Cost of pump out toilet installation

[Silebyman]

As you will be using new parts, as long as you follow a few rules of thumb it should be relatively straightforward. Disassembly if you have to fix something is a bit grimmer, but having pottie trained 2 children this sort of stuff doesn't faze me anymore!!

[tommyleyland]

Hmmm, I might look in to that. Then get someone in to fix it if it fails!
The boat is a lovely large boat for a good price so I'd rather spend the time making it my own

[Alan de Enfield]

Why?

 

Because when they built the boat it was built with 2 bathrooms and a separate shower room.

Along the keel (from bow to stern) is

A 1000 litre potable water tank

A 200 litre grey water tank

A 200 litre black water tank

A 1000 litre diesel tank (with 2x 900 litre 'wing tanks' alongside)

[valrene9600]

For the sake of balance can I mention composting loos.

[Machpoint005]

We had a Vetus macerator system installed complete about five years ago at a cost of around £3000. Not cheap, but the system is brilliant. The holding tank is under the bed, directly aft of the bathroom. Also has the benefit of self-pump-out (which I rarely use) or conventional pump out (preferred option).

 

Our installation was slightly complicated by the narrow gunwales, meaning the outlet pipes had to be routed up to the roof. Works fine though!

[tommyleyland]

Oof that is a bit on the expensive side but could be worth it. How do you empty compost toilets?

[GUMPY]

I know several liveaboards with PO. We wouldnt entertain a cassette type as I have no wish to carry xxxx around every few days. I suspect many boaters who are against PO loos have never had one. We live in the modern world !

 

Ian.

I had a PO and the septic tank is 30metres from the boat so easy to self pump out when on my moorings.

Last year I let the tank get a bit full, there was a rusty patch in the top of the tank that became a hole.

Losts of evil smelling liquid in the bilges.

Took ages to get rid of the smell, luckily there is no ballast in the bilges so we could wash them out.

 

We now use a cassette..........

 

of the last 3 boats I have owned all have been converted to cassette not because I prefer it but because there have been accidents on two and the third one the tank was to small (10days).

Edited July 20, 2015 by Loddon

[NB Lola]

When we removed our dump through it was just in time. The new tank is plastic.

[Glynn]

On our last boat we had a PO vacuum system with a plastic holding tank, we spent many many hours trying to fix odour issues only to later rip it all out and replace it with a cassette toilet.

 

On our new boat we have a PO toilet, macerator type with a remote Stainless steel holding tank under the bed, no problems with this set up, yet…. and I hope it stays that way as a PO toilet is nicer to use than a cassette one.

But if I were you and you do have a PO installed I would only accept a stainless tank, never ever go for a plastic tank.

[George94]

Has anyone has it done before? A rough idea the cost including including installation would be handy, obviously that's if it can be fitted.

 

I did it on my boat, and it was straightforward. However, my boat is a barge, so it wasn't hard to find the space.

 

Don't be tempted to put in too small a tank. Mine is 500 litres, and I wouldn't mind having 750. The problem with a small tank is that you need to pump it out frequently, which wastes large amounts of time and money. I suspect that many of those who switched from PO to cassette did so because the tank was too small.

 

Also, beware of those who tell you that one system is much better than the other. The fact that there are ardent apologists for both systems shows that it's a matter of horses for courses.

 

Finally, keep a cassette available for when you get frozen in or for some other reason can't use the PO.

[Keeping Up]

Dump-throughs don't have to smell. Ours doesn't. As long as there is a decent vent pipe, and all the seals are OK, there's no need for any smell at all (use Odorloss rather than Elsan). Our tank doesn't extend into the bedroom, or anywhere else; it's just in the bathroom under the bowl of course, and has a usable capacity of 35 gallons which means it lasts the 2 of us about 3 weeks.

 

There are so many people busily removing perfectly good PO's to replace them with cassettes that you should be able to buy a second-hand bowl in good order except needing new seals.

[tommyleyland]

On our last boat we had a PO vacuum system with a plastic holding tank, we spent many many hours trying to fix odour issues only to later rip it all out and replace it with a cassette toilet.

 

On our new boat we have a PO toilet, macerator type with a remote Stainless steel holding tank under the bed, no problems with this set up, yet. and I hope it stays that way as a PO toilet is nicer to use than a cassette one.

But if I were you and you do have a PO installed I would only accept a stainless tank, never ever go for a plastic tank.

I heard metal tanks are the worst as urine is super corrosive?

[Keeping Up]

Stainless steel ones are OK ; ours is 24 years old now.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Keeping Up

[nb Innisfree]

Stainless steel ones are OK ; ours is 24 years old now.

Anyone thinking of a ss tank must ensure it's the correct grade, Leesan stopped using them after one corroded through from the inside.

During my diy fitout of Innisfree I installed a Leesan macerator and large 430 lt holding tank, been trouble free for 10 years, probably down to a well planned and executed installation.

[OldGoat]

A thought -

 

Dump through's are best suited to new builds - or where the bathroom has to be rebuilt. That is, for practical results the tank needs to go down to the base plate or any one's legs may be left dangling in the air, especially for anyone who is vertically challenged - assuming you want to put in adequate capacity.

 

For a self fit system to an existing boat I suggest a macerator type with a tank that's remote from the loo. Chris Coburn (of LeeSan fame) told me he tank 5ft (!) high in the centre of 'Progress' and the loos pumped into that! In essence that means you could most likely go for some months before having to pump it.

My experience of PO facilities is that they could pumpout such a unit on one card's worth.

For lesser mortals a tank under a bed (don't tell the ladies) is easier to fit with a macerator system because the hose can be of relatively small bore.

If you boat is 'posh' then you could have two loos.....

[Phil.]

As others have said, speak to leesan to discuss your options. Bad planning and you will regret it. As for the PO versus cassette debate, even prisoners stopped having to slop out years ago. PO every time.

[George94]

As others have said, speak to leesan to discuss your options. Bad planning and you will regret it. As for the PO versus cassette debate, even prisoners stopped having to slop out years ago. PO every time.

 

Perhaps it's the ex-prisoners who like cassettes. Reminds them of those happy, care-free, irresponsible days of their youth, when they knew where the next meal was coming from, and didn't have to work for it.

 

And no women to nag.... Why, it sounds great. Not so very different from a holiday at Butlins, in fact, minus the booze.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Twenty five years lining on th canals: never needed a pump out, replaced several porta pottis as they wore out. ripped out 3 pump out systems.

[magnetman]

I put a Lavac sea toilet in my barge about a year ago which pumps manually to a 100 litre polyprop tank beside it. Flush water drawn in from a 6 litre header tank arranged with a float switch and solenoid valve to top it up from the domestic water supply.

 

About £350 for all the hardware.

 

4 of us on board and i pump out every 4 days. We do have the unusual luxury of a free pumpout machine (hellishly expensive residential mooring )

 

When I escape from the mooring I will either put in a much bigger tank or go back to Thetford cassette system which is my prefered modus operandi on balance on a cruising boat.

Edited July 20, 2015 by magnetman

[system 4-50]

Don't any of you cassette people expect to get old?

[mattlad]

Our pump out was a wrong 'un from day one, the tank was actually designed for another boat and modified to fit ours. It would never empty properly, in the end we fitted the tank with a new outlet but it didn't make a big difference. Two years ago we discovered a seam that had started leaking, we had it welded up but I realized that we would always chasing the weld, which was getting close to going around the corner to where it was inaccessible so I decided to rip it out and (temporarily) fit a cassette. Next job is to fit a composting loo.

[Alan de Enfield]

Don't any of you cassette people expect to get old?

 

That's what trolleys are for.

(Not for carrying old folk, but for carrying cassettes)

[system 4-50]

 

That's what trolleys are for.

(Not for carrying old folk, but for carrying cassettes)

Your trolley goes up steps?

[GUMPY]

Your trolley goes up steps?

Mine does

http://www.safetyliftingear.com/products/sack-truck-stair-climber---200kg/st-sc-ht1410a?gclid=Cj0KEQjwuLKtBRDPicmJyvu_qZMBEiQAzlGN5vL9lOsbtfghMwSFiowCTwPdPX8cENdjl0pGGrHrOuUaAgtj8P8HAQ

[NB Lola]

A question I have always wanted to ask. When emptying the cassette, does it not pong?