Macerator pump tricks - how far have you pumped?

[Peter Tourin]

I had a full hookup RV pad at my old house, but our present house isnʻt so nicely set up. We have a 2-car garage, and in the back of it there are 2 waste line clean-outs, one 3" and the other 4". Iʻm a bit leery of dumping into an interior clean-out (leakage, big dumb errors, etc), but I do have a few thoughts...

* From the garage doors to the 4" pipe under the utility sink is about 30ʻ. Is there any problem with attaching a 30ʻ extension to the macerator hose? I suppose this could either be real macerator hose or just a length of garden hose dedicated to only this purpose.

* For ease of use, Iʻm thinking of simply fabricating a clean-out cap with a hose fitting - Iʻd leave it capped except when I needed to dump, then simply attach the extension hose to it. On the other end of the extension hose, terminate with a fitting thatʻll connect to the threads on the macerator head.

Anybody see any reasons why this wonʻt work for infrequent dumping?

 

[Kajtek1]

It should work, but macerator pumps are nasty and costly.
Research Sewer Solution as cheaper and cleaner option.
I would use 1" plastic piping for dumping.
Hoses bring too much flow resistance and are harder to clean.

 

[cbaarch]

I fond this one inch hose that is a lot cheaper then what the manufacturer wants. https://www.amazon.com/TetraPond-Po...rds=1+inch+garden+hose&qid=1626114949&sr=8-15 and much better then a garden hose which is often just 3/4"
If you have access to water I would be connecting it to flush the black tanks and run that at the same time you are dumping so it might help break down some solids/clumps and less risk of blockage and blowing out the connection.

 

[Peter Tourin]

Damn - I just got back from buying fittings to do it using a 3/4" hose! But not to worry, itʻs temporary anyway, just until I can dig up my main waste line outside and install a tee up to a cap.

Yes, water is no problem, so I can run lots of water when I need to do this.

 

[mikeme]

3/4 should be fine You can use a dedicated garden hose.

You should have the book for the macerator, and unless it has changed a lot, they say keep the hose under 75 feet or so.

I agree lots of water is a good idea.

 

[Tannys]

Anybody see any reasons why this wonʻt work for infrequent dumping?

I have dumping similar to what you describe regularly for the past 5 years without issue. My Unity is parked in my driveway and I connect a 3/4 inch 25 ft garden hose to the macerator hose and dump in a sewer clean out on the side of my house. I have a hose dedicated to this function only and have about a 35 ft distance to the clean out. This has worked well for me.

 

[DiverBob]

We got a 100 ft collapsible, 1 inch hose to pump to our sewer clean out. I have done this twice and it works fine, no indication of the motor overheating. In both cases the hose traveled downhill a bit so pumping uphill would require the motor to work harder. I only use this at my house if I was unable to empty my tanks before coming home.

 

[co-kid]

Elevation change is more critical than distance. I use our macerator to dump over 150 ft directly into our septic tank. But, our septic tank is about 20 feet lower than our driveway. Here's a typical table that relates distance and elevation (head):

 

[cbaarch]

and, this is my option when I need to dump Sanidumps: RV Dump Stations city listing for British Columbia, Canada ? no extensions needed.
this is the link set up for the US page https://www.sanidumps.com/find.php

 

[Peter Tourin]

Thanks for all the responses. This temporary setup is an extra 20ʻ extension and the slope is downhill. Unfortunately, the clean-out is in the garage and about 18" above the floor, so Iʻll have to be really careful about spills, and getting the extension hose emptied out at the end of the dump will take a bit of doing - thatʻs why itʻs a temporary solution <g>...

When I add a clean-out to our septic line, itʻll be about a 25ʻ extension and nearly level - perhaps a bit of a rise. So thatʻll also be an easy dump.

Iʻve attached a photo of my dry run for the temporary cleanout cap connection...

 

[geds]

Remember Dean's video proclaiming pumping up to a port-o-let.....

 

[rver2be]

Put some soapy water in the grey tank, so you can flush that long line!

 

[2yrs2go]

I have dumping similar to what you describe regularly for the past 5 years without issue. My Unity is parked in my driveway and I connect a 3/4 inch 25 ft garden hose to the macerator hose and dump in a sewer clean out on the side of my house. I have a hose dedicated to this function only and have about a 35 ft distance to the clean out. This has worked well for me.

I've been doing the same thing with 2 25ft sections attached to my macerator hose when I moochdock at nephews house in Florida. Slight uphill slant but never had a problem.

Orange hose marked "Not for drinking water" from Amazon

Amazon.com: Camco 22999 Orange RhinoFLEX Gray Clean System with Hose and Jet Rinser Cap-Ideal for Flushing Black, Grey Water or Tote Tanks 5/8" Inside Diameter : Automotive

Buy Camco 22999 Orange RhinoFLEX Gray Clean System with Hose and Jet Rinser Cap-Ideal for Flushing Black, Grey Water or Tote Tanks 5/8" Inside Diameter: Waste Water Tanks - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[jasper2222]

I live in Florida and Florida code requires a separate septic tank for sewer, washing machine and disposal. Obviously the tanks are small for the washing machine and disposal. In any regard my washing machine cleanout is right next to the driveway but my sewer cleanout is about another 50 ft away. I usually only flush my tanks at home, do you think I could run my flush and/or a small amout of waste into the washing machine cleanout or am I jeopardizing the washing machine drain field by putting waste in it. (ask a plumber, I guess). house is 25 years old.

 

[cbaarch]

The likely reason that the washing machine is on a separate tank is that it may contains chemicals that might interfered with the good bacteria working on the sewer solids. If you are using a macerator the solids will be more like liquid especially if you add a treatment to your RV tanks https://www.thetford.com/product/aquabio/ and you drive around sloshing the stuff around before you get home.
a big BUT: will anyone report you if they see you dumping sewage in your washing machine tank; what is the penalty, if any, if you get caught? which is where local bylaws (ordinance) dealing with disposal needs to be looked at.

 

[kmay]

I use a plain 50 ft garden hose connected to the macerator hose bell. Drain into cleanout on a line connected to public sewer service. I reserve that hose for no other purpose. In dry conditions I can back onto the lawn to dump directly into this fitting. No problems thus far.

That said, I prefer using a RV dump site nearby. The short drive helps shake things up and I usually then make the trip to storage site for her long nap.

 

[hoosierrun]

Well I've pumped my grey water right into the drain of my slop sink in the garage. These 12 volt cheap macerators don't have a huge amount of pump pressure and GPM, so it worked out fine with 2 people; one holding the hose outlet into the drain and the other at the rv, operating the switch. We were 25 feet away and in hearing distance so I could yell to cut off the switch if necessary, but it wasn't.

 

[Klipstr]

"moochdock'! That cracked me up!

Hey, Mackcs, we moochdocked you!

 

[2yrs2go]

"moochdock'! That cracked me up!

Hey, Mackcs, we moochdocked you!

I have to admit I copied that from somewhere on the web. But it's a good deal, he even installed a 30 amp connector for me.