question about macerator use

I boondock 10 months out of the year and always use the macerator into my portable tank and what I do is after emptying black tank is pour 2 five gallon pails of water down the toilet to help flush out a residual solids. After dumping and closing the black tank valve, I pour 4-5 gallons of water into the toilet, so I have plenty of water in the tank to start with. I've been using this method for ten years now, so far so good.

I use my Macerator whenever a regular dump is not available. It has a back flusher option as does the tank also. When using the Macerator always flush the tank until clean. I have pumped as far as 150 feet to a septic drain without any problem and it takes about 10 minutes to dump about 100 gallons.

Bobbo wrote:

ScottG wrote:
At the risk of slightly detouring this thread and with forgiveness from the OP..
What is the advantage of having a macerator pump over just dumping traditionally?
(Not knocking them, just truly interested)

For me, if I dump at a campsite I use the stinky slinky. I can dump at home, but the cleanout plug is 60' away and I don't have 60' of stinky slinky. At home, I use a macerator with a 75' long 1" diameter hose, and the tank rinser. Sometimes it is more convenient to wait and dump at home. It was more so before I sold my Class C and bought a TT. In the Class C, my DW could use the toilet all the way home, then I would dump.

Thanks, that makes good sense.

Scott

SoundGuy wrote:
No tank flusher will clean the toilet throat as will a tank wand down the toilet throat. ;)

Agree!

ScottG wrote:
At the risk of slightly detouring this thread and with forgiveness from the OP..
What is the advantage of having a macerator pump over just dumping traditionally?
(Not knocking them, just truly interested)

For me, if I dump at a campsite I use the stinky slinky. I can dump at home, but the cleanout plug is 60' away and I don't have 60' of stinky slinky. At home, I use a macerator with a 75' long 1" diameter hose, and the tank rinser. Sometimes it is more convenient to wait and dump at home. It was more so before I sold my Class C and bought a TT. In the Class C, my DW could use the toilet all the way home, then I would dump.

D.E.Bishop wrote:
I do feel that a Tornado Rinse system is absolutely great, so much easier and faster than a wand or hose down the toilet.

Unfortunate that the Tornado is all plastic and not metal ... installed 2 myself on previous trailers, both failed. :M No tank flusher will clean the toilet throat as will a tank wand down the toilet throat. ;)

I do have a stinky slinky from years earlier sitting in our current trailer's bumper but haven't used it even once and this will be our 6th season with this trailer. Guess I better double check and make sure it's still there ... just in case. ;)

I pretty much agree with having both, I haven't found any advantage to having a macerator when staying at campgrounds with dump stations, however, on those occasions when I can't or don't want to stand in line to dump, I like being able to dump at home and that requires a pump. I do feel that a Tornado Rinse system is absolutely great, so much easier and faster than a wand or hose down the toilet.

I have, however, found one campground that does no allow macerator pumps. they wouldn't say why. But they had as many rules as the big campground in Haines, AK.

I too have the option of using a macerator (FLo-Jet portable) or the 3" hose..

I like the speed of the 3" dump and the easy of using it. Many do not, it does not bother at all to use this hose.. Many are Bothered by what's inside the hose. I'm not.. Because I'm not INSIDE the hose,, I'm outside it. :)

I have read ONE and I stress ONE case where someone who uses a macerator had a problem. Just ONE. So, what more can I say. I suspect he was doing something wrong like leaving the valve open when hooked up.. Not recommended. Or not properly flushing the tank, which I never do with the 3" but do do with the Macerator.

I do use the macerator when.. for example.. it' sa long way, to the dump site, longer, than my hose. The reason is my Macerator hose is 50' and I can extend 25 more.. Can't go that far with the 3" hoses on board.

mich800 wrote:
I don't use a macerator but it sounds like by the comments above using a tank riser in addition to the macerator eliminates that concern.

The key to not leaving solids behind in the BW tank is to use plenty of water for flushing regardless of how it's introduced into the tank. The FloJet waste macerator has an inlet to which a flushing water hose can be connected, much like a Hydroflush or Flush King back flusher, but I find that a tank flushing wand down the toilet throat is much more effective, as well as being the only method that will thoroughly clean the toilet throat.

SoundGuy, I think you added to your post while I was posting. Using the riser like you stated and keeping lots of water in you black tank should eliminate their concerns.