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Which loo


carl1963

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you say your tank is 450gall are you on a narrowboat and where do you have the tank positioned

 

450ltr?*&?$%

 

450ltr (450gall would take alot to fill!), on a dutch barge replica (wide beam), tank is near bow and in the center, under bed. For a narrowboat I guess it would be physically too large.

 

Some ideas I've seen on CW for narrowboats is too make it self leveling, so have a smaller fresh water tank just for the toilet on the same side as the black tank, as one emptys the other fills so no need to shift ballast, etc.

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:lol::lol: im fitting a 45 foot narrow beem boat out ive got to the loo witch one pump out or cassete?

Like many others I'm sure, I have read endless posts of peoples preferences for loo's.

This time I thought I would add my opinion.

The best arrangement if space will allow is a macerator type loo (sanimarin in my case).

Solvent weld pipes to a remote holding tank.

A sufficiently large remote tank (700 litres in my case, on a narrowboat)

A high level warning device so that you have sufficient time to plan a pump out.

An electric self pump out arrangement in addition to the usual pump out deck fitting. (I made my own using a submersible pump)

The result is infrequent (three last year) pump outs that cost nothing and a loo that is very pleasant to use.

 

p.s. and I am not antisocial to other sanitary station users, I choose quiet times and do not spill a drop.

 

Rob

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Solvent weld pipes to a remote holding tank.

 

I'm looking to do this as I'm now refitting out, replacing the old flexible pipes with new.

 

My tank has 38mm inlet, I was going to use a bit of flexible san hose for the non straight bits and connecting pipe to tank, etc. which is also 38mm, the only solvent waste pipe I can find is 40mm, which I'm unable to get the hose onto (tried!). Does anyone know where I can get some waste pipe that is 38mm?

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Is the macerator type of toilet for transferring the waste to a remote tank, and if so which are best

 

We have used a Leesan macerator toilet for over 4 years (full time liveaboard) with no trouble whatsoever, contrary to Leesan's recomendations it deals with any type of toilet paper, tho we are careful not to put other unsuitable items in.

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I'm going to cut a hole in the bottom of the boat and use that instead

I've already got one - it's called a weed hatch! The macerator is very efficient as well!! A bit parkie in the winter though. :lol:

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Personally I prefer cassette- depends on how you will be using the boat, but at least with a cassette you can chuck it in the car and drive to the nearest Elsan point if you're stuck (e.g. in ice, unexpected stoppages) for some reason. You CAN do this with a self pump-out kit and some containers, but that just sounds (and smells) like unnecessary faffing to me!

 

The idea of a huge tank of sewage on board isn't too appealing either.

 

You desensitise to emptying cassettes after a while. I'd still rather empty my cassette 50 times than brave a Glastonbury toilet once......

 

Hope this helps,

B

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Our old boat had a dump through pumpout toilet and the new one has a vacuum flush and a cassette as back up

 

The differences we notice between the dump through and vacuum are

 

The dump through can smell a bit when the seal wears and changing it is not a nice job

 

You can see how much is in the tank with a dump trough

 

There is less to go wrong with a dump through

 

On the vacuum system the only indication of a full tank is a light turning from red to green and it changes with boat trim so how full is it really ?

 

The vacuum system uses much more water than the dump through

 

We had a capacity of about 30 person days with the dump through and about 30 person days with teh vacuum ( same size tanks)

 

We also have to fill the fresh water tank more often with the vacuum system

 

The vacuum system is more like the one at home but there is a lot of complicated gubbins in there and one day it will break

 

As for the cassette it really is a last resort they smell either of S**T or Blue which is worse and as for emptying them well it just plain orrible

 

What would we get next time - a dump through with as big a tank as the boat can accommodate on the center line

 

Regards

 

TC

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I'm looking to do this as I'm now refitting out, replacing the old flexible pipes with new.

 

My tank has 38mm inlet, I was going to use a bit of flexible san hose for the non straight bits and connecting pipe to tank, etc. which is also 38mm, the only solvent waste pipe I can find is 40mm, which I'm unable to get the hose onto (tried!). Does anyone know where I can get some waste pipe that is 38mm?

Hi,

35mm sovent weld domestic waste pipe is commonly available. If I were you I would use solvent weld swept bends (135deg and 90deg) rather than flexible

particularly if accesibility is poor:- less likely hood of leaks or joints coming apart.

 

We have used a Leesan macerator toilet for over 4 years (full time liveaboard) with no trouble whatsoever, contrary to Leesan's recomendations it deals with any type of toilet paper, tho we are careful not to put other unsuitable items in.

My experience over 10 years is the same i.e. normal quality loo roll has never phased the macerator.

 

Personally I prefer cassette- depends on how you will be using the boat, but at least with a cassette you can chuck it in the car and drive to the nearest Elsan point if you're stuck (e.g. in ice, unexpected stoppages) for some reason. You CAN do this with a self pump-out kit and some containers, but that just sounds (and smells) like unnecessary faffing to me!

 

The idea of a huge tank of sewage on board isn't too appealing either.

 

You desensitise to emptying cassettes after a while. I'd still rather empty my cassette 50 times than brave a Glastonbury toilet once......

 

Hope this helps,

B

I keep seeing ice/stoppages being given as a reason for not having a pump out, but just how often does this actually cause a problem?

In my case, over the past 15 years, is never. (although I have only been a liveaboard for one year)

The main thing is to ensure your holding tank is big enough.

 

Again I have read more than one post refering to storing sewage on board as a problem.

This is entirely a psychological hang up, you can't see, hear or smell them, so what is the problem.

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At Brentford I constantly hear boaters discussing the condition of the pumpout and whether its working that day.

It goes wrong that often that its a bit hit and miss whether you'll be able to empty the tank without ringing BW who may take days to come and fix it.

If that happens your options are to sit tight (literally!); wait for the tide and go onto the Thames to the nearest pump out at Molsey (assuming you have a Thames licence), or take your boat up 8 - 10 locks to either Bulls Bridge or Uxbridge.

 

For me, apart from the cost, this is a major drawback of pumpout toilets. You're not only relying on your own equipment and systems working properly, you're also relying on someone else's.

I've never seen anyone who couldn't empty their cassette because of system failure - no wait, there was one guy who lost a wheel from his trolley and had to borrow mine :lol:

I suppose an elsan point could be out of order too but its a lot easier to take a cassette to the nearest one than take your whole boat - especially in bad weather.

Edited by blackrose
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Cassette.

 

Some will disagree, but they are just wrong.

 

I would love to disagree with you mayalld but I cannot quite bring myself to. Casssette toilets cost so little and they have minimal moving parts, use little water and are easy to empty.

 

Combine this with a goesunder for the night and you will not be emptying it too often either.

 

Tim

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Pump out

 

Not interested in meeting my waste for a second time. Much easier to get someone else to do it for you.

 

But as a gurl, you are exempt from emptying duties.

 

It's the law! Bev told me so, and she wouldn't tell me fibs.

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Our old boat had a dump through pumpout toilet and the new one has a vacuum flush and a cassette as back up

 

The differences we notice between the dump through and vacuum are

 

The dump through can smell a bit when the seal wears and changing it is not a nice job

 

You can see how much is in the tank with a dump trough

 

There is less to go wrong with a dump through

 

On the vacuum system the only indication of a full tank is a light turning from red to green and it changes with boat trim so how full is it really ?

 

The vacuum system uses much more water than the dump through

 

We had a capacity of about 30 person days with the dump through and about 30 person days with teh vacuum ( same size tanks)

 

We also have to fill the fresh water tank more often with the vacuum system

 

The vacuum system is more like the one at home but there is a lot of complicated gubbins in there and one day it will break

 

As for the cassette it really is a last resort they smell either of S**T or Blue which is worse and as for emptying them well it just plain orrible

 

What would we get next time - a dump through with as big a tank as the boat can accommodate on the center line

 

Regards

 

TC

A :lol: ppreciated, its dump thru then

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A :lol: ppreciated, its dump thru then

 

If you do go this route make sure you have plenty of ventilation, we have two vents, also never put any chemicals down the loo even blue it kills the good stuff that breaks everything down, we use this which works for us, there are different products available.

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As for the cassette it really is a last resort they smell either of S**T or Blue which is worse and as for emptying them well it just plain orrible

I have a vacuum casette which doesn't smell at all. Of course its horrible to empty but I used to have a pump out and emptying that was just as horrible.

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I have a vacuum casette which doesn't smell at all. Of course its horrible to empty but I used to have a pump out and emptying that was just as horrible.

 

Don't know how you were doing your pump out but you shouldn't really get any smells! Emptying a cassette on the other hand is usually gut-wrenching!

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Don't know how you were doing your pump out but you shouldn't really get any smells! Emptying a cassette on the other hand is usually gut-wrenching!

 

Don't know how you were emptying a cassette, but it never wrenches my guts.

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If you do go this route make sure you have plenty of ventilation, we have two vents, also never put any chemicals down the loo even blue it kills the good stuff that breaks everything down, we use this which works for us, there are different products available.

I still don't get what is wrong with a macerator loo and a remote holding tank. The loo is near as dammit the same as a house loo, no smells returning, no need for any chemicals at all, and no need for excessive ventilation.

As far as reliability is concerned, I have never experienced a problem over a number of years (I trust the loo many times more than the diesel heating!)

 

As for tank level, I have a high level sensor warning me a couple of days before the tank is full. Rather nicer than staring into the gloom, nose pinched, looking for the poo mountain.

 

Yes a macerator loo costs a bit more, but when considering the total cost of the boat, it is a tiny proportion.

 

Rob

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Don't know how you were doing your pump out but you shouldn't really get any smells! Emptying a cassette on the other hand is usually gut-wrenching!

Ya Wimp! :lol::lol:

 

I have used boats with pump out and cassette loos and cans see benefits of both and downsides too.

 

On our present boat we have a cassette loo and it does us fine. I have no issue emptying the cassettes and don't find it anywhere near gut-wrenching but then again I was partly brought up on a dairy farm and have seen and smelt much worse! originally when a small boy there was no flushed loo (or inside loo come to that) at all just a.... well I'll leave it at that.

 

Although I quite like the idea of the cassette system (as long as you have spare ones) is that for two people on board the capacity is fine but if you more people particularly folk who are used to flushing gallons of water away each time at home the thing soon gets filled up. The downside of loos of all types on boats is that in some way or other you are not bidding goodbye to your poo when you flush like you would at home but more cheerio 'til next time. Next time being when you pump out or empty your cassette.

 

Some folk or also squeamish about the thought of sleeping above several hundred litres of poo nicely macerated or not even if you can't smell it. I guess it s just what you feel comfortable living with or suits the money available.

Edited by churchward
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Don't know how you were doing your pump out but you shouldn't really get any smells! Emptying a cassette on the other hand is usually gut-wrenching!

I was doing it the same way everybody does it. On a number of occasions I have also helped neighbours take their boats over to the pump out.

Saying that pump outs don't smell when you empty them is pure myth - they stink. At least emptying a casette is over quickly.

 

Anyway, its whatever one is most comfortable with. I've had both and I know which I'd rather have.

Edited by blackrose
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