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2nd hand boat with pump out toilet I don't know how to use?


fishee

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Hi. So I've lived on boats for 15 years but have always had port potti's (easy & simple!) But I've just bought a new 2nd hand boat that has a fancy flushing toilet and I have no idea how it works or where to start?  Do I start by trying to use it ~ or should I attempt to flush it out (from the outside inlet on the gunnel) and pump it out before attempting to use it?  I have no idea when last the boat was used or what state of fullness or empty-ness the tank was left in or for how long. (I bought from a broker who knows nothing about the boat and doesn't want to give me contact details of previous owner -  I guess they don't want me finding out how much they bought her for???? - who knows the reason).  There is a large integral steel tank under the double bed which is next to the bathroom which contains the toilet which is quite posh looking, it sits on a little raised area with a electric press button switch on the wall) It's a Vetus toilet with 3 buttons, eco-flush, normal flush & then a press and hold button.  Vetus' website isn't very clear on how to use it but I really don't want to press any buttons and have waste start bubbling up at me through the pan.........  am I being paranoid?

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Normally there is a gauge somewhere which might be labelled 'black' or 'waste'.  It could be near the toilet or tank but it could be near the engine controls or near the electrics cupboard.

If you can't find this then you can stick a piece of reed or similar down the pump out fitting on the outside of the boat to estimate how full the tank is.  Is there no-one nearby to help?  I would push the button and see what happens.

Edited by mross
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11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Did you buy it from 'Whilton' ?

One of their stock boats at a guess.

The bills of sale that the OP should have received when they bought the boat should have the previous owners details on.

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29 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Press the button. Whats the worst that can happen?

Some of our friends have electric flush toilets and when their tanks are full it just ejects some out of the external vent rather then the loo.

And some into the bilge via charcoal filters

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32 minutes ago, fishee said:

Hi. So I've lived on boats for 15 years but have always had port potti's (easy & simple!) But I've just bought a new 2nd hand boat that has a fancy flushing toilet and I have no idea how it works or where to start?  Do I start by trying to use it ~ or should I attempt to flush it out (from the outside inlet on the gunnel) and pump it out before attempting to use it?  I have no idea when last the boat was used or what state of fullness or empty-ness the tank was left in or for how long. (I bought from a broker who knows nothing about the boat and doesn't want to give me contact details of previous owner -  I guess they don't want me finding out how much they bought her for???? - who knows the reason).  There is a large integral steel tank under the double bed which is next to the bathroom which contains the toilet which is quite posh looking, it sits on a little raised area with a electric press button switch on the wall) It's a Vetus toilet with 3 buttons, eco-flush, normal flush & then a press and hold button.  Vetus' website isn't very clear on how to use it but I really don't want to press any buttons and have waste start bubbling up at me through the pan.........  am I being paranoid?

Well, perhaps a bit

The main disadvantage (In My Opinion....) of a straight pump out system is that they can get a bit smelly. With your flushing system you avoid that.

If you treat it as a normal house loo - then you'll fill the tank up quite quicky. Hence the three-button system.

  • Eco if there's just liquids to dispose of
  • Normal if there's some solids
  • and push and hold for any large amounts

The difficulties arise if anyone is silly enough to put down anything that "hasn't bee eaten" and / or is accustomed to use more that three sheets of paper. Theres a macerator - 'shredder' that chops things up, but can easily be clogged and that's the area where that sort of loo is a bit of a challenge. Strong nerves and stout arm length gloves are what's needed.

I was brought up in the country with horse- cow- and blocked septic tanks are the norm, so wonder what the problem is.

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43 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

 

Some of our friends have electric flush toilets and when their tanks are full it just ejects some out of the external vent rather then the loo.

...to the great surprise of boats passing them in the opposite direction.

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43 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Well, perhaps a bit

The main disadvantage (In My Opinion....) of a straight pump out system is that they can get a bit smelly. With your flushing system you avoid that.

If you treat it as a normal house loo - then you'll fill the tank up quite quicky. Hence the three-button system.

  • Eco if there's just liquids to dispose of
  • Normal if there's some solids
  • and push and hold for any large amounts

The difficulties arise if anyone is silly enough to put down anything that "hasn't bee eaten" and / or is accustomed to use more that three sheets of paper. Theres a macerator - 'shredder' that chops things up, but can easily be clogged and that's the area where that sort of loo is a bit of a challenge. Strong nerves and stout arm length gloves are what's needed.

I was brought up in the country with horse- cow- and blocked septic tanks are the norm, so wonder what the problem is.

There's a 'shredder' down there and you want me to put my arm into it?

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1 hour ago, matty40s said:

Don't start.....;)

Though I am in no way biased I feel I have to say that at least occasionaly whilton get genuine good boats in on a genuine brokerage sale. My bro in law asked me to check a boat out there, his first about 12 years ago and it was awesome so he bought it, kept it five years and sold it on with ease it was that good. He did get in touch with its previous owner and found out lots re its engine ( a clunk clunk ) so it aint always bad. Just sayin like..............

  • Greenie 1
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1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

One of their stock boats at a guess.

The bills of sale that the OP should have received when they bought the boat should have the previous owners details on.

If Wilton had bought it why should they say who they bought it off. If they were selling on brokerage then yes because you are buy the boat from the owner.

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I have a Vetus macerator toilet with the control panel you describe. 

Mine has a small red light in the top right hand corner.  This illuminates when the tank is "full".

Being a belt and braces sort of chap, I worried about what might happen if the bulb failed, so I fitted an MCS level gauge to the  (stainless steel) tank. An easy job, although you do have to drill a hole in the top of the tank to accept the sender unit.

This revealed that the "full" light on  the toilet comes on at about 50% full. So the MCS gauge soon paid for itself by reducing the number of pump outs.

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2 hours ago, fishee said:

There's a 'shredder' down there and you want me to put my arm into it?

Don't tempt me!! (It's the way you tell them.....)

OTOH if the unit jams up then some parts have to be dismantled - that's as far as I know - 'cos we have dump throughs. best not to have to dismantle it in the first place.

Where are you on the Thames?

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20 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Over four hours must have gone by now, you must be getting desperate, hopping about, legs crossed.

Nope I suggest they will be using their PROPER boat bog thats carried on all such boats " just in case " :lol:

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I must admit in reply to the OPs question

"2nd hand boat with pump out toilet I don't know how to use?"

It is tempting to say .. face away from toilet, lower trousers/skirt and underwear to ankle level, sit ............. ..............

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This sounds like our SaniMarin loo with a similar button pad. We almost always use the lowest flush setting  ... or the press-and-hold button for a couple of seconds if it needs it. There's probably some info on the web that states how much water is flushed for each button. e.g. 0.5 litre for the 'eco'; 1.0 litre for the other. Obviously the less water you use the longer you can go before emptying the tank.

We get 4-weeks for two of us full-time liveaboard. Five if we really need to (by flushing it less) because of a freeze-up or red boards. After a couple of pump-outs you'll soon know how long you can go between them ... and it then pretty much becomes an instinctive habit knowing when the task needs doing.

BTW we find pouring a couple of capfuls of 'Odorlos' into the tank after each pump-out helps keep any outside airvent 'whiffs' to a minimum in warm weather. There are really no bad smells produced when actually pumping out the tank.

  • Greenie 1
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I,ll go with jim battys view. I have a two button macerator, flush and fill. Fill to just over the discharge pipe. I sometimes splash a dash of bluechem in too but overall i find no smell at all. Two of us can go 4 weeks, i,ve gone 6 weeks alone just to test it, never been overfull. So i keep a log and empty everymonth, its free at my marina. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN POO, PEE N SOFT PAPER DOWN.!!!  Mine blocked once. I flushed it first with a hosepipe pushed around the u bend. Luckily when i opened up the macerator it was perfectly clean and jammed by a simple cotton bud !!!  Next time i,ll threaten my guests with a beating if they dont listen to standard toilet orders.

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