Holding Tank on CD25D

[Emil Maurer]

Does anybody know the capacity of the holding tank? Anybody have an indicator? How do you know when to pump it out aside from its overflowing, perish the thought? Any other pertinent information would be helpful. The manual seems silent on this subject?



limem@megsinet.net

[Lee H. Hodsdon]

Emil,

I pump mine every day, or two. After passing the 3 mile line it is pumped overboard, works fine. Never had it overflow, and I've NEVER looked to see how full it was. To determine volume, why not fill it with water from a five gallon pail, through the inspection port. Count the number of full and partial pails and you have your capacity.

I installed a Jabsco macerator pump at the discharge point on the tank, installed a key switch to start/stop the pump (so it is a locked system), piped to a through hull installed in the transom. This system works well for me.

Lee




lhodsdon@nh.ultranet.com

[John R.]

Does anybody know the capacity of the holding tank? Anybody have an indicator? How do you know when to pump it out aside from its overflowing, perish the thought? Any other pertinent information would be helpful. The manual seems silent on this subject?

I recently built a new holding tank for our 30 and I made a very dependable and inexpensive fluid level indicator sending unit out of an access port ( with no moving parts). You can wire up the unit to either a light or a buzzer or both. I can e-mail you a picture of it if you want to see how it is made. Just post a message requesting the pics and I'll send them to you. You can easily install one in your existing tank.

[Lou Ostendorff]

Emil:
The CD25D holding tank has a capacity of approximately 11 gallons. I have never verified this myself, but Lee's suggestion of filling it completely from the inspection port has merit...In practice, I have mine pumped out after 1 or 2 weekends on the boat, depending on usage.
The one thing you DON'T want to happen is for the tank to overflow, or be pumped to overflowing. Several exciting things can happen...your cockpit pumpout cover can be put under pressure, and when you open it, suprise! - raw sewage all over the place...additionally, if you've pressurized the tank, fluid can be forced up the air vent hose, all the way out thru the air vent on the transom! This carries paper and solids at times, and then clogs your air vent - bad scene!

I make it a practice of opening the inspection port on the tank while servicing the engine. That way, you know the approximate capacity remaining. I have also worked out a rather rudimentary procedure for using the head: fluids get approximately 4 or 5 head pumps (with seacock open); solids get approximately 7 or 8 (with seacock open); I then close the seacock, and pump the bowl dry; by experimenting, you can get your waste to the holding tank, and not overpump liquid from the head; incidentally, I use K.O. tank treatment from the Hall Group, obtainable from West Marine. It is a live bacteria culture that smells good, and digests waste matter in the tank; One important requirement, is that the tank be well ventilated, hence the paranoia about clogging up the air vent; Peggy Hall has written an excellent article on holding tanks, marine toilets, etc. (Marine Sanitation)which can be accessed at their website: www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/phall.htm
Good Luck!
Lou Ostendorff
s/v KARMA
CD25D



louosten@ipass.net

[Emil Maurer]

Does anybody know the capacity of the holding tank? Anybody have an indicator? How do you know when to pump it out aside from its overflowing, perish the thought? Any other pertinent information would be helpful. The manual seems silent on this subject?

I recently built a new holding tank for our 30 and I made a very dependable and inexpensive fluid level indicator sending unit out of an access port ( with no moving parts). You can wire up the unit to either a light or a buzzer or both. I can e-mail you a picture of it if you want to see how it is made. Just post a message requesting the pics and I'll send them to you. You can easily install one in your existing tank.

Hi: JohnR. I would be most interested to see the pics of your fluid level indicator. Thank you for sharing your expertise in the making visible of these hidden innards. Emil Maurer



limem@megsinet.net