Dumping toilet at home

[Dagrip]

Ok...I know this may be a really stupid question but hey...why not ask it anyway?

We live out in the suburbs and do not have easy access to a dump station. We recently purchased a blue tote so that we can do some hook-up free camping this year. I am wondering if it is legal (I realize this may be a per city thing) to dump the black or gray water into the blue-tote and then empty that into the sewer cleanup that is sitting in my front yard.

Has anyone ever looked into doing this?

Thanks!

I assume you mean sewer clean-out. If you are on a septic system ( vs public sewer) I would be very careful what and how much treatment chemicals you use. Most all of them claim to be safe, but some certainly don't do a septic system any good. if it is public sewer, you can check but I don't see why not you could always dump it into a commode in the house.

Wondering if anyone has tried one of these black water pumping systems? The cut below is from the Camping World website but their recent sale flier had another product that could be permanently installed on the discharge of a TM. Seems like a pretty easy procedure to run the hose into the commode at home. -camp2canoe
Hover over image to zoom FloJet RV Waste Pump Kit
Catalog Item # 26125
Club SALE $249.99 SAVE $83

Reg $333.33

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by camp2canoe

Wondering if anyone has tried one of these black water pumping systems? The cut below is from the Camping World website but their recent sale flier had another product that could be permanently installed on the discharge of a TM. Seems like a pretty easy procedure to run the hose into the commode at home. -camp2canoe
Hover over image to zoom FloJet RV Waste Pump Kit
Catalog Item # 26125
Club SALE $249.99 SAVE $83

Reg $333.33

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...pump-kit/26125
That's called a macerator pump and is commonly used on boats.

They do a good job as they work like a garbage disposal to grind the particles small so that the can be dumped into any sewage drain.

Again, be careful with septic systems. Some RV holding tank chemicals can kill the enzymes that make the system work.

[Bill]

I have dumped into the sewer cleanout at both of the locations where I spend a lot of time. Public sewer in both places, of course. TM waste is not as bad as a lot of stuff that routinely goes into the sewer system. The treatment plants are equipped to handle about anything except maybe a big dose (think 100 gallons) of gasoline or motor oil. Septic systems require more care, of course.

I have never used a macerator pump, but I'm not crazy about the concept. For the toilet in the TM, one of the important parts of the dump operation is the WHOOSH when you open that big valve. That's what carries out the solids that have settled in the bottom of the tank. A macerator pump is more of a hum than a WHOOSH, and while it will do fine with any solids that are brought to it, it can't take care of any solids that just sit in the bottom of the tank. Again, I have not used one, but have consciously decided not to risk it as a permanent thing. It should be fine for an occasional dump at home, though, which is what you asked about.

Bill

[ShrimpBurrito]

If, by the "whoosh" sound, you mean the sound that is created when you open the EZ slide valve under the toilet and the waste falls into the sewer pipe under the TM, which should ordinarily be empty, I'm not so sure how important the "whoosh" sound is in evacuating solids. For the last several trips, I have had a leaky EZ Slide valve, which means that the sewer pipe underneath the TM was filled with waste during our camping trip, and thus obviously when we pulled into the dump station. So there was no "whoosh" in this instance.

In the other thread where I posted the picture of the inside of the toilet with the TP on the outside of the cone -- that was what was left after the aforementioned dump. There was nothing left inside the cone, solids or TP. And I don't think any "whoosh" would have been able to teleport the TP through the screen.

So, while it may be psychologically satisfying to hear that magic sound, even I love to hear it, I don't think it's a requirement to successful operation. At least in my experience. Perhaps traveling with the toilet full actually macerates the solids a bit. Or maybe the quick evacuation through a 4" pipe is what you are referring to. That indeed may be helpful.

Dave

I wouldn't worry too much about dumping into a sewer system, whether it be in the house or yard. But dumping into a septic tank is not a good idea, and is illegal in California, and other states I suspect. The "woosh" sound is just an indicator that there is full pressure of the waste going down the drain pipe. I think that pressure is helpful in removing solids. So a 3" drain hose is preferable to a smaller hose like you would find in a macerator system. Ideal would be if you could get the TM close enough to the clean out that you could dump direct.

If you must use a smaller hose like that which comes with the macerator, you would need to figure a way to rinse the toilet thoroughly after dumping, like buckets of water or a hose from the top. If you are sold on the macerator concept, you might also consider the Sewer Solution, also sold at Camping World, and much less expensive. With extensions, it can run for at least 30' and it uses a jet of water to break up the solids. You can than reverse a valve and run water into the tank from below, which I suspect is not as effective as from above. Let us know what you come up with.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Bill

I have dumped into the sewer cleanout at both of the locations where I spend a lot of time. Public sewer in both places, of course. TM waste is not as bad as a lot of stuff that routinely goes into the sewer system. The treatment plants are equipped to handle about anything except maybe a big dose (think 100 gallons) of gasoline or motor oil.

I have never used a macerator pump, but I'm not crazy about the concept. For the toilet in the TM, one of the important parts of the dump operation is the WHOOSH when you open that big valve. That's what carries out the solids that have settled in the bottom of the tank. A macerator pump is more of a hum than a WHOOSH, and while it will do fine with any solids that are brought to it, it can't take care of any solids that just sit in the bottom of the tank. Again, I have not used one, but have consciously decided not to risk it as a permanent thing. It should be fine for an occasional dump at home, though, which is what you asked about.

Bill

Bill,

I think that some may be misunderstanding what you describe as a "Whoosh" when we open the slide valve on the toilet. In reality, I think what that noise is, is more of a "Bloop" than a "Whoosh".

As it may be comforting to think that a volume of waste is suddenly rushing out of the toilet and creating a vacuum of sorts or a sudden surge that somehow removes particles from the screen, I just don't think that's the way it is.

Before the slide is opened, that chamber is filled with air. As we all know, air and water cannot occupy the same space at the same time. When you open the slide, the first thing that happens is the air escapes upward, creating a "Bloop" sound as the air escapes, then the water enters that chamber. I just don't think that it happens in a way that is in anyway helpful to the removal of anything in the tank.

I may be all "Wet" on this.......I keep hearing about this "Whoosh" theory and I thought that I would give my 2 cents....that's all.....

[mcgyver210]

I also have doubts as to how much the Whoosh, Bloop, Clunk etc does LOL. Since I have been using the Sewer Solution it seems to be just as clean although slower than with the 3" hose. I do like the Sewer Solution for what it is so far but I still carry the 3" also just in case.

[Dagrip]

Thanks guys. We are not on a septic system so it sounds like we are good to go. As always...thanks a bunch for the quick responses!