Macerator and dock side pumping.-gctid827190

[Triguy26]

Please excuse my ignorance as I'm 100% new to boating and I'm having a hard time finding this info out. If I pull up to a waste disposal dock and want to pump out the poopskies. How long and when do I run the macerator for? Or am I supposed to run it at a different time? And what about TP? Is that okay to flush?

Thanks in advance and thanks for humoring my stupidity.

Mike

[pgiconch]

The macerator can only be used to discharge waste overboard outside of most state and federal limits to the best of my understanding. The following link to the federal EPA laws which govern discharge apply: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/159.7

Canada's laws are a bit different (more strict perhaps?)

A pump out station will draw out the waste (suction) via a discharge port which will have a cap and should be labeled as such. They will not use the macerator to empty the tank. Your tank may have a Y connection out of the tank. One leg goes to the macerator pump, the other to the capped discharge port which the folks at the waste removal location would use.

Fines for discharging via the macerator and thru-hull port can be steep if one is caught doing so. Hope this helps.

Marine TP should be OK. Tell your guests to please use as little as possible, and NOTHING else is to go into the bowl besides the TP and human waste or water.

[Shawnh]

No need for the macerator for a dock side pump out. That is for overboard INTO the water. Just hook up the pump out nozzle to the pump out location on your boat and suck away...

You need quick dissolving TP for a marine head. Don't use the stuff you use at home UNLESS you check to see if it will dissolve fast. Put a sheet in a glass of water overnight. If it still looks like TP in the morning, don't use it in your marine head. I find that TP used for a motorhome is about half the cost of the stuff for a boat. And it is the same stuff. I can pick it up at our local Fred Meyer (Kroger for most of the USA) pretty cheaply in their RV section over by the camping and toy area of the store.