Holding Tank Pump on or off during a pumpout?

D

dsteele1

New Member
Apr 27, 2008
325
San Diego
Boat Info
Previous: 260 Sundancer 2006
Engines
350 MAG MPI Mercruiser w/Bravo III Drive
Just a quick question I just thought of: Are you supposed to shutoff the holding tank vacuum pump switch before a pump out or can you leave it on?:huh:
 
Last edited:
dsteele1 said:
Just a quick question I just thought of: Are you supposed to shutoff the holding tank vacuum pump switch before a pump out or can you leave it on?:huh:
Click to expand...

Good question Don. The Owner's Manual that came with our Sealand Vacu-Flush system does not speak to this part of the process. I have never turned ours off & we have never experienced any problems.
~ Ken :smt024
 
I keep it on for two reasons:
1. To have level indicator on.
2. After I'm done pumping I run some fresh water by flushing the head and then put some fresh water back in the holding tank from the dockside, which gets pumped out again.

I guess you might keep it off while pumping out and then turn it on when pumping is done. I also think that the key here is that as long as you don't do two things at the same time (pumping out and flushing the head) it should be fine.
 
Leaving it on is fine... As Alex said, running some fresh water through the toilet is a good idea.

The only thing you have to worry about on a pump out is to make sure the underwater discharge is closed or you run the risk the inverting the duckbills in the discharge pump.

What's with the picture?
 
I fill the head up with fresh water, add some powdered, no-bleach, Tide soap and flush the head for a minute while the tank is being pumped. After it's pumped, I run another minute's worth of fresh water into the tank while it's being pumped. The dock attendant then irrigates the tank, pumps it empty, and we call it a day. It's important to make sure there is no waste setting in the rubber hoses which causes them to become permeated with oders over time. We put our boat into storage with a very clean head for this same reason and have never had to replace any hoses even after ten years of regular use.
 
Four Suns said:
........What's with the picture?
Click to expand...


I have no idea!!!! I simply quoted the original poster of the pic, (my post isn't edited) and then wham!, the post gets edited after the fact.....that seems like baiting to me!!!!
 
wingless said:
Do two troll brains working in collusion equal one real brain? Inquiring minds want to know... .
Click to expand...


I take absolute exception to this post and demand that an infraction, no multiple infractions, be issued to the quoted poster. I only quoted a post.....nothing more.
 
It's pretty dang funny, at any rate.

flush the head for a minute while the tank is being pumped
Click to expand...

Alex, I use the same procedure at SBW. It's actually ok to operate a VF during a pumpout. In fact, I've only regretted NOT doing so. When using a particularly aggressive municipal pumpout system, my tank partially collapsed because the system was removing more content than the vent line could handle. The tank rebounded, thankfully, but the system itself could helped offset the stress on the tank.

Additionally, the discharge entering the tank from the top and splashing onto the bottom of the tank helps dislodge stuff that I'd rather not carry around forever.
 
RollerCoastr said:
Alex, I use the same procedure at SBW. It's actually ok to operate a VF during a pumpout. In fact, I've only regretted NOT doing so. When using a particularly aggressive municipal pumpout system, my tank partially collapsed because the system was removing more content than the vent line could handle. The tank rebounded, thankfully, but the system itself could helped offset the stress on the tank.

Additionally, the discharge entering the tank from the top and splashing onto the bottom of the tank helps dislodge stuff that I'd rather not carry around forever.
Click to expand...

You missed the whole post on the theory to plug the vents and then hit the pump out to "unclog" anything? http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16219

Great reading... it even has the original pictures that have been STOLEN from me.
 
Last edited:
Uh, I keep my tank on when pumping out too to have the Admiral watch the gauge and flush a little while.

JG
I think the banter is cool. Even Gary and Wingless' back and forth with the "hey you don't know what you're talking about" or comical images jesting one another is harmless.

I agree with Gary that the info is correct 50% of the time and what 50% are you willing to hear.

But I also agree with Dom, that since it's safe on the internet to make a comment the likes of "Butt Buddy" you're asking for an online confrontation. If you said that to my face on the dock, Swimming may be in your immmediate future, because then you're begging for confrontation.
I don't have a dog in this fight, just telling you how it looks.
 
Folks, no one has edited any photos. If you have a photobucket account it is them. They are having some kind of massive problems with their web site. I moved my pictures to smug mug for that reason. :smt021

I also have deleted any insulting posts and issued infractions. :smt021

Enough said. :thumbsup:
 
The tide soap thing is a good idea. I usually dump some Domitec tank cleaner and deodorizer down mine.
 
Four Suns said:
The tide soap thing is a good idea. I usually dump some Domitec tank cleaner and deodorizer down mine.
Click to expand...

Actually, the tip was in the owner's materials from Sealand.
 
sbw1 said:
I fill the head up with fresh water, add some powdered, no-bleach, Tide soap and flush the head for a minute while the tank is being pumped. After it's pumped, I run another minute's worth of fresh water into the tank while it's being pumped. The dock attendant then irrigates the tank, pumps it empty, and we call it a day. It's important to make sure there is no waste setting in the rubber hoses which causes them to become permeated with oders over time.
Click to expand...

sbw1,
Nice tip on the use of Tide soap :thumbsup:
Did I understood you correctly, you flush the toilet at the same time as you pumpout the holding tank? Since I never got a chance to learn details of how all the components work I felt it was safer to run these two steps separatelly.
 
Gary,
I guess, as long us our holding tanks stay clean with functional plumbing we're good :grin:. That's everyone's intention is anyway and I've learned something new already :thumbsup:
 
Those are a couple really big turds. Kinda forms and upside down "W".

I never posted that image on CSR... In fact, I never posted an image in this whole thread... go have the admins check the logs. Haven't we already been through this? Didn't you also post up some pictures of a starfish and a Nordhavn and a bikini woman from my image server? Are you wanting the moderators to check my image server that has nothing to do with CSR or something? You even go over to my blog and lift images and post them here... what gives?

Why would you post that picture here?
What a dumbass!
This all needs to be deleted... again... and again...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,274
Messages
1,429,819
Members
61,147
Latest member
Boudica
Back
Top