Stupid Question from a Newbie

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by bublsort

Sure, I'm in the Pier 4 Marina in Spa Creek in Annapolis.
I called the boat but they don't work in winter, which means I'm in trouble after next month. Of course they also only come from 10-5, when I'm at work. So HMMMM...

Check with the marina, they may have a portable pumpout tank for liveaboards use.

[sck5]

a useful thing to know: how many gallons is your holding tank?

also, find out where it is on the boat. Many are made of a kind of translucent plastic that allows you to see the level inside.

you DONT want to wait until it gets hard to pump as someone above suggested. That is a good way to clog your vent and cause all kinds of crappy problems.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by marshmat

Re. determining holding tank level: Probably the best solution I've seen is to have a second tank, somewhat smaller than the holding tank, full of clean raw water. The head draws its flush water from this tank. If the flush water tank runs out, you can add a bit to finish the current flush, and then you know the holding tank can't take any more. When you pump out the holding tank, you refill the flush water tank. Since you're at a service dock anyway, you can refill it with fresh, thus cutting down on head maintenance. Failing that, some sort of level gauge is called for. Or, at the very least, figure out how much water a single flush uses, and keep track of how many times it's been used since the last pumpout.

Hey that's not a bad idea

[peghall]

It only requires finding room for a tank that, on a houseboat is likely to be in the 50+ gallon range if it's to be close to the size of the holding tank...it'll have to be vented, and a new deckfill installed 'cuz toilet flush water tanks cannot have any common plumbing with the fresh water plumbing, not even vents or fills...rerouting the intake plumbing... Shouldn't cost more than $500...

Methinks a gauge for $100 makes a LOT more sense. If the tank isn't metal, you can use one which has a sender that goes on the outside of the tank, so doesn't even require any holes.