# Holding tank pump-out question



## dmcgraw (Jan 14, 2001)

I recently purchased a J/30 which is my first boat with a proper head. My marina has a pump-out station that is self-serve and I'm not sure what the process is. Here are my questions:

1) Does one generally have to open some sort of vent before pumping out the holding tank? I followed all the hoses around and I dont see any kind of vent. It stands to reason that once you start pumping out the tank, air needs to come from somewhere to take the liquid's place. Does the air just get pulled in through the head itself or am I just missing the vent? The system does not have a macerator or any other means to dump overboard.

2) I've read that some pump-out deck fittings require adapters to be rigged to fit the pump-out hose of the marina. Looking at the nozzle on the end of my marina's hose and my deck fitting it seems like the tapered nozzle will just fit right into the hole, forming a seal - am I missing anything here?

Appreciate the help!

thanks - djm


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## welshwind (Feb 27, 2005)

Your first question - All holding tanks that I know of have a vent. If the vent gets plugged, you have issues. The vent works both ways - letting air out when the head is being used and letting air in during a pumpout. Look for any hose coming out of the top of the tank (or really close to the top) and trace it.

The second question - The adapter is a device which screws into your boat and then allows the hose of the pump-out machine (Why does Sherman yelling "hey Mr. Peabody!" come to mind) to attach securely using a quick connect method. If the adapter doesn't screw in, I don't think you'll get a good connection for the pumpout.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Some older pumpout facilities use a tapered fitting that just fits into the deck pumpout fitting. It is easy to make a serious mess with one of these... hopefully, your marina has one of the newer ones with the screw-on adapters. 

The air is drawn in through the holding tank vent and eventually the head bowl. 

I would also recommend that you fill the head bowl with water when you are about to pumpout. The pumpout will drain the water from the head bowl and essentially rinse the hoses and the holding tank a bit. Also, leaving the bowl full of water will allow you to tell when the pumpout has emptied the tank, if it doesn't have a clear section to view the pumpout progress.


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## Jotun (May 4, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Some older pumpout facilities use a tapered fitting that just fits into the deck pumpout fitting. It is easy to make a serious mess with one of these....


You better believe it! I found out the hard way this spring.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

Here we go again, I love it when we all talk ****.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

I have noticed that all boats have to have holding tanks. But here in the Gulf the boats do. But to find a pumpout station is like looking for that proverbial needle in the haystack. The law don't make the Dock owners install pumpout stations. In fact the CFRs are very one sided on this.

_CFR = Code of Federal Regulations_


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

That bugs me as well Boasun. Seems if the Feds want you to have a holding tank, and come down on you if you're Y valve (if you have one) is properly locked off, there should be more done about making pump-out stations available.

_Currently at 30 15 21 N 80 44 40 W_


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Boasun said:


> I have noticed that all boats have to have holding tanks. But here in the Gulf the boats do. But to find a pumpout station is like looking for that proverbial needle in the haystack. The law don't make the Dock owners install pumpout stations. In fact the CFRs are very one sided on this.
> 
> _CFR = Code of Federal Regulations_


Write your congessmen and stir up some ****! (pun intended)
Try to get the news media involved. The LOVE stirrin up ****!!!


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## phaiakian (Jun 7, 2007)

not all boats have to have a holding tank, only those with marine sanitation devices (toilets). numerous small craft are out there with portapotties and buckets or a comfortable rail and they are all in full compliance with cfrs. i also have a friend with a custom 38' ketch who has never installed a head. he cruises with a bucket an an attitude. both legal.


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## geary126 (Jul 11, 2006)

Yeah, I had an explosive situation with a non-threaded fitting, while emptying the boat for the first time (from the PO, who apparently hadn't emptied the tank since Reagan was in office.

Yuck. And then some.

My suggestion: push down, firmly, while you open the valve on the hose. Then, at the end, shut the valve, and break the seal gently, by leaning the hose in 1° increments, until the seal break.s

Have a rag handy.

Pray, also.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

geary126 said:


> My suggestion: push down, firmly, while you open the valve on the hose. Then, at the end, shut the valve, and break the seal gently, by leaning the hose in 1° increments, until the seal break.s


This only applies to the older fittings which do not have an adapter that screws into the pumpout deck fitting.



> Have a rag handy.
> 
> Pray, also.


Both excellent pieces of advice.


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## balboan (Mar 14, 2005)

*Waste deck fitting specs???*

I own a Passport 40 that was built in Taiwan. None of the standard pump-out adapters fit the deck fill. I measure the fitting to be 1-7/8ths with 16 threads per inch...but it could be a metric thread. Neither Sealand nor Edson make an adapter that fits this fitting. King Dragon shipyard in Taiwan built the boat...Slocums as well. Anyone else have this problem? Any solution suggestions?

Thanks.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

You can have a machine shop make you an adapter if you can't fine one any where. Just be sure that the measurements are correct.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Or you could remove the deck-fill and replace it with a US-standard one.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

I've never done a self serve pumpout but have had many a pumpout at many different stations. Some of them had the tapered nozzle. What I saw operators do is have a water hose running at a very low flow around the nozzle. The water helps form an air tight seal and you have flowing water to wash off any excess.


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## yotphix (Aug 18, 2006)

Boasun said:


> You can have a machine shop make you an adapter if you can't fine one any where. Just be sure that the measurements are correct.


Just take the cap in to the machine shop and let them measure.

16tpi is a very fine pitch for a 1.5ish pipe thread, I'd be curious to hear what it is if you do figure it out.


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## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

Balboan - Let me know if you find one that works... we have the same problem on our Passport 40!


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## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

geary126 said:


> Yeah, I had an explosive situation with a non-threaded fitting, while emptying the boat for the first time (from the PO, who apparently hadn't emptied the tank since Reagan was in office.
> 
> Yuck. And then some.


What, exactly, happens when it goes wrong?


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## tommyt (Sep 21, 2002)

Semijim,

You must have the T-shirt. "**** Happens"


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

We're pumping the holding tank for the first time this Sat... i can barely wait. Apparently the PO told the broker that he had never had the tank pumped while he owned it. That would be fine if it was empty but it's FULL. I'm sure we'll be rinsing a couple times.

Should i add something to the empty tank to help kill bacteria... ie: a little bit of bleach?


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Actually Joel, I believe you want bacteria in your holding tank. The little buggers feed on our waste and it's bacteria poop that creates that abnoxious stink.

There are several products on the market used in earth based septic systems, which have enzymes for accelerating the elimination of septic sludge. Perhaps some research will reveal a product suitable for holding tanks.


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## Brezzin (Dec 4, 2006)

The little buggers feed off of oxygen so a well vented tank is a very good thing. If your tank smells then your tank is not well vented. The presence of Oxygen promotes the growth of the good bugs and inhibits the bad ones. the ones that cause the smell. Additives like enzymes won't help a badly vented tank. In this case I would use nitrates. Nitrates create O2 in the tank. Keep in mind that the best solution is a better vented tank.

Hat tip to Peggie Peal.


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

TrueBlue & Brezzin,
Thank you. Excellent information... and once i took the time to think about it, it made perfect sense. I'm not even exactly sure WHERE the vent is for our tank. Definately something i'll be looking into before we go to the pumpout. 
-J


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## KeelHaulin (Mar 7, 2006)

Been there Joel73... When I bought my boat the holding tank was full; we expected it to be emptied by the yard/broker. It had to sit on the hard for ~3 months while we were doing the bottom work and it was nasty. I added a bunch of the blue chemical to reduce the odor but it did not help much. Then I had the tank pumped by a septic tank service; flushed out with water, then that was when I noticed that the solids in the tank were like a brick and it would not empty properly. I added more blue chemical to reduce the smell and had to wait until the boat went back in the water.

When we launched the boat we pumped/flushed the tank out again (after finding the original problem which was a blocked tank vent). Then we added a product called Eco-Save and after a few weekends of sailing with water sloshing and bacteria breaking things down all of the solids were pumped out.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

TB-

Actually, there are two types of bacteria in the holding tank. Aerobic bacteria is good...they need a well-ventilated tank. Anaerobic bacteria are the ones that make the place stink...


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