Peggie,

I see some rather pricey system for pumping air into holding tanks to
aerate them. I'd like to try rigging up my own. How much air does it
take? Is there a critical amount below which nothing useful happens
or does any air help?

I'd like to avoid the 12 volt drain. Since we are in an area where
there will usually be wake motion, I have an idea for boat motion
powered pump.

--

Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
Peggie,

I see some rather pricey system for pumping air into holding tanks to
aerate them. I'd like to try rigging up my own. How much air does it
take? Is there a critical amount below which nothing useful happens
or does any air help?

The Groco Sweetank pump moves 1.7 liters of air/minute, which is about
the minimum that'll work. Two things are important: a sufficient amount
of air to aerate the contents, and piping to distribute it throughout
the tank. Otherwise it'll only push foul gasses out the vent all the
time instead of only when the head is flushed.

You can see the compete manual for the Sweetank he
http://www.groco.net/parts/data/622.pdf


I'd like to avoid the 12 volt drain. Since we are in an area where
there will usually be wake motion, I have an idea for boat motion
powered pump.

I don't think it would produce enough air. The Sweetank requires only 3
watts of 12v power...not much of a battery drain. If even that's too
much for your current 12 resources, a relative small solar panel would
replace the drain on your battery.

It's price of $150-200 seems expensive...but the purchase price is
offset by what you're spending for tank products now, 'cuz a properly
aerated tank requires nothing else. So depending on how much you're
spending for tank products, the Sweetank can pay for itself in just a
few years.


--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

Dave wrote:

Over the weekend I noticed that the access port cover for my holding tank
seems to have a small leak between the tank and the screw-on (or in) cover.
Seems to be a chronic problem, since I had the tank pulled a year ago
(another story) and some new fittings installed, and at that time I saw that
the PO had tried to seal the port cover by putting some silicon-like
material around the sides of the cover. What's the most effective way to
make a good non-leaking seal for that fitting?

Rubber gasket...or, if the cap is round, rubber o-ring, which you can
find if you google Beckson (they make inspection port retrofit kits).
Call 'em and give 'em the size. O-rings should be replaced about every
5 years or so.
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

Dave wrote:

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 01:45:58 GMT, Peggie Hall said:


Rubber gasket...or, if the cap is round, rubber o-ring, which you can
find if you google Beckson (they make inspection port retrofit kits).
Call 'em and give 'em the size. O-rings should be replaced about every
5 years or so.


Thanks, Peggie. They weren't very encouraging when I called, but perhaps if
I pull the cap and take it up to their location they can match the O-ring.

I may know of another source...What's the diameter of the cap?

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

Dave wrote:
Following up, thanks to the tank manufacturer (Kraco in Milwaukee) I
found just what I needed at Claire's Marine Outfitters in Ft.
Lauderdale. Seems the closure hasn't changed in 25 years, and they
still stock both the covers and the O-rings.

Kracor gets 'em from Beckson, so you may have gone through more
middlemen than you needed to.

Now a further question. The covers, it seems, have to be driven home
to seal the O-rings by using a hammer and a wooden block against some
little plastic "ears" sticking out from the cover.

Ears???? Hammers???? You have to talking about a different inspection
cover cap than any I've ever seen...'cuz the only ones I know of are
round...the o-ring easily slips over the threads to go around it under
the flange...and all you have to do to seal the cap is thread it in to
the opening.

Would you email me a photo of your inspection port and the replacement
cap you bought? peg(dot)hall(at)sbcglobal(dot)net. 'Cuz I can't even
begin to visual what you're talking about...much less tell you how to
install it.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Dave wrote:
Don't have a photo, but I sent you a rough sketch of top and side views of
the cover.

You did? Uh-oh... I didn't see it, which prob'ly means my spam blocker
got a little too protective and I didn't take the time to double-check
its opinions. If it bounced, that's definitely what happened. Please
try again?

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Dave wrote:

Resent.

Got it this time.

It's the same round threaded cap I'm familiar with, but the first time
I've ever seen any "ears" on it. I still have a couple in a box of
assorted odds and ends... I just took a look to make sure I hadn't
forgotten what they look like...no "ears" on them. The rubber
o-ring--which should be round (not just the round ring, but the rubber
"band" that is the ring) and about 1/4" thick--is what provides the
seal. We always just hand-tightened 'em...and never had a problem with
'em leaking, even when we pressure tested a tank to higher pressure than
is required.

But if you want to use a wooden mallet to tighten it a BIT more, it
can't hurt. Just don't overdo it...'cuz the more you flatten an o-ring
or gasket, the less sealing ability it has. And to answer your original
question...no, don't use any lubricant.

The following doesn't apply to an o-ring under the flange on a threaded
cap, but while I have the floor and we're on the subject of gaskets and
o-rings... If you over-tighten a rubber gasket between two pieces held
together with screws, you'll cause it to leak because it'll
"pucker"...people do it all the time when they replace a joker valve and
think that tightening it even more will solve the problem, when it does
just the opposite....makes the pucker even more pronounced, which causes
it leak even more. The right solution is to back it off till it stops
leaking.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
. com...
The following doesn't apply to an o-ring under the flange on a threaded
cap, but while I have the floor and we're on the subject of gaskets and
o-rings... If you over-tighten a rubber gasket between two pieces held
together with screws, you'll cause it to leak because it'll
"pucker"...people do it all the time when they replace a joker valve and
think that tightening it even more will solve the problem, when it does
just the opposite....makes the pucker even more pronounced, which causes
it leak even more. The right solution is to back it off till it stops
leaking

Happy US Thanksgiving, y'all...

Just a quickie clarification question.

I *think* I know the joker valve to be the duckbill at the outlet. If I'm
right, are you referring to leaking back into the chamber, or out of the
pipe flanges which (at least on my Raritan PHIIs) surround the valve?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, in rehab and PT, coming along, but nothing's fast enough to suit Lydia
:{))


--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
..htm?fno=0&sku=90&cat=1304

Skip Gundlach wrote:
I *think* I know the joker valve to be the duckbill at the outlet.

Yup...the little rubber cup shaped thingy with a slit in the bottom and
"lips" on the outside that's in the discharge fitting. The flange
doubles as the gasket between the discharge fitting and the pump body.

If you overtighten the 4 screws that hold the discharge fitting onto the
pump body that connection will leak onto the head sole.

This applies to electric macerating toilets as well as to manual toilets.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

I've never seen a joker valve (lots of duck bills though). From my
visualization of your description what is probably happening when you
over-tighten the screws is not puckering of the sealing surface but
deformation of the flanges between the screw points causing a reduction in
pressure between the two flange surfaces.
O-rings seals, when properly designed and manufactured should be assembled
with their flanges in contact with each other, ie bottomed out. Obviously
referring to face seals here and not radial o-ring seals.
BF


"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
om...
Skip Gundlach wrote:
I *think* I know the joker valve to be the duckbill at the outlet.

Yup...the little rubber cup shaped thingy with a slit in the bottom and
"lips" on the outside that's in the discharge fitting. The flange
doubles as the gasket between the discharge fitting and the pump body.

If you overtighten the 4 screws that hold the discharge fitting onto the
pump body that connection will leak onto the head sole.

This applies to electric macerating toilets as well as to manual toilets.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"

http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304