Mastering the Macerator
Bob Giddings
Friday night
Okay, I've pretty much calmed down now. I've been sitting outside,
drinking a meditative beer, watching a fine quarter moon move across
the western sky. I'm not lunatic enough at the moment to know whether
it's waning or waxing. I'm afraid I used up all the lunacy available
to me this afternoon, installing my new sewage pump.
I began innocently enough, drawing out what I wanted, making a list of
parts: 1 inch vinyl hose, 50 feet of 10 AWG wire, a DC switch,
assorted connectors. Check. I couldn't see a safe way to permanently
mount it to the trailer, so I used a scrap piece of wire shelving for
a portable platform. I ran power from my inverter to a plug I found
at NAPA, originally intended for extending alternator wiring, and hung
the female end from the external plastic access panel to my
refrigerator. It is barely visible. The male end went on the pump,
at the end of 15 feet of power line so I can move the contraption
around to the full length of my waste slinky. Check.
Everything hooked up. Time for the Test. Three inch slinky from tank
to pump - check. Waste valve open - check. Slinky full of crap -
check. Garden hose extension run to sewer connection - check. Turn
on the pump, which whirrs merrily away. Check. Wait a minute. Wait
a minute. Nothing's coming out! O Nooooooooo!!!!!!
It was just at that moment that I remembered the pump was shipped with
a little plastic plug in the intake, which I had noticed but failed to
remove. Okay, now, I know I have a bucket around here somewhere.
Hope it's big enough.
Five minutes later.
Intake plug removed, slinky back in place. The driveway is a bit more
fragrant than I'd like, and so am I, but that'll all clean up.
Everything ready now? Check, check, check. Contact. Ah, progress.
Sometimes shit does flow up hill. Wait. No. O Nooooooo!!!!!
The heavy duty hose I ordered with the pump, which smugly advertised
"rubber cuffs on either end, which allow for push on connection, no
clamps required", came loose from the vinyl hose in two places,
spewing fertilizer everywhere before I could splash in there and turn
off the pump.
Bucket.
Well. An hour and four hose clamps later, I think everything is in
order. A proper test will take another week or so. I only had about
30 gallons of the precious stuff to test with, and that's mostly
watered into the lawn now. Mostly. I've been showered and scrubbed.
And scrubbed. Everything I was wearing has been through the wash
cycle. Including my shoes. I even managed to get the sticky bits of
toilet paper off my glasses without scratching the lenses.
Perhaps I am permitted a Two Beer Moment. It is a nice Moon.
The lessons here are obvious, in retrospect. Aren't they always?
When you are dealing with sewage, the slightest misstep will land you
in deep shit. That's also a natural consequence of having your head
up your ass. I would suggest (ah, wisdom) testing the system with
clear water first. And at that ultimate moment, be sure to keep your
mouth closed.
A good-sized bucket might come in handy.
I figure most of the time I will want to dump by gravity in the usual
way. No muss, no fuss, and quickly done. Occasionally, however, it
may be good to empty the tanks uphill into a toilet, or the back of my
brother's truck. Here at home, I will no longer have to move the
trailer every 10 days or so. The unavoidable practical problem,
though, even when things go well, is that it takes a good bit of clear
water to clean the smell out of the pump - not to mention the drain
hose. When boondocking, as is my wont, that much water may not always
be readily available. So I may have just spent around 200 bucks for
something that will only be rarely used.
But no doubt I'm a better person for it.
Bob
GBinNC
wrote:
>Occasionally, however, it
>may be good to empty the tanks uphill into a toilet, or the back of my
>brother's truck.
Wow. You must really be perturbed at your brother. Does he know how
you feel?
GB in NC
Bob Giddings
Hey, I owe him one. When I was 5 years old, he kicked me in the shin.
Bob
HHamp5246
>And scrubbed. Everything I was wearing has been through the wash
>cycle. Including my shoes. I even managed to get the sticky bits of
>toilet paper off my glasses without scratching the lenses.
Oh Bob,
I'm writing through tears...... any more posts like this and I'll be headed for
Texas....
How do you feel about women stalkers?
Hunter
Bob Giddings
Er...ah...that depends. You got your own bucket? Is your fresh water
tank full?
:o)
Bob
Lee Bray
The best laugh I have had in a long time! Loved the narrative
I could almost visualize it as it happened.
Lee
bill horne
> But no doubt I'm a better person for it.
>
> Bob
And probably now qualify for a Macerator Master certificate.
--
bill
Theory don't mean squat if it don't work.
Barrie Brozenske
says...
> So I may have just spent around 200 bucks for
> something that will only be rarely used.
>
in fuel and dump charges. Eventually you'll feel good about the $200 you
spent...eventually! If you credit "goodwill" for the lack of PIA of
hooking up to go to the dump station, you can break even faster.... :-))
Thanks for that post, and keep your glasses clean...
Barrie B
HHamp5246
>Er...ah...that depends. You got your own bucket? Is your fresh water tank
full?>
Curses...foiled again.
)c:
Hunter
GBinNC
>Bob wrote:
>
>>Er...ah...that depends. You got your own bucket? Is your fresh water tank
>full?>
>Curses...foiled again.
See, there are *lots* of reasons to carry water while traveling.
GB in NC
Lone Haranguer
Thank you for the humorous report. I had no such trouble when I
installed mine. Everything worked exactly as planned. Of course I used
standard hose clamps. Not a drop of poop has ever escaped from my
system. Why do you need all this clear water when the soapy stuff from
the gray tank is more than adequate to rinse the hose and pump?
LZ
Bob McNabb
Bob McNabb
Bob Giddings
Sez she, Snidely. Oh, all right, then, Nell. I want to Dooright.
I'll split the bucket with you.
But don't be afraid of putting some of that famous Boston water in
your tanks. After I run it through the macerator a couple of times,
it'll be right drinkable.
Sorta like somebody jiggled your elbow while you were pouring the
Vermouth.
Bob
Neon John
>The heavy duty hose I ordered with the pump, which smugly advertised
>"rubber cuffs on either end, which allow for push on connection, no
>clamps required", came loose from the vinyl hose in two places,
>spewing fertilizer everywhere before I could splash in there and turn
>off the pump.
>
>Bucket.
>
>Well. An hour and four hose clamps later, I think everything is in
>order. A proper test will take another week or so. I only had about
>30 gallons of the precious stuff to test with, and that's mostly
>watered into the lawn now. Mostly. I've been showered and scrubbed.
>And scrubbed. Everything I was wearing has been through the wash
>cycle. Including my shoes. I even managed to get the sticky bits of
>toilet paper off my glasses without scratching the lenses.
>
>Perhaps I am permitted a Two Beer Moment. It is a nice Moon.
>
>The lessons here are obvious, in retrospect. Aren't they always?
>When you are dealing with sewage, the slightest misstep will land you
>in deep shit. That's also a natural consequence of having your head
>up your ass. I would suggest (ah, wisdom) testing the system with
>clear water first. And at that ultimate moment, be sure to keep your
>mouth closed.
Reminds me of my oh, third or forth trip in my rig. The black valve is held
to the tank with one of those flex black rubber couplings with hose clamps
used to splice PVC pipe together. Only I didn't know that.
So I'm sitting there on the ground in front of the electrical cord box, having
just pulled in the campground. I'm trying to get the electrical cord
untangled and out of the box. The black valve is near my right elbow. One
final tug, the cord comes loose and my elbow just touches the black valve. It
fell off.
I think there's a primal instinct down deep somewhere in the brain that
prepares us for loose shit valves. Before I realized what I'd done I rolled
on my side, just barely outrunning the brown hordes marching forth.
When the, er, fog cleared, there was an about 20 ft long swath of black tank
artifacts laying right there in our campsite. Uuugghhhhh.... The cleanup
with no tools other than gloved hands was memorable... My black tank valve is
now screwed on, safety wired on and epoxied on. Even a blowout later didn't
manage to knock it off, though it did break the valve.
>
>A good-sized bucket might come in handy.
>
>I figure most of the time I will want to dump by gravity in the usual
>way. No muss, no fuss, and quickly done. Occasionally, however, it
>may be good to empty the tanks uphill into a toilet, or the back of my
>brother's truck. Here at home, I will no longer have to move the
>trailer every 10 days or so. The unavoidable practical problem,
>though, even when things go well, is that it takes a good bit of clear
>water to clean the smell out of the pump - not to mention the drain
>hose. When boondocking, as is my wont, that much water may not always
>be readily available. So I may have just spent around 200 bucks for
>something that will only be rarely used.
What I do with my 90 deg elbow I use to dump in sanitary sewers is run just
enough fresh water through it to see clear and then put it in a heavy
industrial strength zip-lock bag. I occasionally apply a squirt of some HVAC
odor destroyer but I'm not sure that's necessary.
I wonder if you could mount a securely latchable box, say a 30 mm cannon ammo
box, up under your rig to hold the pump?
John
---
John De Armond
johngdDO...@bellsouth.net
http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/o/johngd/
Cleveland, Occupied TN
Bob Giddings
All my piping is solid plastic. It would be easy enough to attach it
directly to the valve, but then it would extend past the side of the
trailer and undoubtedly be struck by someone or something eventually.
Road vibration alone might break it off. I could hang it below, with
a permanent 3 inch U connection, but I am afraid to leave the motor
exposed to the elements. Phred had a drawing of how he did this, but
it involves more work than it might be worth.
http://www.phrannie.org/macerator.html
I suppose the pump is powerful enough to draft the "fluid" up a half a
foot, and thus work while attached to the frame above. But again that
is an answer to a question I'd just as soon not ask.
I believe that setting it on the ground is the best of bad choices,
once I get the hang of checking the hose clamps regularly.
It is, for me at least, the better part of valor. Not that I'm
intimidated by an unintentional shit bath. O no, not me. Grrrr.
Bob
Lone Haranguer
Although my sewer compartment is plenty large to hold the macerator
while fully functional, I do have it mounted on a piece of plywood along
with the lawnmower battery. I could set it on the ground and just
connect the twist on sewer hose as needed.
Since you have power available, why not just mount the macerator on a
piece of plywood and put a long spring shackle bolt on it as a carry
handle?
LZ
Bob Giddings
wrote:
>Another wonderful story, Bob.
>
>Bob McNabb
Thanks Bob. I believe it was Henri Bergson who defined comedy as
"that situation in which you have both the illusion of life and the
distinct impression of a mechanical arrangement." Something like
that. Certainly comedy seems to come into play any time I attempt a
mechanical arrangement, especially when it involves sewage. I had
thought I left poop jokes behind when I graduated from kindergarten,
but noooooo.
Say, I may be mistaken, but I seem to remember you are somehow in the
insurance game, and own a motor home, so you may be able to point me
the right way. RVAlliance just sent me a letter taking exception to
the fact that in the first year of my policy two separate rocks have
landed on my windshield. Can't say I blame them, I rather took
exception to the fact myself. For all the good it did me.
But the salient point here is that they are dropping me like that very
rock, come first of August.
I know of Progressive and Foremost. Are there any other companies I
should try that sell a good fulltimer's insurance policy?
Bob
Brian Elfert
>the right way. RVAlliance just sent me a letter taking exception to
>the fact that in the first year of my policy two separate rocks have
>landed on my windshield. Can't say I blame them, I rather took
>exception to the fact myself. For all the good it did me.
I just love it. We spend vast amounts of money on insurance, yet when we
try to get any of our money back, the insurance companies drop us as
customers.
It isn't like you deliberately tossed those rocks into your windshield.
Brian Elfert
bill horne
They probably found out that he cut classes in Rock Dodging 101.
Kenn Smith
sort or rank up here.
I first thought that Boots had done the unforgiveable but even cat crap
doesn't smell that bad! You did it!!
Bob Giddings
And here I thought I could spray my yard anytime and the smell would
disappear in 15 minutes. Turns out it's just a good brisk southern
breeze that does the trick.
Then again, you do live near Fort Hood. Sure the army isn't just
having their annual Latrine Drill, so they can hand out medals?
Bob
Lon VanOstran
<bo...@vcmails.com> writes:
>I know of Progressive and Foremost. Are there any other companies I
>should try that sell a good fulltimer's insurance policy?
>
>Bob
>
Check with GMAC through Good Sams.
Lon
Bob McNabb
I know of Progressive and Foremost. Are there any other companies I
should try that sell a good fulltimer's insurance policy?
Bob, both companies are prominent with full-timers. With the non renewal
notice you got, you may be asked to consider a higher Comprehensive
deductible, and there is a corresponding tho modest savings. My own
coverage is with Hartford (and I'm not a full-timer) and when I drove
through Yellowstone a couple of years ago, I got both windshields badly
cracked by rocks. Hartford didn't say a word, tho I did pay two
deductibles for the two separate incidents.
Show them your good sense of humor and style, Bob, and they'll likely
give you a 10% Good Story discount.
Bob McNabb
HHamp5246
>
>>the right way. RVAlliance just sent me a letter taking exception to
>>the fact that in the first year of my policy two separate rocks have
>>landed on my windshield. Can't say I blame them, I rather took
>>exception to the fact myself. For all the good it did me. >
That's bullshit... I would ask to speak to a superior and if that didn't help
then file a complaint.
Hunter
Kenn Smith
to pull a full fledged latrine drill; there are about 25,000 from here
still in Iraq trying to keep the peace and looking for WMD.
Nope, it's your fault, pure and simple. I understand that Florence put
out an emergency evacuation order as your cloud drifted over them but by
the time it got to us it was only a low level alert.
darrz
>way. No muss, no fuss, and quickly done. Occasionally, however, it
>may be good to empty the tanks uphill into a toilet, or the back of my
>brother's truck. Here at home, I will no longer have to move the
>trailer every 10 days or so. The unavoidable practical problem,
>though, even when things go well, is that it takes a good bit of clear
>water to clean the smell out of the pump - not to mention the drain
>hose. When boondocking, as is my wont, that much water may not always
>be readily available. So I may have just spent around 200 bucks for
>something that will only be rarely used.
>
>But no doubt I'm a better person for it.
>
>
>Bob
Author: Bob G., check.
Content: Surely Rib Tickling, check.
Many thanks to: Bob G
Check.
Great moon, <clink with beer's>
Oh, did you say empty your black water into the back of your brother's
truck? ROTFL!
darrz
Larrie Malobenski
>something that will only be rarely used.
Yabut think of the power you have. Ferinstance a car cuts you off on the
road and hours later you pull into a gas stop and there it sits! With the
window just open enough to pass a garden hose
Bob Giddings
This is nothing new. I've had the power to get my ass whipped for
decades. Seldom actually used that power, but it's always there if I
need it.
Bob