Forum Discussion

bb_94401's avatar
bb_94401
Explorer
Nov 21, 2014

Macerating pump to empty black/gray tank

In another post Reddog1 said he has be using a macerating pump to empty his tanks at home. This got me thinking that it would give me even more options/opportunities to empty my tanks during winter camping vs. just gravity and the normal hose.

I like the twist-on models that fit onto the drain outlet, that I can install as needed. I've found two different systems, FloJet from Xylem (aka Jabsco) and Sani-con from Thetford. Another company makes a kit using the Flojet pump.

Are you using these models in your TC? Would you do it again? With the same brand? Comments?

Thanks.

20 Replies

  • Reddog1 - I like the clear spool piece. Did the nitrile impeller get stuck by adhering to the pump body after drying out between uses? or did it get stuck on something coming out of the black tank?

    I thought it was a good feature to be able to clear the pump, by turning the shaft with a screwdriver, without having to disassemble the stalled pump. I'll have to mark the pump shaft direction when I get it.

    While this will allow me to dump at home, I'm looking forward to being able to dump in vault toilets, sewer treatment plants, even regular toilets when we take our 3 week winter ski road trip to central Alberta this coming February.

    Using someone else's black tank was something I had not thought of :D
  • covered wagon wrote:
    Yeah... make sure he doesn't drink too many....... I caught him running the hose up inside my camper and dumping into my toilet.

    That is not true. I had mixed some Margarita for us, and ran to hose so we could pump into glasses in your TC. I was not dumping into your toilet.

    Wayne
  • Yeah... make sure he doesn't drink too many....... I caught him running the hose up inside my camper and dumping into my toilet.
  • Wayne wrote:
    some of you have seen in my previous posts, they can double duty as a Margarita or Slurpee machine.


    Wayne's Margs are legendary. I've heard they have a very robutts, I mean robust flavor and a slightly out of the ordinary odor that you almost recognize.
  • bb_94401 wrote:
    In another post Reddog1 said he has be using a macerating pump to empty his tanks at home. This got me thinking that it would give me even more options/opportunities to empty my tanks during winter camping vs. just gravity and the normal hose.

    I like the twist-on models that fit onto the drain outlet, that I can install as needed. I've found two different systems, FloJet from Xylem (aka Jabsco) and Sani-con from Thetford. Another company makes a kit using the Flojet pump.

    Are you using these models in your TC? Would you do it again? With the same brand? Comments?

    Thanks.


    I have the FloJet RV Waste Pump Kit. Absolutely no question, I would do it again. I see no reason not to use the same brand, but would consider others.

    I too have installed 12V DC power right by dump valves. Although not required, I use a Clearview 5" Sewer Adapter with Bayonet Lugs between the pump and valves. This allows me to insure there is nothing left in the pump and the tanks are clean.

    It should be noted, there is a screw on the opposite end of the pump from the impeller. See page 2 and 3 Flojet Model 18555-000. It can be used to unstuck the pump, on the rare occasion it gets stuck. DO NOT TURN THE SCREW IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, IT WILL BREAK THE IMPELLER. They will not tolerate reverse rotation, and are very pricey. I learned the hard way, broke two. I finally learned.


    Is some of you have seen in my previous posts, they can double duty as a Margarita or Slurpee machine.

  • although not that critical in a portable system, but nice, I would want a grey water bypass feature myself.
    bumpy
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    I saw one guy at camping spot we were at had a 30gal or so size plastic waste water tote in the back of his truck where he hooked his 12VDC FLO-JET Pump to the Black water connection of his trailer and pumped his tank into the tote while it was still sitting in the truck bed.

    Then he unhooked the 3/4-inch line from the FLO-JET and tied it off high on the truck bed and drove to the local dump site and gravity fed the tank into the dump site...

    I thought that was a pretty neat use for the FLO-JET pump when camping without sewer connections...

    Roy Ken
  • I bought a Maserator pump at West Marine, it had the best price at the time, yet is a 1-1/2" female pipe thread, and I had to make an adapter for the RV outlet. Once that was done, I was able to dump the black tank into a port-a-potty that was located near where my RV was parked.

    I used 1" clear plastic tubing to make the connection from RV to port-a-potty, then used grey water to rinse out the hose before putting it away.

    1" tubing is about 2-3 times the opening of a normal garden hose. A garden hose can take a really long time, and has lots of back pressure. If you do go the garden hose route, try to keep it at 25' and with 3/4" hose if possible. It would be a expensive hose, and the tubing that I bought was around $1.10 per foot (40 feet was around $50) at Home Depot.

    So all in all, the total cost to me was about $170 for the pump, $20 for fittings, and $50 for tubing. I was able to save monthly $35 dump fee for 4 years.

    Fred.
  • When we are on the road we just use the regular dump method. When we get home, I use the portable FloJet macerator pump to clean out here at the house. Its nice because I can take my time at home by running the black tank flush for as long as I need to and discharge the contents by using the FloJet. No need to be right beside a sewer inlet.
  • I have a FloJet portable.

    Have used it for past 7 yrs. Twist on as needed......I have DC power right by dump line.

    Got it because when visiting sister the 'clean-out' is 75' away with a 2' rise.
    Pumps out my waste tanks with ease (50 gallon/black & 78 gallons/grey)