Pump out question

[gidh]

Not having used a self pump out yet could somebody please answer this:

 

When you buy the pump out card does it work on time used or as a 'one off' use. In other words if you didnt have a full tank could you use the card again or not ( like a phonecard). If it does buy you time does anybody know how long?

 

cheers Gid

[Keeping Up]

It's a timer, usually set for 8 minutes. Unfortunately they don't ever seem to state the time on the machine (it does vary slightly - also some of them include the time that passes while the pump is 'paused' for you to rinse out the tank with fresh water, and some don't) and they don't ever have any form of count-down, they just get to the end of their time and stop without warning. If that happens to be when you've just half refilled the tank with fresh water to rinse out, that's your hard luck!

 

If the pump is working properly, 8 minutes is plenty of time for most tanks, including perhaps a minute of rinsing and a minute to get it as empty as possible, but they're not always working to peak efficiency and we've several times found them incapable of even half-emptying our relatively small (35 gallon) tank in the time allowed. That's not a problem if you're at an attended site (eg a marina) where they'll usually give you some extra time when that happens but if it's completely unattended you're stuffed.

 

Allan

[RichardH]

My hobby horse at the moment. There a couple of other threads on this but here goes.

 

The 8 mins is great IF the pause facility on the machine is working properly.

 

To pump out your tank, swill with clean water and re-pump is impossible if the pause doesn't work.

 

As I have said before, BW's new rate is all well and good being competitive with the private operators, but at least they do the job properly however long it takes.

 

I have discussed with BW extending the time (I agree with previous comments about capital cost of equipment and maintenance), extending the time would cost very little. They have dug their heels in and said it would be too much trouble.

 

On principle I am only using the BW machines as emergencies - which I suppose if you think back to the heavily weighted survey last year is what BW were angling for.

[allybsc]

We always go to a boatyard, they empty it till it's done, flush it out and give us a pint of blue all for the price of a BW pumpout...much better value.

[Chris J W]

Possibly a stupid question ... If you've got your own pump can you use the pump-facilities without a card? I mean, is there a handy hole you can bung your own pooh-pipe into?

[RichardH]

Possibly a stupid question ... If you've got your own pump can you use the pump-facilities without a card? I mean, is there a handy hole you can bung your own pooh-pipe into?

 

No.

[blackrose]

We always go to a boatyard, they empty it till it's done, flush it out and give us a pint of blue all for the price of a BW pumpout...much better value.

 

So it seems there is a very good case that the new BW rate is not competitive with market rates at all. I don't have a pump out on this boat but on my last one I did. The place I used to take it to did the pump out for you (is this the same at most private places?), which is an entirely different thing than having to do the job yourself. Surely that is a service which BW doesn't offer but is including in its "competitive rate".

[Rick-n-Jo]

So it seems there is a very good case that the new BW rate is not competitive with market rates at all. I don't have a pump out on this boat but on my last one I did. The place I used to take it to did the pump out for you (is this the same at most private places?), which is an entirely different thing than having to do the job yourself. Surely that is a service which BW doesn't offer but is including in its "competitive rate".

 

Exactly!

 

And now some private operators are raising their prices in line with BW, citing, of course, "market forces" just like is happening with moorings.

 

Are your pips starting to squeak yet?

[RichardH]

So it seems there is a very good case that the new BW rate is not competitive with market rates at all. I don't have a pump out on this boat but on my last one I did. The place I used to take it to did the pump out for you (is this the same at most private places?), which is an entirely different thing than having to do the job yourself. Surely that is a service which BW doesn't offer but is including in its "competitive rate".

 

Exactly the points I made to Eugene Baston. I received back the most political spin doctored justify ourselves pile of poo going. Sally Ash from BW wrote a similar pile of poo in Waterways World

 

Exactly!

 

And now some private operators are raising their prices in line with BW, citing, of course, "market forces" just like is happening with moorings.

 

Are your pips starting to squeak yet?

 

Here's a thought about 'market forces' which can work for online moorings

 

Look at the distribution of BW Marinas. Who is the 'commercial operator' BW cites in justifying mooring/facility increases. They don't !

 

They could actually spin it so their own private marinas become the market force which justifies the increase

 

Or am I being too cynical and surreal for my own good.

 

2 weeks off work from today and I can't wait !