Installing a holding tank or discharge system on a 22 Cruise

petemos

New member
Has anyone changed out the Porto-Potty and replaced it with some type of bowl with a holding tank and or discharge system? I would like to option of going to a discharge station or when none is available discharge off-shore on my 22 Cruiser.

Thanks Jim
 
I'm happy with my porto-potti, but would like to install a grey-water holding tank for my sink, perhaps with a 2-way valve. Some places, Lake Amistad on the Texas-Mexico border is an example, permit no discharge whatsoever from a boat.
 
petemos":2ko7mpp8 said:
Has anyone changed out the Porto-Potty and replaced it with some type of bowl with a holding tank and or discharge system? I would like to option of going to a discharge station or when none is available discharge off-shore on my 22 Cruiser.

Thanks Jim

Jim-

I haven't done this myself, but I've seen boat ads with pictures of plumbed-in Porta-Potties, usually on older boats that have had their original marine heads replaced.

This implies two things or more to me:

The original system, which was probably a typical marine head with a direct overboard manual pump and the diverter valve to pump into a holding tank, was

1. Difficult to keep operational (clog prone), and

2. Illegal to use (often must be LOCKED or capped so it cannot be used in certain waters), or

3. The head system became worn out, and the plumbed Porta-Potti was a simpler, easier replacement.

I'm sure here must be some reference to this already on the myriad of boat and RV owner sites like this that exist.

I'd try putting "plumbed Porta-Potti" into Google and see what comes up, not only to see the method of plumbing, but also the reasons why it was done, and how it worked out.

What I'm also thinking here is that plumbing a Porta-Potti may be adding complexity and therefore potential problems to a system that is already as simple and carefree as possible.

If that's true, maybe a second base (tank) to a Porta-Potti would be an easier solution than plumbing one into a complete sewage system.

Just my $0.02!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I looked into the airhead. It seems that it may be too high to fit under the V bunk and it also needs an exhaust pipe, which may be required to go thru the top deck. It's also $1,000.

I was hoping that someone may have installed a porto-potty that has a built in holding tank and then installed a discharge pump. That may cost the same as a Airhead, but was just seeing if anyone has done this before.

Has anyone installed an Airhead on a 22 Cruiser?

JIm
 
I've owned boats with built in heads and I've been on a lot of boats with built in heads. You can keep the odors under control, but it takes a lot of effort. You can also spend a lot of time working on problems with the heads.

The Porta Potty on my CD22 is smell and maintenance free as far as I can tell. Pretty nice tradeoff if you ask me.

How about we figure out a way to connect a macerator pump to a porta potty temporarily for pump out? Is something like that available? It could be kept outside somewhere for odor control and only connected when needed. The macerator pumps will discharge through a much smaller hose than normal systems and therefore it might be easily handled for temporary use.

Maybe the pump and overboard hose could be out in the cockpit and you'd move the porta potty out there for pumpout where legal, leaving the pump and plumbing outside when done and only taking the porta potty back inside the cabin.

The basic idea here, if you haven't grasped it, is to keep the smelly plumbing outside and only have the smell-free porta potty inside the boat.

As a related note, I've learned that flushing with fresh water only and NEVER pumping salt water into the system keeps the odors under control a lot better. Some of my friends keep jugs of fresh water on their sailboats and always use that, with good results. There are organisms in the salt water that die and smell when left sitting in the plumbing associated with the toilet.

I guess I should go Google "porta potty with pump out fitting".
 
Hey, I did what I suggested and found, on Thetford.com, the instruction manual for their Porta Potties. In it they show an optional pump out fitting for their toilets. It replaces the normal 90 degree swing around dumping pipe.

I'm going to look at that option myself. I still think I'd like the hose and pump on the outside of the boat somewhere, and only have the toilet itself inside.

Maybe own two of the toilets and bring along whichever version makes sense for a given trip.

Cool.
 
Well i found this:

http://www.iboats.com/Thetford_735_MSD/dm/view_id.23739

It's a Porto-Potty replacement unit with a discharge attachment. So as long as i can find a way to run the plumbing and hoses this may be the best option. It can hook to a pumping station or overboard when i'm offshore. The only problem is in the 2007 22 Cruiser the area under the v bunk is not accessible as in other boats. I think it's filled with foam, so i have to figure where i can actually run the hoses.
 
I'm happy with my porto-potti, but would like to install a grey-water holding tank for my sink, perhaps with a 2-way valve. Some places, Lake Amistad on the Texas-Mexico border is an example, permit no discharge whatsoever from a boat.
I like this idea but not the idea of a fixed tank that takes up room.
If you put a "t" in the drain line and two ball valves to isolate one line or the other. You could run that line to the back center of the boat, between the tanks where you could place an RV style gray water tank (only when you need it). This tank can be carried and toilet or sink dumped on land.
 
I do recall that someone on this forum installed a head on a 22' C-Dory cruiser.....He either removed the dinette or the galley area.....there were even pictures and it looked pretty professional.

If I find the post I will post the link.

Good Luck
 
smittypaddler said:

I'm happy with my porto-potti, but would like to install a grey-water holding tank for my sink, perhaps with a 2-way valve. Some places, Lake Amistad on the Texas-Mexico border is an example, permit no discharge whatsoever from a boat.[/quote]

My thoughts 2nd attempt:
I like this idea but not the idea of a fixed tank that takes up room.
If you put a "t" in the drain line and two ball valves to isolate one line or the other. You could run that line to the back center of the boat, between the tanks where you could place an RV style gray water tank (only when you need it). This tank can be carried and toilet or sink dumped on land.
 
Back
Top