Cutting the crap! Macerator Pumps, which and why?

[RV_]

We are about to move into our new to us fiver for 4 - six weeks while they move our old mobile home out and install the new double wide super insulated custom build.

 

I set up a 30 Amp outlet and added a water line in this heat with all digging a 200 foot trench for it. The Hookups are perfect but for the lack of a wastewater dump.

 

However we have our oxidation pond directly behind it, with an 87 foot run to it, and a five rise to dump.

 

I would like to hear from folks who have or had a macerator pump that they use/used, and get their take on which to get. My 5th wheel has three valves and wastewater lines. One from the bathroom sink and shower, one black only, and one from the kitchen. I will be ordering one tomorrow and am leaning more towards the ones with non expandable discharge hoses as I will only be using it here for a month. I like the idea of 2" smooth bore non pinhole vulnerable lines.

 

But I am open to any experience in running a line. I can run a PVC line and bury just below the surface, or use threaded sections to store in back of the workshop until needed again.

 

My email is in the clear on my website below so either here or in email please share some of your experience. Pics of PVC discharge lines most appreciated.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

We use a Flojet Macerator. Best price we found is at Dyers.

 

At the farm, we pump gray water up a 75' 3/4" hose with a rise of about 6'. Black water is pumped 275' on a slight down hill though 3/4" hose.

 

You need a good 20 amp +12 volt power source.

[lappir]

I built one from an Insinkerator. worked great pumped to the top of a 275 gallon tank with ease. You do want a grey water chaser though because once you lose the flow in you lose the flow out. Don't want to finish with the black tank contents.

 

Rod

[jerryneal]

I've had a Floject for 6 months. Use it when the big hose doesn't work - rest areas where the dump is located up hill, need to dump when we get back home. At home, it's 100 ft to the sewer clean out. Dumping 2 grays and a black tank using a 5/8 inch garden hose takes a little over 10 minutes.

[RV_]

Rod,

I'm on my own property and plan to dump black water in the Oxidation pond, and gray in the field with a 3/4 inch hose but I always flushed a black dump with gray when we were fulltiming. Good point that was one of my questions.

 

My initial research resulted in separating the macerators into two groups. Water powered and 12 volt powered. With some permanently mounted which I don't know if I would like.

 

Here's what I am looking at now:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Arv%20macerator%20pump

 

Mark,

Thanks! I need a kit like you have as I am not in time to tinker with a home built. What do you mean a good 20 amp 12 volt power source? I was planning to run the wires from the battery and fuse as recommended. Are you saying you bought an outboard power supply? Or just to fuse it with a 20 amp directly from the battery as I plan.

 

Man if you have any pics of your setup they would be appreciated. Thanks for the info!

 

Jerry you posted while I was answering. Thanks it seems the FloJet is the most used here? again any pics you can send to RV at rvroadie dot com would be appreciated. I was thinking of running 1" PVC pipe for it. Sounds like 5/8ths hose is all that's needed?

[nwtraveler]

I also have a FloJet. At first I used it to pump into a 55 gal barrel I set up with a 3/4" inlet and 2" dump

that laid on it's side in a cradle in the back of the truck. I was using a 50 ft x 3/4" hose and the inlet was

about 5 1/2 ft high.

 

Eventually I plumbed a 1" pvc run to my sewer clean out and it was partly level to downhill. The pump

still gets hot if you run it more than about 10 minutes at a shot.

[RV_]

BTW my house works like an RV. All the waste goes to the concrete 1000 gallon or so holding tank with a giant macerator pump with cast iron casing and stainless steel blades. It has a big concrete lid that just slides off it for access to the float switch and the pump at one end and a hatch that is under six inches of soil to access the inlet pipe from the trailer. It pumps the liquids and solids from the holding tank, after it is macerated to the oxidation pond. We get no odors and best of all no E.coli sprayed in the air. So the Flojet macerator pump is a lot like our home system, just a bit smaller. And the same effluent from the same source, a holding tank, goes in the pond.

[nwtraveler]

RV, you posted while I was still writing. I wired mine to the 12VDC distribution panel.

I brought the wires up in the back of the refrigerator outside access panel. The refer

is right above the 12VDC panel so, for me, the run was short. I keep the wire coiled

up inside the access panel until I need it and the panel is right above the sewer outlet.

The FloJet has an electrical connector to plug/unplug for use.

[RV_]

I'm also about to do my first flush and fill and hope the previous owner did indeed fill the black tank halfway as he said. We just got access to it as it was too wet here to move it around here until a few weeks ago. We just installed a 200 foot water line and 30 Amp RV outlet on the side of my steel workshop last week so no place to do it. I was going to go overnight with it at the base but just ran out of time. The RV is very nice, and all systems are green so far. Black remains, and sanitizing the fresh water tank for later or emergencies. But I can do the sanitizing later. I wrote up those directions here ten years ago or more, so had to get out my articles and refresh my memory on the bleach water ratio mix per gallon/30 gallons. I can do that much later as the flushing out takes a bit longer than just draining all and the water heater. It seems many get hot water from their utility as they only need hot water heaters. I have always gotten cold water from ours so need the full bore water heater.

 

 

[RV_]

Kim,

Thanks I was back making my last humorous remark when you posted. Mine has the panel on the opposite side of the rig in the bathroom cabinet and the 120volt panel below that. I am learning the rig as I go because it sat for the last six months waiting for the biblical proportion rains to stop. I'll have to do some thinking over my setup and decide.

[Devilishjim]

I also have the Flojet and it does have a water hose hookup for flushing out or backflushing the tank

[RV_]

Thanks Jim,

So far it seems unanimous, a majority even.

 

Anyone wish they'd gone with another? Because unless I hear some really negative comments about the FloJet or another who switched it looks like I will order one prime and start to figure out an adapter for it to 5/8" hose.

[Devilishjim]

Flojet comes with standard garden hose connection

[grumpydoc]

We have used a FloJet for years with good results. A couple of tips learned; there is a fuse in the handle and it will blow if you overload it so a spare would be handy. Several things will do that. After use and sitting the impeller can "freeze" in place from dried effluent. There is a slot in the bottom that you can turn a few times to free up the impeller before you use it. Secondly trying to pump uphill with a small bore hose will overload the motor so be sure to use a 3/4" contractors' hose, not a 5/8". I use a small 12v battery(lawn mower size) as a dedicated power source and short 12 gauge wire to connect. Too small or too long wire connection will overheat. I use a clear connector between the pump and the drain so I can see what is coming out to the macerator. Best Wishes, Jay

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

I ran a dual #10 cable from the DC distribution panel to an outlet in a slide drive motor compartment near the drain pipe. A cable from there to the Flojet connector.

 

A photo at the end of the Flojet with an 8" clear extension.

 

I hook up a water feed at the end of the process to push clean water through the hose. Try to get a down side of the hose past the rise. The hope is to get a siphon action. If not, what is in the hose can backup to the Flojet. Youwant clean water in the hose if that is the case.

[Mariner]

I also use a flojet whenever I'm staying at our dtrs. place. It's about 70' to the sewer cleanout, and have had no problem pumping. I ran a 12v cable into the wet bay to power it, but I've also used one of those portable jump starters. That really works great. All I have you to do is clip on the positive & negative, and away it goes. Oh, a little side note, I found out a flojet WILL run in reverse if you dope off like I did once and hook it up backwards.

[k4rs]

I second (or third) the recommendation to use a 3/4 inch hose. Our Flojet works noticeably better using the larger hose.

 

Safe Travels...

[RV_]

Great guys,

Thanks everyone! I will order the flojet and start looking for a 3/4" hose. I have a good 400 amp hour portable jump starter device with air and lights and inverter to power it. I may even set up a larger one inch sched. 40 pvc permanent fixture. If cheaper I can lay it above ground with threaded connectors to disassemble after we are done.

 

Jim,

I saw adapters for sale and wondered what it was fitted for. Thanks, I'd hoped it was standard hose fitting. I can adapt anything starting from that.

 

Also clear on heavy gauge wire guys. My booster cables on the jump starter should do.

 

I'm clear on it and can take it from here now.

 

Thanks a bunch guys!

[Biker56]

I have used the Thetford 70200 at my winter spot for a few years now. It has the Grey water by pass.

I couldn't use the straight hook up one in my compartment.

When traveling in the summer I use the 3" slinky

[RV_]

I don't get the gray water bypass. Is it just to allow the gray to continuously run out or what? I prefer a gray water rinse after dumping black. Stuff like this is so much easier in person than in 2D pics and short videos. I rejected the Thetford because of the retractable hoses. I need 100 feet and they are very expensive, yet several customer feedbacks on Amazon mentioned that they developed pinholes after a year or so. I prefer the idea of a contractor water hose in 3/4" for both easy replacement and saving a few bucks to boot, but mostly for the longevity and the ease of taking a shorter hose when traveling If I choose to. I have a complete setup in slinky too.

[Biker56]

Yes the bypass continuously lets the gray run out without needing the pump to run. I shut the gray tank off 2 days before I will dump the black.

That gives me plenty to clear the hose after the black is dumped.

 

You can use a PVC pipe/3/4" hose in place of the flexible hose if wanted.

Even with my winter spot of dump being uphill some. My gray tank is still a little higher then the dump pipe so gray runs out with no problem.

 

My hose has been out in the Florida sun/weather 24/7 for over 3 years now and no pin hole leaks yet. I leave it there coiled up when gone in the summer.

Maybe the ones with leaks use them in/out of RV all the time dragging them over the ground etc. a lot.

 

I take the pump and a 21' hose with me traveling but have never had to use it to pump up hill yet.

So I only use the 3" hose for faster dumps and the Whooosh dump effect you can't get with the pump.

[RV_]

I have to pump 90 feet give or take, and uphill with a rise of four or five feet and read many having no issues doing that using the Flojet. I picked up the 100' contractor grade 3/4" water hose today. Both Lowes and Homer's had it for the same price as Amazon. I was at Lowes last so got it there. With my 10% military discount it came out one dollar cheaper locally! I'm checking local sources for the macerator pump. Then buying or ordering.

[RV_]

Amazon was cheapest for the Flojet $213.88 Amazon Prime 2 day free, and Dyers was a few cents more, but no free Prime two day. They do $9.99 shipping flat rate.

 

I ordered from Amazon, last sewage check.

Thanks guys.

 

Edit: BTW, I have never bought a 3/4" hose and never paid 56 bucks for a water hose!

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

When we bought 3/4"-75' hoses years back , they were $47 each. But the three were cheaper than a Blue Boy to dump 55 gallons and a lot easier to store.

[BrianT]

I have a Flojet. Bought it a couple years ago. I had a 200' run through 1" hose and lifted it about 6 or 7 feet.

 

About the only quirk I had with it was that it liked to blow fuses when I would first start it. I didn't leave it attached to the RV but would get it out every 2 or 3 weeks to make the dump. I'm not sure if something dried out in it over that time or what but I did figure out that if I pulsed it a bit while spraying some WD40 into it before putting it away and was careful about mechanically spinning it before I started it again next time, that I sometimes could avoid a new fuse.

 

Other than that, it worked fine for several summers in a row.

 

Good luck!