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pump out adaptor


Cress

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I’m a new boater and tried doing my own pump out for the first time at Alperton, West London last Saturday (I’ve previously had someone do it for me once at Willowtree Marina).  I'm confident the tank was full but couldn’t get the nozzle to achieve good suction.

 

Do people generally expect to carry a pump out adapter?  I've seen some online this afternoon and wonder if this is standard kit that most pump out owners carry?  I can order one but it won't be here for a few days and I'd like to have another go at pumping out over the weekend.  Currently got a porta potti on the go. 

 

Any advice welcome! Thanks.

 

Pump out adaptor.jpg

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3 minutes ago, Cress said:

I’m a new boater and tried doing my own pump out for the first time at Alperton, West London last Saturday (I’ve previously had someone do it for me once at Willowtree Marina).  I'm confident the tank was full but couldn’t get the nozzle to achieve good suction.

 

Do people generally expect to carry a pump out adapter?  I've seen some online this afternoon and wonder if this is standard kit that most pump out owners carry?  I can order one but it won't be here for a few days and I'd like to have another go at pumping out over the weekend.  Currently got a porta potti on the go. 

 

Any advice welcome! Thanks.

 

Pump out adaptor.jpg

A good outlet from your tank should enable the standard pump out nozzle to achieve a good vacuum sea and extract the poo.

 

Someone providing a service should carry a range of adapters to allow for poor seals, I had several different ones on Alton.

 

If you are going to do your own pump outs then you will need to ensure a good seal if your outlet is not performing well.

 

Have a look at Aquafax and see what adapters they sell.

 

George

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Some boats have the pumpout outlet on the gunnel and some valve heads just won't seal properly (a damn silly design of the former IMHO). When hiring a boat with such I found a rubber ring (if you can find one) or wrap gaffer tape or even a piece of 6mm line or similar may help.

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I had an adapter until I dropped it in the cut - doh! I am too tight to buy another one so now use a disposable glove wound around the nozzle, works a treat then just gets wrapped up with the pair of gloves I'm wearing and thrown away.

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I find that in some places where I'm doing self pump out that I have to put a turn of gaffer tape around the nozzle to get a seal. I also carry a 5or6m length of hose for rinsing - one of my regular marinas for pump out has a bib tap that doesn't have a hose attached to it - I guess that in the past boaters have nicked them.

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5 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I carry a different type of adaptor that screws in. Many yards use the type you illustrated. I would get one of those if I did not already have two of the other sort.

 

I bought one of these only last week after years of messing about. I'd have bought one far sooner if I knew exactly which one to buy, but on this occasion I was able to try it in my boat and it fitted perfectly. After an easy, perfectly sealed pump out, where for once I didn't need to keep pressure on the nozzle, I paid the 17 quid.  Expensive,  but worth it for a well-sealed, hands free pump out.

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Kings Bromley marina always use a screw in adaptor for a better seal and Middlewich Narrowboats when they were there used a rubber cone type. When Halsall did my last pump out he had trouble removing the nozzle from the fitting when he had finished 

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Is it just me that thinks this is a bit of strange problem to have (I also had it til I finally bought the right adaptor last week)? There appears to be just a single pattern of pump out connector on the end of the flexible pump out hoses on the inland waterways (certainly all I've met). How come all those who build narrowboats don't fit a compatible pump out point?

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This is great, so glad I asked.  It's obviously not just me.  What I find really bizarre is that the guy who sold me my boat (with pretty much full service history since it was built in 1989) didn't run through this with me.  He wrote notes about a few things but there have been a lot of little mysteries!  Slowly getting to grips with it all :)

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29 minutes ago, Cress said:

This is great, so glad I asked.  It's obviously not just me.  What I find really bizarre is that the guy who sold me my boat (with pretty much full service history since it was built in 1989) didn't run through this with me.  He wrote notes about a few things but there have been a lot of little mysteries!  Slowly getting to grips with it all :)

Don't quite follow. The pump out adapter and seal is part of the suction hose and is therefore the responsibility of the boat yard to make sure it works properly - assuming that you have a 'standard' outlet (and that it is clean and not damaged).  I can't speak for DIY pump-out stations. Perhaps you have been unlucky and used one that had 'lost' it's O ring seal. Even so, others have advised on various solutions - all generally messy - the problem is then 'cleaning' and 'stowing' - so buying an adapter to carry with might make it easier for you.

 

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16 hours ago, Cress said:

I’m a new boater and tried doing my own pump out for the first time at Alperton, West London last Saturday (I’ve previously had someone do it for me once at Willowtree Marina).  I'm confident the tank was full but couldn’t get the nozzle to achieve good suction.

 

Do people generally expect to carry a pump out adapter?  I've seen some online this afternoon and wonder if this is standard kit that most pump out owners carry?  I can order one but it won't be here for a few days and I'd like to have another go at pumping out over the weekend.  Currently got a porta potti on the go. 

 

Any advice welcome! Thanks.

 

Pump out adaptor.jpg

My pump out connection is on the roof. When we got the boat 15 years ago I had a problem getting a seal using a BW canal side pumpout machine so bought one of these. Brilliant bit of kit that does the job. 

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7 hours ago, Horace42 said:

Don't quite follow. The pump out adapter and seal is part of the suction hose and is therefore the responsibility of the boat yard to make sure it works properly - assuming that you have a 'standard' outlet (and that it is clean and not damaged).  I can't speak for DIY pump-out stations. Perhaps you have been unlucky and used one that had 'lost' it's O ring seal. Even so, others have advised on various solutions - all generally messy - the problem is then 'cleaning' and 'stowing' - so buying an adapter to carry with might make it easier for you.

 

 

On some fittings (including mine) the probe doesn't go far enough in for the seal to do its job.  You can pop the o ring out of its groove, roll it down til it meets the fitting and hold it there throughout the pumpout procedure, which is what I've been doing for years. Alternatively, there's an adaptor which screws into the deck fitting and provides a long enough female receiver for the probe to push into, form a seal and keep the probe in place unaided. That's the adaptor I've just bought but, as I said earlier, I don't get why boat ulcers don't all fit a duck fitting which is compatible with the common probe in the first place.  If you're unaffected, you wouldn't be able to understand why others have a problem. Anyway, I hope that's cleared things up for you.  :)

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9 hours ago, Horace42 said:

Don't quite follow. The pump out adapter and seal is part of the suction hose and is therefore the responsibility of the boat yard to make sure it works properly - assuming that you have a 'standard' outlet (and that it is clean and not damaged).  I can't speak for DIY pump-out stations. Perhaps you have been unlucky and used one that had 'lost' it's O ring seal. Even so, others have advised on various solutions - all generally messy - the problem is then 'cleaning' and 'stowing' - so buying an adapter to carry with might make it easier for you.

 

There's a variation to connector bore sizes. We installed a Leesan probe like to one above at the boat club some people were standing on it to get a good seal resulting in a broken sight glass when they tried to unjam it. We fitted rubber connector, 100% seal every time, no more broken sight glasses. Cleaning is easy just rinse it in a bucket of water.

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

 

That's the adaptor I've just bought but, as I said earlier, I don't get why boat ulcers don't all fit a duck fitting which is compatible with the common probe in the first place.  

 

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

??????

 

I can see you are unfamiliar with the superior depth of boating knowledge available to the android autocorrect function.  What I thought I'd put was boat "builders", but clearly boat "ulcers" are more in vogue at the moment.  Of course, I should also have realised that duck fittings are infinitely preferable to deck fittings as Dr Bob will surely attest. :banghead:

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3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

On some fittings (including mine) the probe doesn't go far enough in for the seal to do its job.  You can pop the o ring out of its groove, roll it down til it meets the fitting and hold it there throughout the pumpout procedure, which is what I've been doing for years. Alternatively, there's an adaptor which screws into the deck fitting and provides a long enough female receiver for the probe to push into, form a seal and keep the probe in place unaided. That's the adaptor I've just bought but, as I said earlier, I don't get why boat ulcers don't all fit a duck fitting which is compatible with the common probe in the first place.  If you're unaffected, you wouldn't be able to understand why others have a problem. Anyway, I hope that's cleared things up for you.  :)

Thanks for the feedback Sea Dog (and also Midnight).

 

Now you mention it, I vaguely recall from way back, that I had that trouble with my deck fitting. I took if off, and with the lathe, opened out the hole to full bore.

Also your description of your adapter, is something I already have - but being made of clear plastic - I thought it was for use as a visual aid to see if it was pumping properly. But from what you say it might have been supplied as an adapter - so I probably didn't need to open up the deck fitting after-all.

Not that it was a big deal - I moved the fitting from the gunnel anyway (why do boat builders fit them on the 'wrong' side of the boat) and re-sited it in the middle of the roof for easy access at  the pump-out station.

In addition to which I have also fitted an on-board pump for emergency use.

 

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