Macerator pump systems

[drillking]

Does anyone use or have used a macerator pump system on your RV sewage outlet? I am considering going that route.

[MarshaNichols]

Had one on my Roadtrek...when I sold it, I was so relieved to not have a macerator on my new rig! I really didn't like it as you never knew, for sure, when it was through pumping...and I figured it was just a matter of time till the motor burnt out.

[fcooper]

Golden HVAC wrote:
I bought a portable macerator pump at West Marine. As expensive as boat items are, they actually where lower cost than a RV supply store for a macerator pump.....text deleted...

I use the same type marine macerator pump with a few pvc fittings to allow my normal sewer hose to connect to the macerator pump. My home dump station has 1 inch pvc running about 75 feet, and this works well. I use a short flexible hose to connect the macerator pump to the 1 inch pvc, and get power using spring clip connectors to the power at the leveling pump.

Fred

[wa8yxm]

I have a portable.. And a 50' Black Hose to go with it (The hose is black)

I have used it on occasion to pump to a sewer inlet that was far, far, from RIG.

Work great.

Normally though I use the 3"

Works FASTER

[ol_Bombero-JC]

drillking wrote:
Does anyone use or have used a macerator pump system on your RV sewage outlet? I am considering going that route.

You don't say why you want one - or why you think you need/want one?.:R

*If* you need to pump sewage a long distance - or uphill, or both (for whatever reason) - it's nice to have..:C

.

[Old-Biscuit]

fred42 wrote:
I have heard that macerator pumps can burn out if you run them dry. If this is the case, how do you empty the liquid in a long hose once the liquid has stopped entering the pump?

The Flojet has a connection for attaching a garden hose so that clean water can be pumped thru unit after dumping to flush the macerator and discharge hose.

[fred42]

I have heard that macerator pumps can burn out if you run them dry. If this is the case, how do you empty the liquid in a long hose once the liquid has stopped entering the pump?

[aruba5er]

I use the regular hose to dump at camp but when I head home from a trip someone always needs to use the bathroom (me included) when I get home I hook up the pump, get a lot of water into the black tank to suspend any solids and start the pump into a line I had installed for the camper. good clean tank and empty too. Don't have to wait for next trip out or for that matter, and last week was the last time this year, winter is a coming

[ryegatevt]

We have used our OE macerator for 8 years with no trouble. At a dump station we pull in, dump, and leave in the time it takes a gravity rig just to get set up.

[eHoefler]

I used one for 7 months last winter, we were living in ours while the house was being built. I used 1" PVC and was 220' long. Worked very well. I used a separate 12 volt, 30 amp power supply. The only glitch we had, was when the wife bought cheap Wal-Mart brand toilet paper. We use Scott's brand religiously now.

[JohnG3]

Have a FloJet, We camp at a place with water and electric and a sewer dump 150' away and maybe a couple inches higher than the trailer. So the first year we had 150' of 1" flat hose on reels. Ran the hose out, hooked up the pump and after a while burned up the pump. Spent the next couple hours replacing the brushes, cleaning the armiture and getting the pump running again. Put it away for a couple years.

This year I had the bright idea of using 1 1/2" swimong pool back flush hose. This time I'm another 25' away from the dump station so I need 175' of hose. Well, 50' of 1" first, then the 1 1/2". Well, the pump couldn't build enough pressure to unkink the pool hose so it was pump for a minute, then take out the kinks. Run again, new kinks. Finally after about 2 hours I have both tanks dumped, then comes the cleanup. Needless to say the tote tank may be a bit more physical labor but time wise much shorter time than the pump.

A marine grade pump I'm sure would work fine for most distance.

[Old-Biscuit]

Macerators have their place........when you need to 'pump' uphill, when you need to 'pump' long distance, when you need to 'pump' into a waste tote in the back of your truck, when you need to 'pump'..well you get the idea.

Gravity thru a 3" sewer hose works great..unless you need to 'pump'

I have a portable Flojet.....use it at two places. When visiting Sister..have to pump 75' up a 2' incline and at a friends place where I have to pump 100' to the cleanouts. Otherwise it's in its case.
Priceless when I need to pump...otherwise it's just extra weight and taking up space

[mlts22]

One trick I do with a macerator pump to get the solids out of the black tank:

Once you have gotten the black tank empty, turn the pump off, pull the grey valve, let the water in the grey water tank backflush the black tank. Then wait until it evens out, close the grey valve, run the pump until the black tank is empty. Do this one more time, then empty the grey tank completely. I've found this gets almost any remaining stuff out without requiring additional water.

[JJBIRISH]

I can’t give a firsthand opinion because I never found the need for one so have never owned one…
but for what it’s worth, I know others that do… they can be a messy maintenance item, are slow to drain and need power to operate…
some swear by them and I have heard others swearing at them…
since gravity has worked great for 40 or so years I have never saw the value in them, but have no doubt others do…
I think a lot of people have them and don't normally use them...
good luck with your decision

[slarsen]

I started out with a macerator. I liked it OK, but it is slower and tedious to use. And when it is really hot outside, you may need to let the unit cool off half way through.

It's in the front storage area of my 5th. Haven't used it in two years. Regular drainage is so much faster and therefore more thorough. But if you need to drain uphill . . . it can't be beat.