Manual Pump for Holding Tank Pump Out at Sea

[pressuredrop]

to appease the coastguard etc., and for simplicity (no y valves) my head set up is going to be as follows, water in to head pump thru vented loop to toilet, toilet goes to holding tank, holding tank vent eliminates the need for vented loop, holding tank will have an outlet for a deck fitting and one to go out the seacock, since realistically most will be going out the seacock (good excuse to go sailing every two weeks if only to pump it out between passages) i would rather not rely on gravity but have a manual pump to assist,

what is the manual pump for this job?

Thanks
Ben

[Dame.n.Jess]

We use one of these.

https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_i...AbsolutePage=1

Not sure how you get one outside of Australia, but worth a look. low cost, great design, very anti clog for a manual pump.

[S/V Alchemy]

We like the same Henderson Mark V that came with the Lavac. For obvious reasons, we haven't flushed into the Great Lakes, but we have "diverted" plain water and it works well...good for the biceps!

[troppo]

Don't know about legislation in your part of the world, but in Qld Australia discharge has to be mascerated. I was under the impression therefore, that the unmentioinable contents of the holding tank could not simply be pumped overboard but had to go through a chopper. Have not heard of any manual chopper. Also have not heard of authorities taking samples of holding-tank contents as they were being pumped and submitting them to micrometre analysis.

I guess a handpump would provide upper-body exercise but I am wondering how long it would take to pump out a tank.

The Lavac toilets use a Whale Henderson Mark V Type Manual Diaphragm Pump which is a bilge/water pump so you could probably use the same with no problems even though it is pumping out of the holding tank and not into it.

[James S]

Diaphragm pump...Whale makes some good ones.
I'd go big.

[cal40john]

I used a Guzzler, might have been because it cost less than a Whale.

John

[anjou]

Mines a Henderson V and it certainly does give my arms a good workout. Ive positioned it so I can change from left to right hand.
The Henerson can pump up to 75 lts a minute, provided of course you have the muscle. It strips down in seconds with no tools if you need to get to the diaphragm.

[Cormorant]

We have the same plumbing set-up and I like it a lot. We use a Whale Gusher Urchin pump (43 liters / minute) and we have a 35 gallon waste tank. The pump -- admittedly on the cheap end of the scale -- does a fine job. We rarely get the tank completely full; we either sail offshore and empty it, or we take free pumpouts wherever they're offered.

[Cormorant]

This question has always lingered in the back of my mind: do we need to zip-tie the diaphragm pump's handle while inshore? With two strokes of the pump we could be discharging waste overboard to our heart's content. Not sure if USCG regulations cover this. I.e., our toilet is never pumping directly overboard, so we should be okay . . . but I'm not sure I'd like to argue the point with a boarding officer.

We have been inspected by the CG once, but it was offshore, halfway between Bimini and Florida, and in all the excitement I didn't ask. (We passed our inspection just fine, but they didn't look at the plumbing.)

[cfarrar]

This question has always lingered in the back of my mind: do we need to zip-tie the diaphragm pump's handle while inshore?

I guess you could ask the same question if you have this setup with an electric macerator pump. Does the thru-hull valve downstream of the macerator pump need to be tied off? Or is it sufficient that the toilet pumps into the holding tank (and not overboard)?

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

We like the same Henderson Mark V that came with the Lavac. For obvious reasons, we haven't flushed into the Great Lakes, but we have "diverted" plain water and it works well...good for the biceps!

I have the same set up, and recommend the head and this pump highly. It is a very well engineered, reliable pump.

Mark

[peghall]

I'd go with a Whale or Henderson (which is made by Whale). The Guzzler IS a Whale...a model that's smaller and therefore costs a little less than a Gulper.

US laws are a bit different from those in OZ. Here you must be in open sea at least THREE miles from the nearest point on the whole US coastline...whereas you only have to be a mile offshore in OZ. That may account for why it's necessary to macerate waste there but not here.

[peghall]

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

to appease the coastguard etc., and for simplicity (no y valves) my head set up is going to be as follows, water in to head pump thru vented loop to toilet...

If you put a vented loop in the head intake line between the thru-hull and pump, it'll prevent the pump from priming. It has to go between the pump and the bowl...which requires replacing the short piece of hose that connects 'em now. Check the installation instructions for any toilet installed below waterline to see an illustration of where it belongs. And btw, it needs to be at least 6-8" above waterline AT ANY ANGLE OF HEEL, not just when the boat is at rest...which would put it 2-3' above the toilet on most sailboats.

Or, you oughta consider teeing the head intake into your head sink drain line. There's a bit of discussion about the benefits of doing that in the "Head Smells Bad" thread.

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

toilet goes to holding tank, holding tank vent eliminates the need for vented loop...

Tank vent has nothing to do with whether a vented loop is needed in the head discharge line. One is only needed in a line that goes to a below-waterline thru-hull...it's not needed in a line that only goes to the tank. However, a LOOP (high arch, not necessarily vented) MIGHT be advisable to prevent tank contents from running back toward the toilet when the boat is heeled. No VENTED loop is needed because that can't create a siphon. The right location of the vent fitting and inlet fitting on the tank can eliminate the need for any loop in the line.

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

... holding tank will have an outlet for a deck fitting and one to go out the seacock, since realistically most will be going out the seacock (good excuse to go sailing every two weeks if only to pump it out between passages) i would rather not rely on gravity but have a manual pump to assist...what is the manual pump for this job?

Two discharge fittings in the tank instead of just one with a y-valve is an excellent idea. And because the entire tank woud have to be well above the waterline to drain via gravity (not an idea I've ever liked much), you will need a pump. I like the Whale.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by peghall

I'd go with a Whale or Henderson (which is made by Whale). The Guzzler IS a Whale...a model that's smaller and therefore costs a little less than a Gulper.

US laws are a bit different from those in OZ. Here you must be in open sea at least THREE miles from the nearest point on the whole US coastline...whereas you only have to be a mile offshore in OZ. That may account for why it's necessary to macerate waste there but not here.

I meant the pump series made by Bosworth.

The Bosworth Co - Diaphragm Pumps, Y-Valves & Check Valves

[peghall]

Originally Posted by cal40john

I meant the pump series made by Bosworth.

The Bosworth Co - Diaphragm Pumps, Y-Valves & Check Valves

Oops...when companies use the same model names it can be confusing.

Bosworth makes quality equipment. The main problem with this model is, its max hose barb is 1.25" ....the standard size tank discharge hose is 1.5", which would require adding a reducing adapter.