Pump out tank

[Gordon Lloyd]

I would like to know if there are a type of valve fitted to the waste and vent pipes on pump out tank for a dump through toilet that operate when you have a pump out.

[Guest]

I would like to know if there are a type of valve fitted to the waste and vent pipes on pump out tank for a dump through toilet that operate when you have a pump out.

Ours didn't have a valve AFIK.

 

It had a filter on the vent pipe not a valve. I suspect installations will vary, why do you ask?

[b0atman]

Both pipes run tank to gunnel on mine.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya Gordon, and Welcome to the Forum,

Can you maybe explain just a bit more exactly what you mean. EG do you mean on say the 'Risers' to the Gunwales !. I ask as some May have a valve on the Vent pipe, in order to turn it off when replacing the No Smell in line filter if fitted !.

Or do you mean something els !

Edited May 5, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Gordon Lloyd]

Hi all. The problem was during pump out the guy said he thought we had a blockage. The tank emptied OK and we flushed it out. After I tried to pass a small plastic pipe into the tank down the waste pipe from the gunwales but it hit something hard, and didn't go into the tank.Their appears to be an obstruction.The loo pongs a bit so I wondered if this might be the cause, although there wasn't anything in the riser.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Oh, right.

Well obviously there shouldn't be an obstruction of any sort in the main 'Suck out' pipe.are you sure your small 'Probe' pipe didn't just hit a Bend ?. Try measuring the Pipe run and compare the lengths just to make sure in the first instance..At least they succeeded in emptying your tank. So at least it's functional to a degree.

What made them think it was Blocked or rather Partially Blocked ?.

[Gordon Lloyd]

Ah, he said it was not pulling as it should. I took the wooden panel off inside and disconnected the pipe from below the gunwale inside and still couldn't get past the obstruction. I've been changing the fixing bolts and seals for the loo so I was surprised it had begun to smell. Perhaps I should change to a different toilet fluid, and not use blue?Our boat is now 25 years old and things are beginning to fall apart now!! I've spent too many years boating and not doing enough on maintenance.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Well then, you've got a mucky, smelly job to look fwd to in taking of the complete pipe (ie Both ends) and clearing or replacing for your pennants of the years of enjoyment !.

 

Or leave it, and liquidize all your food from now on !.

Good luck with whatever you decide.,Let us know the outcome !

[Gordon Lloyd]

Thanks Paul, I'll let you know if I succeed or not, meanwhile back to the bathroom!!

[Tony Brooks]

In my experience most dump through pump out pipes are pretty much straight from deck fitting to tank. If you can not see anything between the hose and tank connection or in the hose run (like a misfitted filter or something) I would get a length of dowel or a sturdy cane and apply a bit of force but make absolutely sure it is not hitting the bottom of the tank.

 

In a good installation the pump out take off should be close to the toilet so if you can beg, borrow or steal a disposable vets "cow glove" you should be able to feel down through the dump through plinth and under the pump out pipe. I have know a bar of soap get sucked onto the pump out pipe and stick there.

 

Another possibility is that as the pump out pipe needs to reach almost to the bottom of the tank a build up of solids has shifted and has been sucked into the gap.

 

I understand another of our members has found a kitchen soup ladle ideal for "spooning" the tank contents out into buckets via the toilet plinth so they could clear semi-solids from the tank bottom

Edited May 6, 2014 by Tony Brooks

[mark99]

If you have a laptop IIRC, you can get a cheap device that connects to laptop that's like a borescope so you can see what's there.

 

(Don't post the result screen however - a brief description will suffice)

Edited May 6, 2014 by mark99

[junior]

This is a good advert for cassette toilets.

[Keeping Up]

When we had problems (which eventually turned out to be corrosion of the internal pipework, so that the pump-out sucked in air when the tank was less than half full) I thought there was a blockage when I couldn't push a length of curtain wire down from the gunwale into the tank. In fact the wire was always catching on the top of the spigot that the hose attaches to, and the slight curvature of the pipe guaranteed that it reliably stopped at the same place every time.

 

For some reason, after I had manually emptied the tank so that the pipework could be checked, my wife didn't want the ladle back in the kitchen.

[PaulJ]

Probably a bit late to suggest now and obvious- but did you try running water down the pump out fitting to see if it was blocked? I have found an old control cable outer very useful in the past for clearing blockages. Managed to pull what looked like half a tea towel up the pump out pipe last time I used it..(Full tank and wasnt keen to fish about in it)

[Clifford]

Visitors never quite get the " don't put it down there 'til you've eaten it" message, do they?

 

If I ever find out who thought a Ribena tetrapak would dissolve......

 

 

I think I'll change it to "Eat it first, or eat it afterwards - your choice!"

[Guest]

This is a good advert for cassette toilets.

Cassette loos can go wrong too......ours did.

[Clifford]

I agree, at least pumpouts aren't vile while they are working correctly.

 

I still prefer FlushNFarewell to GlugNGag.

[richardf]

I had a pump out on my first boat, a Springer. We stopped on The Thames at Wallingford for a pump out. The engineer claimed that he felt that his pump was sucking in air - he was right, the suction had pulled the bottom of the tank in! Being a vee bottom, the entire contents had gone into the bilges, some of it being absorbed into the rust that was also present - the vast majority ended up in the stern. We knew that because the bilge pump was pumping out blue liquid!

The end of the family holiday for that year..................

[Clifford]

Free - extra-large holding tank with every Springer!

[Gordon Lloyd]

Being a 'old farming boy' I've had my hands in some very smelly places so I might risk the vet's glove suggestion! (or not). I've contacted the builder who thinks that it is a build up of waste at the bottom of the pipe because he thinks there is a slight bend in the pipe. Thanks for all your help, I've got something to go on now.

[ditchcrawler]

I use to push the flush hose right down to the bottom of the suction pipe from time to time so as to clear any possible build up around the base. The big fat EA ones are ideal especially as the pump out is free to remove the water afterwards. (Nene and Gt Ouse)

[Roustabout]

Couldn't help but notice a couple of comments, "let us know the outcome" and "at least we've got something to go on now".

Am I just a product of the Sid James and Benny Hill golden age ?