Pump out or Cassette ?

[Guest]

Agreed that was our thinking but too many compromises elsewhere just to have two bathrooms and they wanted silly money for it .

 

Rugby boats recently had a boat on brokerage 'November' - (now sold) that had two bathrooms each serving a cabin. One bathroom had a pump out loo and the other had a cassette loo installed. I thought it was a rather neat idea. It was a 70 foot boat though so had room.

 

The alternative would be just to have a free standing 'Porta poti' in the bathrom (assuming you have the space of course)

Edited October 20, 2015 by MJG

[patty-ann]

I've got a cassette and empty it regularly since they are heavy when full..even if u have wheeley things you still have to lift n lug about. I think if I ever had another boat I would consider carefully options.

I love my boat and wouldn't get rid of her over this but not sure in my own mind whether cassette is best.

[Dekazer]

In a bit of a hurry so haven't read the whole thread, but having lived with both:

 

Cassette

 

Pros = free to empty, easy to empty (little to go wrong), unlikely to overflow, can be emptied away from boat (using trolley/car).

 

Cons = Have to empty it frequently (depending on usage), you need a strong stomach to empty, some elsan points are grim, Blue is fairly pricey (although alternatives exist)

 

Pump out

 

Pros = empty far less often (months rather than days between empties).

 

Cons = Can't empty without taking the boat (nb if you have engine trouble, are iced in etc), can make boat lean to one side when full, more 'bits' to go wrong, cost of emptying (£10 ish a go).

 

 

You will notice I haven't mentioned smell - whether or not you get smells will depend on the way you manage your system rather than on the system itself, iyswim. Overall I suspect the average cassette user spends more on blue than a pump-out owner spends on pump-outs, but it will vary.

 

Be aware, if the marina where you moor has a pump out system at the boat, the issue of having to move the boat to empty the loo is removed, which may be important.

 

There are different quality cassettes - from old-style porta pottis to posho built in systems. Pump outs are built in but still vary hugely in quality.

 

Given the chance to start again with our current boat, I'd get rid of the pump-out and replace with a cassette, although it's unlikely I will for very specific reasons. If I had another NB, I'd pick a cassette over pump-out every time.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Lucy

[Guest]

In a bit of a hurry so haven't read the whole thread, but having lived with both:

 

Cassette

 

Pros = free to empty, easy to empty (little to go wrong), unlikely to overflow, can be emptied away from boat (using trolley/car).

 

Cons = Have to empty it frequently (depending on usage), you need a strong stomach to empty, some elsan points are grim, Blue is fairly pricey (although alternatives exist)

 

Pump out

 

Pros = empty far less often (months rather than days between empties).

 

Cons = Can't empty without taking the boat (nb if you have engine trouble, are iced in etc), can make boat lean to one side when full, more 'bits' to go wrong, cost of emptying (£10 ish a go).

 

 

You will notice I haven't mentioned smell - whether or not you get smells will depend on the way you manage your system rather than on the system itself, iyswim. Overall I suspect the average cassette user spends more on blue than a pump-out owner spends on pump-outs, but it will vary.

 

Be aware, if the marina where you moor has a pump out system at the boat, the issue of having to move the boat to empty the loo is removed, which may be important.

 

There are different quality cassettes - from old-style porta pottis to posho built in systems. Pump outs are built in but still vary hugely in quality.

 

Given the chance to start again with our current boat, I'd get rid of the pump-out and replace with a cassette, although it's unlikely I will for very specific reasons. If I had another NB, I'd pick a cassette over pump-out every time.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Lucy

 

It is worth pointing out that whilst that is correct in that there is little to go wrong they can ad sometimes do.

 

Over many years of using them in caravans and the boat the faults we have had.

 

1 - leaky seals. They do need to be looked after other wise they harden and leak. They also do not take kindly to certain cleaning products being used (the same can be said for PO systems too of course)

 

2 - The level indicator in the newer loos (C260) can cease to work because over vigorous shaking of the holding tank can dislodge the float that triggers the switch to activate the LED. It can be replaced but it is a faff.

 

3 - The worse fault we had was once when on removing the a C260 holding tank the slide mechanism that activates the flap somehow became dislodged and jammed. The result was the tank would not re-insert into the housing. IT took me about an hour and a fair bit of brute force to get everything back in alignment it so that the tank would slide in. Up to that point we had no working loo and we were moored where there was no on shore facilities nearby. They are well made though and the mechanism did stand up to my rather heavy handed fix.

 

All relatively minor and solvable but they can and do go wrong.

Edited October 20, 2015 by MJG

[Paradox Pete]

composting loos perfik

 

Indeed,

Still shopping around for my boat, but one thing it must have, is a cassette toilet that can be removed and replaced with either a Nature's head or Airhead.

Life is just so much simpler with a composter :-)

I have no wish to carry around sewage effluent!

 

I know....

[Athy]

I've met some Airheads on boats - but wouldn't you rather choose a cruising companion who has a brain?

[Sea Dog]

 

Indeed,

Still shopping around for my boat, but one thing it must have, is a cassette toilet that can be removed and replaced with either a Nature's head or Airhead.

Life is just so much simpler with a composter :-)

I have no wish to carry around sewage effluent!

 

I know....

How do the good bacteria cope with the low temperatures at the back end of the year? Don't they have a working temperature range?

[dmr]

I will be honest I dont fancy sleeping on waste swishing about at night.

 

The dog sleeps on the bed with the waste tank underneath.She has never complained.

We prefer to sleep on the bed with the diesel tank underneath.

Wherever we are there is (hopefully) water sloshing about underneath, and to the sides too.

If you lie on the floor you are totally below water level.

This is what living on a boat is all about!

 

..............Dave

[Bettie Boo]

We spent £138 on 9 pump outs last year. 8 @ £15 and 1 @ £18. We use the services of the Pump out boat whenever possible and use boat yards and marinas when not near the pumpout boat. Two of us onboard 24/7

 

1 bottle of the green lasted us the entire year and have had no nasty smells.

 

We have a porta pottie stored in the engine bay in case of emergencies - thankfully it's still in the box it came in

 

For us; this is a good set up. I don't mind parting with that money to avoid coming in contact with the contents of a cassette.

 

Too each their own.

[peterboat]

How do the good bacteria cope with the low temperatures at the back end of the year? Don't they have a working temperature range?

i have a towel rail that gets hot in the bathroom keeps it all very warm and working

[Ray T]

These threads are worth reading. Shows what can happen when Elsan points are abused by self pump out kits:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=66732&hl=self+pump+out#entry1314638 post #9

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=59606&hl=self+pump+out#entry1132198

 

Just do a search on "self pump out" keep anyone amused for weeks.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

Edited October 20, 2015 by Ray T

[kingswood]

cassette.... wont have to move the boat when the waters frozen to go to pump out. also free to empty cassette ,but on the down side have to empty every 3 days

[Theo]

With two people on board, you'll normally be wise to empty it every day, unless you resort to subterfuges like using pub toilets (can be counter-productive), hedgerows (can be prickly) etc.

 

DEpends on the size of the cassette. We use a PortaPotti and it will last the tow of use 3 or 4 days per tank. We have a spare tank.

[ditchcrawler]

Which are best in Marinas and Whilst out Cruising ?

Our marina charges extra for mooring if your boat has a cassette toilet against a pump out

[Southern Star]

Our marina charges extra for mooring if your boat has a cassette toilet against a pump out

No logical reason for that, the waste still has to be removed from the marina, and the amount of waste removed will be the same whether it was deposited there via cassette or holding tank. It seems to me that they are just miffed about missing out on the pump-out fee.

[Boat&Bikes]

No logical reason for that, the waste still has to be removed from the marina, and the amount of waste removed will be the same whether it was deposited there via cassette or holding tank. It seems to me that they are just miffed about missing out on the pump-out fee.

Seems logical to me.. both types of loo contribute.

 

Ian.

[ditchcrawler]

No logical reason for that, the waste still has to be removed from the marina, and the amount of waste removed will be the same whether it was deposited there via cassette or holding tank. It seems to me that they are just miffed about missing out on the pump-out fee.

There is, you pay for pumpouts

[saltysplash]

We have two bathrooms and when we bought the boat, both had a pump out toilet.

Both these toilets were unpredictable, flushing sometimes and not others and due to a small tank would only last 4 of us between 2-3 weeks.

 

I eventually ripped out the least reliable PO and replaced it with a Thetford porta potty which only needs emptying every 3-4 days. thats 2 adults and 2 children.

 

I will eventually get rid of the other pump out and replace with a cassette.

 

eta the existing pumpout is only used when im changing the full cassette or if one of the sprogs cant wait for the cassette toilet to become free. Well it is the only room I get any peace and quiet

Edited October 20, 2015 by saltysplash

[blackrose]

Horses for courses, but I've lived on two boats, the first with a pump out and the second with a cassette. I'd wouldn't have a big shit tank built into a boat again.

Edited October 21, 2015 by blackrose

[dave moore]

Where possible, I advocate the SoS maxim...sh*t on shore....and I'm firmly in the cassette camp. We carry a spare on a Resolute and have yet to be caught short

 

Dave

[rustydiver]

Getting the keys to our boat Friday and it wasn't a big issue cassette or pump out, for us the pump out is better weekend boating four maybe 5 off us, would imagine we might get through a few cassettes.

Having back problems to its nice to think I don't have to lump around cassettes full off other peoples jobbies.

Ours has got a pressurised system so will be interesting to see how much it can cope with in one go.

 

Sorry if just eating breakfast.

Edited October 21, 2015 by rustydiver

[tidal]

When I was younger I preferred cassettes (2 spares in winter)

Now I'm getting older and less sure on my feet in the winter I prefer pump-out

Neither would influence my choice of boat though

 

though there was the incident with the frozen cassette........ don't ask

[peterboat]

i have had a pumpout and cassette and now have a composting loo in order of preference its is

a compostind

 

b pump out

 

c cassette

 

i watch them go up and down the moorings with cassettes twice a week thats not for me

[ditchcrawler]

 

Having back problems to its nice to think I don't have to lump around cassettes full off other peoples jobbies.

 

That is my main reason for a pump out, but we carry an emergency PP and only used it a couple of times, thinking of dumping that for a flat pack one http://camping-gadgets.co.uk/shitbox/

[lampini]

We will have both, but like Betty - hope never to have to use the cassette!