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Designing a holding tank ?

Sven

Seglare
We may try to re-do the holding tank too. The current one is 9 gallons which is enough for three days on a mooring with shore facilities, but small enough to always cause us concern.

I think I can add 13 gallons for a total closer to 24 in available space, so the roto-mold (ronko ?) may be on our list.

My question is how do you plumb the pick-up tube ? I don't want a fitting in the bottom of the tank so it will have to be some pipe entering close to the top, but how does one do that ?

Is it possible to order extra thick tank walls or are there any other specs for making the tank more delicate-smelling ?


-Sven
 

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
I have read that having larger vent hose and having two vents so air can actually flow through the tank can help to control odor. The only thing I have ever seen, however, are tanks with single vents.

The best thing I have been able to do to control odor is to keep it pumped out, flush the tank and all hoses with fresh water and use Odorlos.
 

Sven

Seglare
As to smells, note that hoses can permeate over the years, but that the holding tank will not.

Thanks for the link. We'll definitely do the dip-tube option now that I know what it is called :)


I have read that having larger vent hose and having two vents so air can actually flow through the tank can help to control odor. The only thing I have ever seen, however, are tanks with single vents.

The best thing I have been able to do to control odor is to keep it pumped out, flush the tank and all hoses with fresh water and use Odorlos.

Peggie the head mistress is one of my best friends, but she doesn't know that :egrin:

In the current holding tank Odorlos does not work as well because there is no enough oxygen flow but the new tank will indeed have two large diameter vents, possibly one with a dip-tube and an aquarium aerator pump, or maybe not. Rigid plumbing also prevents smells but if you go with flexible #101 is what Peggie swears by, or its white companion (#102 ?).

A job that is a bit down the schedule pile but not too far.

Thanks again.



-Sven
 
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Emerald

Moderator
Sven - I don't think I'd describe it as a job down the schedule pile....

Don't forget using Odorlos in the bilge. I found that treating my bilge got rid of some funk that I thought was coming out of the holding tank. :rolleyes:
 

bigd14

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi Sven- I know this might not be what exactly what you are looking for, but I have been researching composting heads and I am going to get one. But, I am starting from scratch and don't have anything invested in the system yet like you do.

www.natureshead.net
www.airheadtoilet.com

I have no practical experience with them but a Google search turns up what seem to be some good reviews. The idea of losing the holding tank is very appealing. Maybe an option?

Doug
 

Sven

Seglare
Hi Doug,

Hi Sven- I know this might not be what exactly what you are looking for, but I have been researching composting heads and I am going to get one. But, I am starting from scratch and don't have anything invested in the system yet like you do.

www.natureshead.net
www.airheadtoilet.com

I have no practical experience with them but a Google search turns up what seem to be some good reviews. The idea of losing the holding tank is very appealing. Maybe an option?

Doug

There has been a lot of discussion about composting heads on the Cruisers Forum. There is a lot of appeal to the idea and also a lot of "an outhouse !?" reaction. If one is cruising full time you have the problem of what to do when you have a full container with a lot of non-composted material in it ? If you are day sailing or seasonal or short cruising it would be a lot more practical. Still, may be something to investigate again in the future.



-Sven
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Ronco tanks better than ever.

Sven, The wall thickness of a Ronco tank is twice that of the factory supplied ones they also made. Was it the manufacturing standard at the time or did they/Ericson try to cut down on production expenses by making them thinner then as compared to today? Which ever, they are double the thickness today. Filling in the info gaps where I can with what I've been told, Glyn
 

Blue Chip

Member III
Remember along with the hoses potentially adding to the smell...there is the raw water...fresh water is really a major impriovement. Half that oder is dead sea life etc in the raw water.
Pump out the tanks, run some raw water through it a couple of times and come back a hot week later...it is amazing how that boat smells, and YOU haven't even used it...as they say in beer country...IT'S THE WATER!!!
 

Sven

Seglare
Thanks Glyn,

How are you and Marilyn doing ? Do you still have a dog or two ?

(^^^ obligatory question as we ALL know the answer to that one but this gives you an excuse to post a picture :egrin: )

I think you had a Ronco made to order, right ? I can't remember if you brought them a cardboard mock-up or how you did it ? How long did it take them ? We'd be headless while we have one made so it matters a little :)

Say hi to everyone.



-Sven
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Ronco tank making.

Sven, Yes I've had 2 tanks made for me by them, the latter was a replacement for the original in our boat that developed a crack in the lower fitting and was dripping contents onto the cabin sole, uck!! With the first tank I sent them an isometric drawing with fitting holes indicated and it arrived on my front porch within a week. The latter one was ordered over the phone by part number (an exact replacement for the leaking one) with all fittings shown on a FAX I sent to them. After hanging up the phone, I drove down to pick it up. Knowing that I was on my way, they held off spinning it (an 11 minute process, very cool to watch), and as I stood by, watched them drill for and install the fittings. I couldn't have been there for more than 45 minutes before it was all over. Make sure to get a 3" or 4" inspection port fitted to the top for garden hose use if ever needed. The fittings are the same material as the tank so by spinning them into the predrilled holes with a mandril chucked into a Milwaukee hand drill, they "weld" themselves into place. It's worth the cost of the tank just to watch it go from a molten blob of plastic to a finished tank. Hope this helps, Glyn
 

Sven

Seglare
Remember along with the hoses potentially adding to the smell...there is the raw water...fresh water is really a major impriovement.

The current head is actually fresh-water flushed. Once we cast off that may be too much of an extravagance but if our solar panels allow it we'll run the water maker for an extra couple of gallons a day to do just that.

BTW, the water maker is HUGE ! It's a Kaytadyn 180 but we were shocked when the package arrived. The main cylinder is 30" long and the pump is like a cubic foot of solid steel :)



-Sven
 

u079721

Contributing Partner
In the current holding tank Odorlos does not work as well because there is no enough oxygen flow....

-Sven

This is a bit strange because the whole point of Odorlos is that it brings the oxygen with it in the formulation.

I found Odorlos to be about the only thing that worked for us. What really helped was to put some Odorlos into the head every time you used it. Since we were always on the holding tank we couldn't afford the volume of pumping the waste all the way into the tank each time, so the waste would sit in the hose. Have the Odorlos in the hose with the waste pretty much eliminated the odor because it knocked out the formation of anaerobic (the smelly kind) of bacteria.
 

u079721

Contributing Partner
Sven - I don't think I'd describe it as a job down the schedule pile....

Don't forget using Odorlos in the bilge. I found that treating my bilge got rid of some funk that I thought was coming out of the holding tank. :rolleyes:

The best thing I ever found for treating the bilge was humidifier preservative - the sort of thing you add to a room or whole house humidifier to keep the warm standing water from growing bugs. It's non-corrosive, being just a dilute (~5%) solution of soluble quats, but it does a great job of keeping anything from growing in the bilge. I would just add a capfull each time after pumping the bilge dry.
 

Sven

Seglare
This is a bit strange because the whole point of Odorlos is that it brings the oxygen with it in the formulation.

Thanks for questioning my post.

We had some problems with odor using Odorlos and were told it was probably because there was not enough air circulating. The statement was something to the effect that the treatment introduced enzymes and yeast that spead up the process but it has to have circulation to work.

I accepted that answer. After your post I went and read up on it and you are absolutely right.

We'll go back to using the Odorlos we have !

Thanks again !



-Sven
 

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
My holding tank and hoses smelled pretty bad when I first got the boat. Whenever I pump out the tank I try to flush it with fresh water at least three times. Then I'll fill it about half full with fresh water and pump that out through the Whale pump (which doesn't get much use anyway). Then I'll pump some Odorloss into the tank through the head, leaving some in the hose and then pump some of that through the Whale pump, again leaving some in the hose.

I try not to use the tank as much as possible and not let anything sit in it for more than a few days; doing mostly day sailing makes it easier.
 
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