pros & cons of waste pumps with macerators

[hatwate]

We have a Class A and my husband is thinking of purchasing a waste pump. We utilize only campgrounds and rarely need to use other dump stations. Why would we want one of these? Wheat are the pros and cons?

[SoundGuy]

DSDP Don wrote:
You got a lot of bad info from people who have never owned one, but are very good at regurgitating what they heard someone else say.

Read any forum long enough and you'll see this isn't uncommon online behaviour at all. 😞 Folks just love to opine about something they really have no first hand knowledge of, often carefully crafting their words so as to not admit they've never actually owned or even used what's being discussed. :R It's just hot air they've garnered from a collection of viewpoints they've read from others, often those who also have never owned the device either. Personally I try to avoid that, my preference being to offer comment only if I've actually "been there, done that", as I have with the subject of this discussion - a waste macerator which I find invaluable despite what the ill informed naysayers may expound. :R

[DSDP_Don]

"hatwate".....It's too bad you already made your decision. You got a lot of bad info from people who have never owned one, but are very good at regurgitating what they heard someone else say.

When Monaco coach was in business, the SaniCon macerator was standard equipment on their DP lineup. I've been using a SaniCon macerator for almost 13 years. It's funny, I don't have the issues these others who've never owned one are talking about.

When people say their 3" hose is faster, that's arguable. My SaniCon is permanently connected to my drain and uses a 1.5" flexible hose that stretches 20'. I never have to store the hose or wash it out. When it's time to dump, I pull out my already attached hose, unscrew the cap from the end and connect to the campground sewer. I open my black tank and turn on the macerator. Once the black tank is empty, you open the grey and dump. Once it's empty, you remove the hose from the drain, screw on the cap and stuff it back in the storage bay.....you're done. No pulling your 3" hose out of storage, no dripping hose on your shoes, no gloves while wrestling the hose to put it away and no need for a second hose to flush out the 3" hose. When you look at the time to do all those things, the SaniCon is done.

Many will say they need the whoosh affect of dumping with a 3" hose, which is really a fallacy. You can still use your tank sprayer if needed. With the SaniCon, I can dump without using any water. I dump the black tank, turn off the SaniCon, and then open the grey tank. Gravity causes the two tanks to equalize, filling the black tank with grey water. I dump a second time and now have a black tank rinsed with soapy water.

My coach has a small black tank, (40) gallons, and fills quickly with two macerator toilets. I installed an electric black tank valve on mine and installed a second switch for the drain valve and SaniCon inside the coach. If our black tank gets full late at night, I just electrically open the valve and turn on the SaniCon from inside the coach. The great part is.....on the day we depart, while putting things away inside, I open the valve, turn on the SaniCon. I can hear it spin faster when empty. I turn off the SaniCon, close the drain and I'm done. I bring my slides in, disconnect my power cord, water hose, and cap the SaniCon hose and stuff it back in the bay. No waiting.

My SaniCon got blocked one time when someone put a moist towelette in the toilet. I service mine about every three years with a new impeller and have never had an issue.

[jwolf55]

I have a SewerSolution it is portable and was inexpensive, I keep it in my garage for those times I need at home dumping. I have also added a 50 foot 1” hose to it due to the locator of our septic tank to where I park the coach. I try to dump leaving a campground but at our state parks if you are not there by 10 am Sunday morning you may have to wait 2 hours to dump. So I skip that and dump at home. Sometimes I dump leaving a campground but we use the toilet on the way home especially if it is a multi-day trip home. Often on the way home we may park for the night at the relatives or some other non-campground so dumping is not an option. The SewerSolution allow me to dump at home in to my septic tank. On weekend where we go to a State park we usually reserve our #2’s for the campground restroom and use the coach for #1’s only although my DW does use an exorbitant amount of toilet paper, then I almost always dump at home. I do not know if Macerators are the greatest to use all the time but it works for us the way we use it.

[hatwate]

Thank y'all for your insight. After reviewing your comments and our situation my husband has decided not to buy a waste pump. Thanks, again!

[Tom_Anderson]

Big Katuna wrote:
Another negative is that they can jam if someone puts anything like a candy wrapper or a you know what down it.

THIS!

If the pump jams, it needs to be removed and unblocked. NOT a pleasant task, especially considering the half gallon or so of effluent trapped above it with no way to drain it before disconnecting. :E

The biggest pro, in my opinion (at least with a permanently installed macerator pump) is that it's much easier and cleaner to use. You don't have to connect/disconnect the hose or rinse it out when you're done. You just screw the little plastic cap back on and roll the hose up in the compartment.

[et2]

We use a sewer solution for three years without any problems. Not worried about water as we always stay at full hookups. The reason for us is on our MH trying to run the stinky slinky out underneath the MH always had clearance issues underneath and I needed to walk the waste down to the drain. We have the slinky ramp but it didn't help as it always backed up because the ramp wouldn't fit under the MH and the hose was lower there.

The sewer solution is a few minutes longer but work fine, even going uphill. I do appreciate not tripping over the stinky slinky and it looks better when out.

[Big_Katuna]

Another negative is that they can jam if someone puts anything like a candy wrapper or a you know what down it.

The impeller wears out and you need to rebuild it.

But it does pump uphill 80' away.

[ctilsie242]

I have seen the Sewer Solution. It is cheap, it does work, but boy, does it require a ton of water. I'd rather run a macerator pump, especially if the target is a septic system that has limited space for a dump.

[SoundGuy]

bowl2764 wrote:
Can anyone provide information about this pump made by Valterra? Uses existing water pressure.

https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-SS01-Boxed-SewerSolution-System/dp/B00CCYWJQK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1484858177&sr=8-8&keywords=flojet+rv+waste+pump+kit

That's the problem, it needs water under pressure to operate - fine if you have it, useless if you don't. 😞

[bowl2764]

Can anyone provide information about this pump made by Valterra? Uses existing water pressure.

https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-SS01-Boxed-SewerSolution-System/dp/B00CCYWJQK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1484858177&sr=8-8&keywords=flojet+rv+waste+pump+kit

[2oldman]

ctilsie242 wrote:
..the stool bus..

I like it.

[ctilsie242]

My idea would be something like what Phoenix Cruiser offers -- both. If I am near a dump station, being able to hook up the hose, let fly, and empty everything in less than a minute is nice. However, if I'm extending a garden hose to dump on a toilet, being able to pump uphill is quite useful.

At one renaissance faire I go to, they offer 250 gallon dump tanks to patrons which the stool bus comes out every week to empty. Because I don't feel like burying the thing, or moving my vehicle higher than the input, a macerator pump is a must.

[malexander]

2oldman wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
I can use the macerator for that purpose as well by offloading macerated content into portable containers sitting in the back of the truck,

In addition to this use, I'm currently in a FH site with the hookups on the opposite side. I don't have 50' of sewer hose, but I do have garden hose and a macerator.

You only need one hose, right? Just use your fresh water hose when you need to dump, reconnect it when dumping, right?:B

[Old-Biscuit]

Have a Flojet Portable macerator that is 10 yrs old.

When at a CG with FHU I prefer using the 3" sewer hose due to the 'WHOOSH' effect.
Open waste tank drain and the weight/volume in tank rapidly drains out carrying any solids along with it.

Can NOT get that effect with a macerator......slower and discharge is thru a much small hose (3/4" hose fitting on pump)

BUT it works great when you have to go any distance or uphill.
I use it at my sisters place .....75' with a 2' incline to clean out.
Takes about 25 minutes overall to dump 120 gallons of black/grey waste with a 5 minute break between tanks.

Personally I prefer WHOOSH...done

[mbopp]

If you camp with full hookups, no - you don't need a macerator pump.

We camp up to 2 weeks at a time w/o hookups. I have a macerator pump and a 30-gallon barrel w/ dump valve in the truck bed. Fill it, then run to the dump station. If we camp over a holiday weekend I'll empty the the tanks the night before we leave and avoid the dump station traffic jam.
And rather than string 30' of sewer hose at home, I'll run the pump while rinsing the black tank.