Pump out point on gunwales or roof?

[Sammie]

Hi

 

We are in the process of having a narrowboat built. On hire boats we have used, the pump out for the toilets has always been on the gunwales. However, it has been suggested that we have the pump out point for our boat, on the roof.

Having not come across this location before, any comments, for or against, would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many thanks, Sammie

[Chris J W]

I don't have a pumpout, but I would think having the pumpout on the roof would make it far easier to reach from either side.

[The Drunken Duck]

We're having a new boat built and the builders are just installing the pump out outlet towards the front of the roof. As Chris says, this makes it easily accessible from either side.

[Machpoint005]

'Shared ownership' boats all have the pump-out(s) on the roof. Works from either side ... and since the things are used every week, I'd think they would have got it right by now.

 

(I'm not opening up a poo tank vs. chemibucket debate, though!)

 

Ian

[viking]

Do yourself and your pocket a wonderful favour and don't have one fitted at all.

 

When we moved from hire boats (40 years) to ownership we were absolutely adamant that we wanted a pump out toilet. We were told by boat builder after boat builder not to go there but we laughed at them all because we knew best.

 

Well we didn't.

 

I think our pump out toilet was something like £800 extra on the cost of the basic boat. It has been the biggest liability and the worst waste of money of my entire life. We are now planning to spend probably a roughly equivalent amount to have the whole thing removed next year. Why?

 

They smell abominably - simply do not believe anybody who says they don't and there is no way to stop it.

 

The cost of pumpouts is ludicrous even the bwb self pump outs.

 

Boatyard pumpouts are very often in the most inaccessible places and the very act of asking for one seems to guarantee that you will be treated like some kind of pariah and placed to the back of a long queue - even if there is nobody else there.

 

They very often are not available in the winter.

 

If you go to a hire base and ask for a pumpout then you had better not choose any of their turnround days (and nowadays that spans about half the week).

 

The space occupied by the pumpout tank will be far better used for storage.

 

We wrestled with our pumpout toilet for two years before we gave up on making it remotely sanitary and believe me in that time we tried every trick you could ever imagine, short of having it exorcised by a priest, in an attempt to make it acceptable and it never was or ever will be. About a year ago we gave up using it all together and now exclusively use a porta potti which never smells, is remarkably convenient, and costs nothing to empty.

 

Of course you will laugh at this as we did, have a pumpout toilet fitted as we did, and eventually regret it, as we did.

 

Good luck.

[Keeping Up]

(I'm not opening up a poo tank vs. chemibucket debate, though!)

But obviously it wouldn't be long before someone had to!

 

For the record, ours is on the gunwale. It's always seemed to me that placing it on the roof would reduce the suction and allow more content to fall back into the tank when you stop pumping, but I've no evidence to back this up. However there is one point; at the instant when someone flushes the toilet, there is a momentary waft of smell from the vent pipe as some gas is forced out. If the vent is on the roof, I think you will probably smell it more than if it is on the gunwale (particualrly as the gas is heavier than air).

[The Drunken Duck]

But obviously it wouldn't be long before someone had to!

 

...................However there is one point; at the instant when someone flushes the toilet, there is a momentary waft of smell from the vent pipe as some gas is forced out. If the vent is on the roof, I think you will probably smell it more than if it is on the gunwale (particualrly as the gas is heavier than air).

 

I think the Microvent CLICK HERE should solve any odour problems and will fit inside a locker.

 

Alistair of N/B Antidote said under his building modifications carried out:-

 

"Because the holding tank breather outlet is not far from the galley window, there was another problem!

 

Unlike a "dump-through" toilet, an electric toilet pumps waste under pressure into the holding tank, which in turn forces air out of the tank through the breather pipe.

 

If the wind is in the wrong direction, this "air" from the holding tank finds its way in through open windows, which can be a bit "whiffy"!

 

The solution was to put a charcoal filter in the breather pipe, so that smells are removed from the air. The Microvent filter is tucked inside a cupboard in the bedroom, where it is out of the way but accessible to change the filter element. "

[Chris J W]

For the record, ours is on the gunwale. It's always seemed to me that placing it on the roof would reduce the suction and allow more content to fall back into the tank when you stop pumping, but I've no evidence to back this up. However there is one point; at the instant when someone flushes the toilet, there is a momentary waft of smell from the vent pipe as some gas is forced out. If the vent is on the roof, I think you will probably smell it more than if it is on the gunwale (particualrly as the gas is heavier than air).

 

Would it be too much phaff, especially if building into a new shell, to have a pump out point on BOTH gunwales, then?

[charles123]

I recommend a central roof pump out point for the reasons already stated, it also allows you to install a big tank roof to floor

 

My other comments are inserted in blue

 

Good luck

 

Charles

 

Do yourself and your pocket a wonderful favour and don't have one fitted at all.

 

When we moved from hire boats (40 years) to ownership we were absolutely adamant that we wanted a pump out toilet. We were told by boat builder after boat builder not to go there but we laughed at them all because we knew best.

 

Well we didn't.

 

I think our pump out toilet was something like £800 extra on the cost of the basic boat. It has been the biggest liability and the worst waste of money of my entire life. We are now planning to spend probably a roughly equivalent amount to have the whole thing removed next year. Why?

 

They smell abominably - simply do not believe anybody who says they don't and there is no way to stop it.

 

They should not smell at all if they do you dont understand toilets

 

The cost of pumpouts is ludicrous even the bwb self pump outs.

 

Not if you build in a big enough tank

 

Boatyard pumpouts are very often in the most inaccessible places and the very act of asking for one seems to guarantee that you will be treated like some kind of pariah and placed to the back of a long queue - even if there is nobody else there.

 

Cant say I have every had this problem

 

They very often are not available in the winter.

 

My experience is that you can get a pump out all year round

 

If you go to a hire base and ask for a pumpout then you had better not choose any of their turnround days (and nowadays that spans about half the week).

 

Agreed can be a problem but I do see it from their point of view

 

The space occupied by the pumpout tank will be far better used for storage.

 

Use of space is always a compromise

 

We wrestled with our pumpout toilet for two years before we gave up on making it remotely sanitary and believe me in that time we tried every trick you could ever imagine, short of having it exorcised by a priest, in an attempt to make it acceptable and it never was or ever will be. About a year ago we gave up using it all together and now exclusively use a porta potti which never smells, is remarkably convenient, and costs nothing to empty.

 

I cant imagine ever carrying one of those things and pouring the waste down the hole, stilll each to his own

 

Of course you will laugh at this as we did, have a pumpout toilet fitted as we did, and eventually regret it, as we did.

 

Good luck.

[bottle]

Hi

 

We are in the process of having a narrowboat built. On hire boats we have used, the pump out for the toilets has always been on the gunwales. However, it has been suggested that we have the pump out point for our boat, on the roof.

Having not come across this location before, any comments, for or against, would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many thanks, Sammie

 

 

Would it be too much phaff, especially if building into a new shell, to have a pump out point on BOTH gunwales, then?

 

Hi Sammie

 

Our boat will be as Chris J W mentions, a pump out point and a flush inlet, on both gunwales.

 

We will also have a cassette loo for those times we cannot get to a pump out.

 

Best of both worlds

[Bullfrog]

Ours is roof mounted.

 

No problems so far.

 

The original sales blurb said that this position was less of a "trip hazard" though how you would trip over a skin fitting that shallow I don't know.

[Sammie]

Thanks for all the replies. Had not considered the smell issue, so some points to think about!

 

Many thanks for the advice, Sammie.

[RobinJ]

We are in the process of having a narrowboat built. On hire boats we have used, the pump out for the toilets has always been on the gunwales. However, it has been suggested that we have the pump out point for our boat, on the roof.

Having not come across this location before, any comments, for or against, would be greatly appreciated.

Does make it easier for accesability etc., however it may create problems with some systems that cannot suck enough and invariably leaves more residual!

[magpie patrick]

Both mine are on the gunnel, on the same side. There is no doubt it is more difficult to service "wrong side" and one boatyard asked me to do it for them as the old gaffer wasn't agile enough to work from the gunnel. Most places I've been there is room to turn the boat round though if need be (and mine's a 62 footer).

 

I can (and have) coped with Porta-Pottis: the thought of mum and dad doing it doesn't fill me with enthusiasm: they are comfortably into their seventies and only borrow the boat on lock free sections. That said, I've thought of having a PP as a "spare".

 

In response to Viking,

 

my toilets only smell when nearly full, or when someone misses the pot and doesn't clean up after themselves.

 

I've never had anything but the promptest of attention when wanting a pump out, and have been able to get one without trouble even in mid january: yes turnround day is a problem but that applies to deiel and gas as well..

 

They do cost but the cost of deisel and gas is considerably greater for me (and I've got two to empty!).

 

I will admit that the storage tanks have forced us to rethink some of the refitting but then so has the central heating boiler (perhaps I shouldn't have that, either), the swim at the back under the double bed and the location of the windows.

 

The biggest problem was one got blocked, but I think that was friends kids and thsi goes with the territory of having kids...

[stuart]

I recommend a central roof pump out point for the reasons already stated, it also allows you to install a big tank roof to floor

 

My other comments are inserted in blue

 

Good luck

 

Charles

 

 

I completely agree with Charles!

 

No smells should be evident - had mine 3 years now and no problems.

 

Pump out costs between £8-£12 - simple clean procedure and no carrying slop up the towpath.

[AlanH]

Thanks for all the replies. Had not considered the smell issue, so some points to think about!

 

Many thanks for the advice, Sammie.

Having had both I think I prefer the pump out. My dump through only smells when flushing and the valve is open but then so did the Porta Potti when the slide was open. I don't have to carry effluent through the boat and along the towpath and I don't have to cope with the inevitable drips when doing so.

Mine is on the gunwales but I can see that a roof mounted one would be more accessible from both sides.

[Tony Brooks]

Thanks for all the replies. Had not considered the smell issue, so some points to think about!

 

Many thanks for the advice, Sammie.

 

 

Re the smell.

 

Please INSIST that your builder fits two large bore breathers, one at each end of the tank. Say about 1 inch ID minimum. This will largely eradicate smell, whatever anyone tries to tell you and you will not have to use blue- another cause of smell in my experience.

 

If anyone doubts this there is an open invitation to come and sniff JennyBs toilet with the flap open OR closed.

 

There is a good website written by an American or Canadian woman about toilet smells, sorry I do not have a link.

[JohnO]

My other comments are inserted in blue[/color]

Charles

 

pardon the pun

[Yoda]

Chopped up chives reduce the smell of 'toilets'. Big breathers are the way to stop the build-up of gas etc in systems.

[sueb]

Do yourself and your pocket a wonderful favour and don't have one fitted at all.

 

When we moved from hire boats (40 years) to ownership we were absolutely adamant that we wanted a pump out toilet. We were told by boat builder after boat builder not to go there but we laughed at them all because we knew best.

 

Well we didn't.

 

I think our pump out toilet was something like £800 extra on the cost of the basic boat. It has been the biggest liability and the worst waste of money of my entire life. We are now planning to spend probably a roughly equivalent amount to have the whole thing removed next year. Why?

 

They smell abominably - simply do not believe anybody who says they don't and there is no way to stop it.

 

The cost of pumpouts is ludicrous even the bwb self pump outs.

 

Boatyard pumpouts are very often in the most inaccessible places and the very act of asking for one seems to guarantee that you will be treated like some kind of pariah and placed to the back of a long queue - even if there is nobody else there.

 

They very often are not available in the winter.

 

If you go to a hire base and ask for a pumpout then you had better not choose any of their turnround days (and nowadays that spans about half the week).

 

The space occupied by the pumpout tank will be far better used for storage.

 

We wrestled with our pumpout toilet for two years before we gave up on making it remotely sanitary and believe me in that time we tried every trick you could ever imagine, short of having it exorcised by a priest, in an attempt to make it acceptable and it never was or ever will be. About a year ago we gave up using it all together and now exclusively use a porta potti which never smells, is remarkably convenient, and costs nothing to empty.

 

Of course you will laugh at this as we did, have a pumpout toilet fitted as we did, and eventually regret it, as we did.

 

Good luck.

 

I completly disagree. We have had a boat (liveaboard) for 20 years with a pump out and our own pump. We use biomagic and have no problems.

When we did use a porta potty we found we were having to empty it every couple of days and carting the cassette to the elson point was no joke. At least we can forget our loo for weeks at a time.

Sue