Stinky questions (pumpout heads)

[boatman37]

So looking for our next boat and want a pumpout head. Heard that the vacu-flush is the way to go? Also heard the ones with the hand pump pull in sea water? A dock neighbor said they fill a cup from their sink and pour it in the bowl so they aren't using sea water?

Next question...looked at a 2006 Crownline 250CR yesterday. It has the head with the hand pump and holding tank. Seller said it has a macerator but they showed me the survey report from when they bought it 5 years ago and it says there is no macerator but there is wiring for it (they may have had one installed since that survey but haven't confirmed that). The batteries are disconnected so I wasn't able to open the engine hatch to see what was in there. We sort of know the sellers and we looked at it on our own because they were away for the day.

If it has a macerator is that the same as overboard discharge? No macerator means it has to be sucked out? I know there are laws and what-not but I was told for resale value the overboard is better?

Our last boat had a porta pottie so no guess work there...lol

 

[tpenfield]

For all intents and purposes, you will not be able to (legally) dump your poop into the lake/ocean. The Mercerator grinds things up and the discharge can be either routed to a holding tank or overboard. Usually there is a valve that selects either/or. You will want your overboard discharge disabled, in case you are ever inspected.

Your holding tank would be 'sucked' out at a pump out station. Most places have the pump out.

I noticed on my boat that it was plumbed to take in sea water for the toilet. So, I re-plumbed it to take from the fresh water tank instead. Seems to work out. I figured that sea water would just make the holding tank smell worse than it might normally.

 

[boatman37]

Yeah, I heard the sea water makes it smell worse, which is why the dock neighbor said they fill their toilet with fresh water. We have 1 pump out station in our pool (15 mile stretch). They do take the hose home with them so you can only use it when the owners are there. We have never done this because we had the porta potti but I have been to the dock where the pump out is. I know they charge $25 too but we would probably only need ours pumped out a couple times a year.

 

[Scott Danforth]

many boats use the grey water to flush the turdlet

most docks pump for free if you buy fuel there.

 

[JoLin]

Vacu-Flush seems to have become the standard, but they're expensive. I have an original Raritan Crown electric on my boat (1992) and it works great.

If you want a fresh water flush setup, be very cautious about plumbing directly to your fresh water supply. A reverse vacuum condition (where black water is sucked back into the tank) would not be pretty. The PO of my boat plumbed in a separate fresh water tank dedicated to flushing the head. Love it.

As Ted mentioned, overboard discharge is prohibited virtually everywhere unless you travel several miles off the coast.

 

[boatman37]

yeah. no free pumpouts here. they own the only fueling station and only pumpout in our pool so they have a monopoly. they charge their own marina customers the same rate. we have never used it because of the porta potti but will have to suck it up...literally....lol. we are rarely away from our dock more than 4 or 5 hours so we make sure to do what we gotta do before we leave the marina but there is that occasion and our 4 year old granddaughter doesn't understand that you can't use the toilet on the boat...lol