bubbles in the bog

[Pat]

Hi everyone,

We've recently moved onto Pennie, and are still experiencing a few problems... Because the previous owners lived in a marina, the black and grey water all goes into the same pump out tank. Nothing goes overboard. The water from the sinks and shower gathers in the shower tray and then gets pumped into the tank when you press a button on the side of the shower. This works fine in small doses, but after the shower tray has been pumping out for a few minutes, air bubbles up through the toilet and..... stinks.

Air must get trapped somewhere and is then forced out when the tank fills up, but how do I stop it? I've tried opening the cap for the pump out, but it didn't help.

Any ideas?

[John Orentas]

You would be well advised to rearrange your plumbing in such a way that you normal waste water is pumped or allowed to flow directly into the canal. If you have to pay for pump-outs to get rid of the waste water it will cost you a fortune.

 

If you are new to the waterways the idea of allowing waste to drain into the canal may seem strange but it has been shown over the past 200 years that the waterways are well capable of coping with it.

[Pat]

You would be well advised to rearrange your plumbing in such a way that you normal waste water is pumped or allowed to flow directly into the canal. If you have to pay for pump-outs to get rid of the waste water it will cost you a fortune.

 

If you are new to the waterways the idea of allowing waste to drain into the canal may seem strange but it has been shown over the past 200 years that the waterways are well capable of coping with it.

 

Thanks John,

On my previous boat grey water went straight into the cut, and I have thought about replumbing at some point. But as we are on a residential mooring with pump out facility, and the boat is fitted with a macerator pump, pumping out once a week really isn't a problem. I thought someone with some plumbing experience might be able to give some good advice on how to sort the problem without having to redo the whole thing.

But the more I think about it, I might just have to get the rubber gloves on and get in there and replumb it.

[DHutch]

If air is being forced up though the toilet when you pump in your grey water the tank obvously isnt vented at all?

- I though it was common practice for all tanks to vented overboard?

 

Also, i invistage it bein a fairly easy task to fit a three valve (or a pair of single valves) to allow the exsiting pump to discharge overboard.

- Which would likely be an advantage if you ever planned to moor elsewhere, or even go on a fortnights outting at some point.

 

 

Daniel

[Cafnod]

Hi Daniel

I would say that if taking the pump out cap off does not give sufficient venting to the tank then a small tank vent is not going to help, it would seem that the problem is possibly in the design of the system, ie air will be forced up the toilet before the waste can reach the tank, or there is a restriction somewhere.

Either way I think a lot more would need to be known about the system pipe, bores, runs, location of components before an accurate answer could be given. I would tend to agree with John and Daniel that pumping grey into the cut and black into the tank is the best logistical and financial option and it will have the added bonus of getting rid of the bubbling.