Leaking holding tank: What would you do?

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

...........Ditto on maritime ( you want the wiry,smoker with tattoos ).

I see you have used them before. LMAO

[Ocean Girl]

Yes, we used them on the third install of our head aboard RD, the first two heads were defective so we went with a different model head and ran out of time to do it ourselves. Twenty years of living aboard and crawling around boats gives you certain appreciations. I liked his attention to detail. The double hose clamps were aligned and flipped properly, the ends of the hoses were cut clean and straight, and the hose shorter than I could of made em. Plus he was done before we expected him to even get started and at a fraction of what we expected to pay including making a false floor to custom fit the head. I'm sorry I can't remember his name, he does beautiful work.

On that same note for full disclosure we are ripping all of it out for a compost system. our holding tank which is built into the hull with a stupid stinkin PVC lid and two hundred scews leaks too. I'm done( it has finally broke me) It's buckets for me, I look forward to it!!

Cheers, sorry for the thread drift!!
Ocean Girl

[Stumble]

The one thing I hate more than anything else is working on marine heads. Upside down in a seaway changing an impeller, no problem, unclogging a head.... Call someone. All this was started when as a kid I helped my dad replace a 40' long clogged sanitation pipe from out boat, then as he went up the companionway I got a nice, um shower, and anitbiotics, and tetanus shots.

This has led me to be very conservative when it comes to marine sanitation. So for me, a 28 year old system that started to leak would be instantly replaced. You ought be able to fix the problem today, but how much life is left in the rest of the system. Hoses eventually wear out, fittings fail, and while replacement sucks, it still beats another trip into the bilge with rags to clean out black water.

I would really look at one of the new MSD class 1 devices, that let you directly discharge overboard. And run about $1,000. Expensive sure, but no more holding tank to deal with...

[Jetexas]

To lose the holding tank forever and gain a bunch of storage under the V-berth, it would be worth it to me. Unfortunately, Clear Lake is a no-discharge area. It's a $2,000 fine if you're caught pumping overboard even if you have a Type I or II MSD installed.

[Stumble]

Ouch.

Then I would just replace everything. I just don't trust systems that are that old. In my experience as soon as one thing starts to fail, the next fails, and on down the line. Who knows you might get a few more years out of the system if you just replace it as things fail, but how many lost days of sailing will it cost you.

[Tony B]

When I get a chance to really examine my new-to-me boat I will seriously be considering an ElectroScan waste system that will pump into a holding tank. This will give me some time till I get to a pump-out station if in a zero discharge zone.

[Tony B]

Jet

if you look at Ronco and several other tank manufacturers, there is an excellent chance that you can find an exact replacement.

[Dockhead]

" Leaking holding tank: What would you do?"

Suicide comes to mind. Or at least, scuttling.

[Bash]

There's no way your going to solve anything without taking the v-berth apart first. Do it. At that point, it will occur to you that it's just as easy to remove and replace the entire system as it is to find the leak, at which point you'll probably remove and replace the entire system anyway.

[Ocean Girl]

Godspeed

We have all been there, some of us more than once ( twitch twitch).

Ocean Girl

[bobconnie]

AHHH Ya gotta love a bucket when something like this happens !! Only one way to fix it is to replace the 28 yr old stuff with new stuff! No way out of it ! or you will be doing this job all over again maybe real soon !! Or go to a bucket like I do LOL of course Connie wont hear of my bucket so we have a sani system first thing when we get a boat !! Ya gotta fix it my friend, ya don't have a lotta choice !! either that or ya gotta use a bucket !! Just sayin

[Fiddlerman]

Originally Posted by Vasco

I'm confused. Most pump-out hoses I've seen are at the top of the tank with a pick-up tube inside the tank. You say yours is at the bottom yet the picture you posted seems to show it at the top (unless the pic is upside down).

I just recently took out my aluminum tank which was from 1985, older than my 86 IP31 itself, which had a pumpout fitting on the bottom. Looked at all kinds of replacement tanks from TODD, Trionic, Moeller and a few custom options. None of them were built for a pick-up tube. I was mostly interested in this option. I could not find fitting options anywhere that would simplify this type of installation either. Seems like one has to be creative and rig something themselves for this option. From my understanding the most typical installation is a pump-out hose as low as possible on the bottom of the tank.

Jetexas, if you dislike clean-up that badly, don't make the mistake of trying to fix this. Do it right once and for all, and no bladder tank either. Have you considered a new location for your holding tank?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Fiddlerman

Jetexas, if you dislike clean-up that badly, don't make the mistake of trying to fix this. Do it right once and for all, and no bladder tank either. Have you considered a new location for your holding tank?

He's sold that boat, and already re-plumbed the head on the new boat

[Fiddlerman]

LOL, Just noticed the date on that thread. Thanks for the update.

[Ocean Girl]

Now that one way to deal with a leaky holding tank.