet and pump out via a small bore hose - like 1- 2 inches and the system is on mains sewer then go ahead"

 

Chap moaned at some friends of mine last week too, they have also phoned BWB and the same man told them it was fine too.

 

The san station - note NOT elsan disposal we use does not have a sign saying 'no self pump' and is listed on several web sites as being suitable for self pump. We have found numerous elsan sites that definately say 'Do not' and we respect this.

 

The difference is that the more remote elsan sites tend to go to a septic tank rather than be on mains sewers and a few people like me dropping 200 gallons in would soon fill things up. For those san stations on mains it is no problem.

 

If this 'chap' continues to moan I am going to caution him under Section 5 of the Public Order Act as he is harrassing boaters. Several have already complained to the Police and there is going to be an ongoing log. Ultimately he will get arrested.

[wrigglefingers]

We changed from a Porta Potti to a Fiamma Bi-Pot (hereafter called the Italian Jobbie). It was very cheap (£42.00; half the cost of a new 365) and is very easy to empty and clean as it doesn't have the small, angled discharge pipe on the cassette, but simply a large screw cap which allows simple emptying without the danger of accidental blow-back when you forget to press the pressure release button (which is in a very awkward place).

 

There are a few drawbacks too. The slide blade and upper rubber seal on mine don't meet well (and I've tried replacements) and therefore any wee on the blade is smeared along the the length of the blade (euw!), the pumped rinse sometimes leaks down the back of the upper bowl and dribbles on the floor or settles on the upper surface of the cassette. Finally, and disasterously, the blade and bottom seal work so well that if you forget to open the blade slightly before you pee, when you do open up a sizeable vacuum bubble erupts from the cassette, spraying the unfortunate's trousers (or face if you're a child).

 

So the moral of the story is - remember to open the Italian Jobbie slightly before you wee and clean carefully. On this month's virtual boat I am building I shall have a Thetford cassette for preference; I've seen boats covered in cr*p before now and prefer it when it's smaller scale!

 

Jill

[Tusses]

ok - reading this, I am inclined to go for the thetford.

 

a few questions

 

how long per person does it take to fill (on average-and not counting stopping off at pubs and the like).

 

and one just for curiosity ... its reads here as tho the pump out tanks take around 1 to 2 weeks to fill .... what then, are all the unlicensed boats doing with their waste when they dont move for 3 or 4 months at a time

[bottle]

ok - reading this, I am inclined to go for the thetford.

 

a few questions

 

how long per person does it take to fill (on average-and not counting stopping off at pubs and the like).

 

From what I have picked up over the years about 3 to 4 days for two people, so expect one person may make it last a week but there are so many variables, of course if you have a bad Chineses or Indian the night before......................................................

[chris w]

ok - reading this, I am inclined to go for the thetford.

 

a few questions

 

how long per person does it take to fill (on average-and not counting stopping off at pubs and the like).

 

From personal experience, 2 people will fill a Thetford in 2 days. So, with a spare cassette (a must-have) you have a maximum of 4 days. To gauge longer than this into the calculations would be unwise IMHO.

 

Chris

[NB Alnwick]

From personal experience, 2 people will fill a Thetford in 2 days. So, with a spare cassette (a must-have) you have a maximum of 4 days. To gauge longer than this into the calculations would be unwise IMHO.

 

Chris

 

We have used a Thetford Porta Potti 345 with a spare cassette for the last three years. We can usually manage at least a week before emptying both (It helps if you can find opportunities to pee elsewhere - which may be easier for gentlemen than for ladies) and from our experiences, we will never have a pump out system. The advantages, which may already have been covered elswhere in these forums so I apologise if I am repeating what has already been said, are:

 

You can alway put a cassette in a wheelbarrow or the boot of a car if your boat is disabled some distance from a disposal point - it does happen;

 

It doesn't use power;

 

It is free to empty;

 

Parts and spares are cheap and it is easy to clean and maintain;

 

It doesn't smell;

 

It is portable - so when decorating the bathroom you can put it somewhere else;

 

It is cheap and easy to 'install' and doesn't require any plumbing or other permanent modifications.

 

I our opinion, there is just no contest.

Edited March 23, 2008 by NB Alnwick

[andywatson]

We have an ongoing argument with a chap where we pump out - he regularly comes out, demands to know if we are pumping out (the big pump and 20ft of hose ought to be a clue really) - takes photos, makes a note of our boat name and licence number. He's been on to all and sundry including EA about how terrible these boaters emptying their toilets is.

 

Not wanting to be on the wrong side of this argument I phoned my regional BWB office and asked if I was doing anything wrong, to which I was told "If you have a macerating toilet and pump out via a small bore hose - like 1- 2 inches and the system is on mains sewer then go ahead"

 

Chap moaned at some friends of mine last week too, they have also phoned BWB and the same man told them it was fine too.

 

The san station - note NOT elsan disposal we use does not have a sign saying 'no self pump' and is listed on several web sites as being suitable for self pump. We have found numerous elsan sites that definately say 'Do not' and we respect this.

 

The difference is that the more remote elsan sites tend to go to a septic tank rather than be on mains sewers and a few people like me dropping 200 gallons in would soon fill things up. For those san stations on mains it is no problem.

 

If this 'chap' continues to moan I am going to caution him under Section 5 of the Public Order Act as he is harrassing boaters. Several have already complained to the Police and there is going to be an ongoing log. Ultimately he will get arrested.

 

Is that by any chance the miserable old b****r at Willington?

He often stands in his porch watching what's going on prior to coming across the road to moan.

I have now given up tolerating his interference (even when moored round the bend beyond the bridge) and being polite so as not to make life harder for other boaters.

 

The next time he stands watching me I'll be looking back at him through binoculars and if he wants to come for a moan he's likely to find that I can moan back (as we used to do down t' pit ).

Meanwhile I suggest that all boaters give him plenty of activity to watch at every available opportunity.

Don't forget to wave to him while he's watching you.

 

 

The last time I was there I found that the manhole cover which we used to lift to drop the hose into has been sealed down using security screws (allen screws with pips in the middle). Obviously I do not condone such actions but note that a key with a hole drilled in the middle will remove these.

Edited March 23, 2008 by andywatson

[steelaway]

We have used a Thetford Porta Potti 345 with a spare cassette for the last three years. We can usually manage at least a week before emptying both (It helps if you can find opportunities to pee elsewhere - which may be easier for gentlemen than for ladies) and from our experiences, we will never have a pump out system. The advantages, which may already have been covered elswhere in these forums so I apologise if I am repeating what has already been said, are:

 

You can alway put a cassette in a wheelbarrow or the boot of a car if your boat is disabled some distance from a disposal point - it does happen;

 

It doesn't use power;

 

It is free to empty;

 

Parts and spares are cheap and it is easy to clean and maintain;

 

It doesn't smell;

 

It is portable - so when decorating the bathroom you can put it somewhere else;

 

It is cheap and easy to 'install' and doesn't require any plumbing or other permanent modifications.

 

I our opinion, there is just no contest.

 

 

 

 

DITTO

 

Alex

[bridgit]

Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful. I think we must have been unlucky with the two companies that we have had hire boats from over the past ten years or so, as the pump out loos always smell - a horrible sour smell which usually starts after a couple of days. I think parents are going to go for cassette loo and are looking at more info on the vacuum one, as mum really wants a china toilet.

Ive had both pump out and thetford loo. Hated the thetford as not very well designed for cleaning, lots of nooks and crannys. Cant beat a proper ceramic loo.

[blackrose]

Ive had both pump out and thetford loo. Hated the thetford as not very well designed for cleaning, lots of nooks and crannys. Cant beat a proper ceramic loo.

 

You can get cassette toilets these days with proper ceramic bowls. They are expensive, but the dislike of a plastic toilet bowl is no longer a reason not to have a casette toilet.

[bridgit]

You can get cassette toilets these days with proper ceramic bowls. They are expensive, but the dislike of a plastic toilet bowl is no longer a reason not to have a casette toilet.

Oh never seen one. But it is one of my bug bears. We all live and learn.

[baronbradders]

Will be having two loos on the boat and am planning on using a cassette type for one and a composting loo for the other one.

[blackrose]

Oh never seen one. But it is one of my bug bears. We all live and learn.

 

This is the toilet bowl I have. http://www.leesan.co.uk/bundles/074_vacuflush_5000.pdf

 

It's connected to a removeable vacuum cassette about 6ft away. Although it says it uses 0.5 litres of water/flush, mine only uses about 0.2 litres.

 

This is the vacuum casette that it goes to. http://www.leesan.com/bundles/cassette_toilets_lr.pdf

When full, the cassette is pulled from the base unit that's screwed down to the floor (you can see the back of the base unit in the picture).

 

I've had it for nearly 2 years now and I'm very happy with it.

Edited March 23, 2008 by blackrose

[bridgit]

This is the toilet bowl I have. http://www.leesan.co.uk/bundles/074_vacuflush_5000.pdf

 

It's connected to a removeable vacuum cassette about 6ft away. Although it says it uses 0.5 litres of water/flush, mine only uses about 0.2 litres.

 

This is the vacuum casette that it goes to. http://www.leesan.com/bundles/cassette_toilets_lr.pdf

When full, the cassette is pulled from the base unit that's screwed down to the floor (you can see the back of the base unit in the picture).

 

I've had it for nearly 2 years now and I'm very happy with it.

Thanks for the site. Just bought a vacuum massator pump out. but would have thought about one of these had I known about them. Still its not fitted yet so still time to change my mind.

[blackrose]

Thanks for the site. Just bought a vacuum massator pump out. but would have thought about one of these had I known about them. Still its not fitted yet so still time to change my mind.

 

Just take a couple of valium and sit down before you ask Lee Sanitation or your chandler for the price!