empty Vacuflush holding tank

tvogt

New Member
Mar 16, 2011
1
Galveston, Texas
Boat Info
1990 Sea Ray 50' Sedan Bridge
Engines
Detroit 692
Hello group. New to Club Sea Ray. Wondering if anyone can help with how you empty a vacuflush holding tank.
 
Somewhere on the side of the boat will be a round shiny fitting labeled waste.

Inside your boat a hose connects the black water waste tank to this deck fitting.

At most fuel docks is a pump out station. Some places charge $5-$10 for a pump service, some give a free pump-out with fuel purchase. Some are self serve, most an attendant does the job for you.

In a few areas some higher end Marias have boats with large onboard tanks and pumps that come to you and will pump you out at your slip.

Either way, a hose gets connected to your deck fitting. This hose is connected to a wet vac that drains to the city sewage system. It sucks the waste out of the tank on the boat.

A good attendant will then back flush, basically add some water back to the tank then suck it out a second time. If they do a good job its customary to tip the attendant $5 per pump out.

As an alternate, some boats are equipped with overboard discharge meaning you pump your waste out into the water. This is only in the ocean and you must be so many miles from shore. I am not in an ocean area so if this is what you are interested in I’ll let someone else answer.

Did this answer help you?
 
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Or as soon as I cross the border into Canada....... Bombs away Baby !!!
 
50 footer?

I think I understand where you are going with this.

With the thousands of things you need to know to operate a 50 foot boat this is too basic of a question for a person who already owns a 50 foot boat.

Being it’s their first post, perhaps they are looking at buying a fist cuiser style boat and are trying to learn before they do. It could also just be someone being silly toying with us.

I’ll let the original poster clarify that.
 
Maybe he has been boating for many years but just used the lake instead so the tank is just now filling up. I bet that first pump out is going to stink!
 
It could also be his first experience with a vacuflush. It's not uncommon for people with experience with electric/pump heads to assume that the holding tank attached to a vacuflush system is unique. Of course, it's not. There's no such thing as a vacuflush holding tank, and if a holding tank EVER holds a vacuum or is under pressure, RUN!
 
It could also be his first experience with a vacuflush. It's not uncommon for people with experience with electric/pump heads to assume that the holding tank attached to a vacuflush system is unique. Of course, it's not. There's no such thing as a vacuflush holding tank, and if a holding tank EVER holds a vacuum or is under pressure, RUN!

I just blew a bubble out of my nose reading this...thanks.:lol:
 
It could also be his first experience with a vacuflush. It's not uncommon for people with experience with electric/pump heads to assume that the holding tank attached to a vacuflush system is unique.

After my initial "are you kidding me" thought, this was the only reason I came up with when I first read the post.

That being said, I'm still wondering.
 
Give the guy a break ................

I wish I had written down all the bone head, dumb a$$ mistakes I made when we transitioned from ski boats to larger boats. Some were inexpensive and some were real stupid tax. You learn by either making the mistakes or asking questions. With a vacuflush/holding tank question, the OP is smart to ask rather than risk a mistake.

Post number 2 will tell you if this is serious or another wingnut, but until I'm sure, I'm willing to help out.
 
This does pose a good question for me. A few weeks ago I took on fuel and was going to pump out. No one on the dock could get the cap off. I leave the head system off while not at the boat cause there is a small vacumn leak in the system. I do this so it won't keep trying to run the system to create vacumn. So how do we get the cap off now. If that thing has built some pressure and it is not full yet what is going to happen. I gave up trying to get the cap off in fear I would be covered. thoughts?
 
Re overboard discharge - I believe in CA they require you to be at least 12 miles out.
 
If that thing has built some pressure and it is not full yet what is going to happen. I gave up trying to get the cap off in fear I would be covered. thoughts?

I doubt your tank has so much pressure that it's prohibiting the cap from turning. More likely, it was simply over-torqued, or the o-ring or dirt got jammed in the threads.

If you have reason to believe that the tank is pressurized, inspect the vent system: hose, filter if there is one and hull fitting. If the tank is FULL, take precautions first. ie, lots and lots of latex coverings and possibly a mask. I really wasn't kidding about the "run" comment. Waste geisers are only funny to those of us far away and upwind!
 
I don't remember if I was the one that put the cap back on this last time or not. I checked the tank and it isn't full so I am going to try and get the cap loose this weekend.....I hope.
 
At most fuel docks is a pump out station. Some places charge $5-$10 for a pump service, some give a free pump-out with fuel purchase. Some are self serve, most an attendant does the job for you.

...

If they do a good job its customary to tip the attendant $5 per pump out.

Ok, so this pump-out stuff will be all new to me this year too. So if I'm charged $5-$10, do you still tip? Or only if it's free? I can't say it ever crossed my mind that I'd have to tip someone for getting a pump out! I knew that's why these forums are so great. :smt001

Tom
 

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