Anybody using a macerator pump for black/gray??????

[scanzel]

Is anyone using a macerator pump for dumping sewage instead of the big hose? Any preferences on pumps, Shurflo, Jabsco, Johnson? How about the Clean Dump system anybody using that. Seems to me that the small 1 inch hose would be better with the pump system you can dump just about anywhere you can reach a recepticle for dumping.

[fraser8]

I have a shurflo in my 74 GMC FWD in the past five years I've only had to take it apart once to retrieve a grand child toy, so make sure you have another drain on the system. I also have a switch inside so I can drain if I'm hooked up at a camp site and find the tank is full. You know the feeling all of a sudden the shower water is getting deeper. I'll be installing one on my coach soon, as it's cleaner than that big flex hose dripping every where when you disconnect. I don't know if there is a big difference between brands as I've only used the one. It's a great improvement and convenient.

[jjrbus]

I have a 24 volt Jabsco. When I designed my system I plumbed this in. One problem I have noticed is after emptying several times with the macerator the solids start to accumalate in the tank. My friend Chad who has an extensive marine background plumbed his in to either recirculate the blackwater or discharge it. The recirculation grinds up the solids making them eaiser to discharge. In hindsight this is the way I would do it!!!
The macerator is a nice feature to have, it has saved me from moving the bus or traveling long distances several times. A hose can be run into a toilet, a manhole, septic system or into the ex wifes car!!!

[sommersed]

I also have mine plumbed in.  I can use the normal 3 inch dump slinky, or the pump, depending on the situation.

While the pumps recommend using 1 inch hose, I carry 100ft 3/4 inch and 100ft 5/8 inch hose.  The 5/8 works fine and is much eaiser to use, just takes a little longer to complete the pump out.

I have also had  to use both lengths for a distant pump out with no problem at all, even going up hill!

Ed

[TomC]

That's alot of hose to carry!  Personally-I've been using gravity dump for many years.  From '88 to 2000 I had a complete sleeper on my semi spending 9 months a year on the road with 20 gal black, 25 gal gray, that I had to dump once a week.  With driving a semi (what could be bigger?) I never had a problem dumping considering most all Flying J's have free dumps and alot of rest areas do (although a lot have also shut down).  In my bus I can go a week between dumpings.  I think in that time you could easily find a gravity dump that would work.  I have never had a load dump on me nor do I leave dribbles behind-just learned technique.  Just think that a macerator pump is just one more thing to go wrong.  Good Luck, TomC

[jjrbus]

What if you want to stay someplace 2 weeks, or 3 months and the nearest gravity dump is 150 miles away? 

[Frank @ TX]

Hi scanzel,
We still carry the 3" slinky hose but use the water powered pump much more.
The pump is "Sewer Solution" and it uses either the power of the campground hose
or the power from the fresh water pump on the bus.
We never had a problem with it.
It macerates and pumps it all to a 1" hose.
It comes with a 10 ft hose and I bought another 10 ft lenght.
When the bus is at home next to the house, I add some 1" PVC to reach the septic tank in the yard ( about 60 ft from the bus ).
You have options.
Frank

[Lin]

I think I default to the big hose.  It's faster and takes everything with it.  I have a macerator with a bayonet mount for when its needed.

[Sean]

We've got both.

The gravity dump, plumbed on the driver side, uses 3" fullway termination valves for both black and gray.  With the big 3" pipes, the 65 gallon black dumps in perhaps 30-40 seconds, and the 135 gallon gray in about twice that.  (We also have a third 3" fullway valve downstream of these valves -- we can close that, and then use the gray water to "backflush" the black tank.)

By contrast, using our 50" 3/4" hose, our dedicated 24-volt Jabsco macerator takes a good 20 minutes to empty the pair of tanks.  Suffice it to say, the difference in time and the fact that the tanks flush better with the gravity dumps mean that we use the gravity dump whenever possible.  In four years of full-timing, that's all but perhaps five or six times, and I'd say we've dumped maybe 130-150 times total.

We put the macerator on the curb side, and plumbed it to the tanks with an arrangement of two 1.5" fullway termination valves.  We ran hard PVC out the floor of the bay, and terminated it with a garden thread to accept the rubber 3/4" hose.

With the 50' hose, we were able to dump in Mexico at places we could not use otherwise, because the dumps were either too far away, or uphill.  We've also been able to dump through sanitary sewer manhole covers.   Although we've never had to do it, we could also use a vault toilet or a regular flush toilet if needed.  So we're happy we have the capability for when we need it, even though we use the gravity dump most of the time.

FWIW, and YMMV.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[gus]

I got a 12v Flojet portable macerator from Camping World a couple of years ago. It is in a small plastic case and cost around $250 on sale as I remember.

It connects directly onto the regular 3" dump where the usual dump hose connects. I only use it at home to dump directly into my sewer cleanout or on the road if the dump is uphill. This is usually only at a rest stop dump.

I've used both 5/8" and 3/4" garden hoses, it doesn't seem to care what size. My tank is only 90 gl so it doesn't take long to empty, never timed it.

The good thing about this one is that nothing is the normal system needs to be changed. I did hard wire a connector for it but it is not necessary.

[busguy01]

I got tired of fixing the big 3" outlet, mainly because of the placement of same. It drug the ground many times as it was too low. I changed to 2 pumps - 1 for black and 1 for gray. Works great EXCEPT it is slower than sh*t! New bus will have both. I now use johnson pumps - mostly because of the design of the chopper blade - it seems to hold up better.
JimH

[gus]

My 3" outlets are at the very outer edge of the baggage doors. It is a small pain to have to open the door to dump but far better than having it out the bottom to get knocked off.

When I got the bus it drained only on the right side. I got tired of that and added another outlet to the left side like most others. Now I can do it either way, no more messes with long hoses under the bus.

Haven't had any problems with the Flojet portable but I clean it very well after each use and give it a trial spin with a screwdriver before hooking it up. I read that they sometimes stick but mine hasn't.