Ericson 29 Ronco Holding Tank Install

[CapnRob85]

Hi All,

Apologies if this is rehashing another post. I pulled the trigger on a simple Jabsco hand pump compact and now I'm trying to decide on a Ronco holding tank that I can fit in under my main cabin salon starboard berth seat and then run the pumpout hose to a deck fitting near the chainplates for the shrouds. Does anyone have any experience with installing? I'm looking at the B217 and B218 models to fit the countour of the hull. I do not want to have to cut out the frame to fit it in, so maybe I'll go smaller. Ronco customer service mentions I can get up to three fittings included in the price. Planning to go for the 1.5" waste in line, 1.5" waste out line, and a vent fitting. Any recommendations on vent hose and the size if I'm running it 15' to the transom? Any value in a waste out deck fitting with a built in vent in it, or running two vents to generate cross flow to promote good bacteria? I'm going to ask to add an inspection fitting for cleaning as well. Ideally I can get the fittings from Ronco and make sure they're top quality. Will give them a call after I figure out my dimensions and strategy on tank size.

I'm somewhat of a novice on the proper fittings and hoses, if there are any pro's who have been down this path before, I would greatly appreciate any advice. I am planning for anti siphon loop for the salt water intake, but do I also need to add an anti siphon loop for the waste line from the toilet? Part of me feels like that's a big ask for a manual hand pump toilet to push waste up hill before going to the tank.

Thanks in advance!

- Rob

 

[Loren Beach]

Others can chime in with answers to different parts of the question, but I would advise adding a clean out port on the top of the tank if you can.
The folks at Ronco were very helpful to me when I ordered a new holding tank.
If you click on the Search box and enter Ronco and the word Holding, you will get a good list of threads to read over. Set yourself down with a cup o coffee, and study the experiences of others. This is something most of us have dealt with, at one time or another.

 

[Teranodon]

As Loren says, you can consult with the Ronco people and customize your tank. I recommend having them fit an internal pipe so that the output port is on top of the tank, reaching down to the bottom. And an inspection port. Also, a big vent fitting, with a charcoal filter in the tube that goes to the transom.

 

[toddster]

Sad news - while those tanks kinda sorta are shaped like a boat hull, they aren't shaped like your boats hull. (Kinda like that commercial...) Those lockers are very shallow on the outside and also taper in the forward direction. A couple of the lockers of my E29 were mutilated to try to get Ronco tanks to (almost) fit inside. They were left with holes chopped in the (under-cushion) deck with corners of the tanks poking out. And due to the crazy angle, about 1/3 of the tank could never be emptied. Others have said their boats were chopped up in the same way, so it may have actually been a dealer modification.

I threw out the rigid tanks and installed bladder tanks that actually fit. Easy. (When completely full, the water tank does push open the q-berth locker lid a bit.) They have been in place for six or seven years now with no problems at all.

That out of the way, there may be a little problem with running the cleanout and vent lines to the deck from the settee. Since the corner of the settee touches the hull, the tubes would have to come out into the open, like, along the forward bulkhead, then kind of an S-bend over to the underside of the deck. But it would be a long run aft to a location deep enough for a tank. Or perhaps one could build a chase at the inflection point where the settee meets the quarterberth, and conceal hoses inside that.

My holding tank is in the starboard V-berth locker. A macerator for pumping overboard is in there too. The hoses run along the rear corner of the V-berth and into the hull-deck locker with no angles. I've since built a chase around them (and the AC duct) but they were pretty unobtrusive in that location to begin with. The vent is installed in the cove stripe, inside the locker, while the cleanout goes straight to the deck. While it would be nice to use that locker for something else, this seems like the easiest way to run the plumbing. Short and direct. FWIW, the hose runs can be seen in the first two pics of this blog post. As well as the outline of one of the just-patched holes for the Ronco tank.

Also, I don't think you need a vented loop on the discharge hose unless you are plumbing it for direct-dicharge to a through-hull. I have no direct discharge, but the holding tank can be pumped overboard through the macerator. I didn't put a loop in that line because that valve is never open unless dicharge is in progress.

 

[CapnRob85]

Sad news - while those tanks kinda sorta are shaped like a boat hull, they aren't shaped like your boats hull. (Kinda like that commercial...) Those lockers are very shallow on the outside and also taper in the forward direction. A couple of the lockers of my E29 were mutilated to try to get Ronco tanks to (almost) fit inside. They were left with holes chopped in the (under-cushion) deck with corners of the tanks poking out. And due to the crazy angle, about 1/3 of the tank could never be emptied. Others have said their boats were chopped up in the same way, so it may have actually been a dealer modification.

I threw out the rigid tanks and installed bladder tanks that actually fit. Easy. (When completely full, the water tank does push open the q-berth locker lid a bit.) They have been in place for six or seven years now with no problems at all.

That out of the way, there may be a little problem with running the cleanout and vent lines to the deck from the settee. Since the corner of the settee touches the hull, the tubes would have to come out into the open, like, along the forward bulkhead, then kind of an S-bend over to the underside of the deck. But it would be a long run aft to a location deep enough for a tank. Or perhaps one could build a chase at the inflection point where the settee meets the quarterberth, and conceal hoses inside that.

My holding tank is in the starboard V-berth locker. A macerator for pumping overboard is in there too. The hoses run along the rear corner of the V-berth and into the hull-deck locker with no angles. I've since built a chase around them (and the AC duct) but they were pretty unobtrusive in that location to begin with. The vent is installed in the cove stripe, inside the locker, while the cleanout goes straight to the deck. While it would be nice to use that locker for something else, this seems like the easiest way to run the plumbing. Short and direct. FWIW, the hose runs can be seen in the first two pics of this blog post. As well as the outline of one of the just-patched holes for the Ronco tank.

Also, I don't think you need a vented loop on the discharge hose unless you are plumbing it for direct-dicharge to a through-hull. I have no direct discharge, but the holding tank can be pumped overboard through the macerator. I didn't put a loop in that line because that valve is never open unless dicharge is in progress.

Thanks a ton all and esp. Toddster. Hugely helpful specific feedback.

 

[nquigley]

I was looking at my port side water tank - very funky shape, and it doesn't fully utilize the available space under the settee.
I was wondering if I used that expanding foam stuff to make a template (trimmed with a knife or saw to the exact final desired shape), and shipped that block to Ronco, if they could make a tank from it. I'm guessing they'ed have to make a hollow mold from it, and then rotomold their plastic inside that. The cost for a one-off job could be high.

 

[toddster]

I think I looked at custom-built tankage at one time, in relation to fuel tanks though. Welded aluminum was by far the most feasible option.
Custom roto-molding would be an option more for the builders who are going to use dozens of units.

 

[Loren Beach]

I was looking at my port side water tank - very funky shape, and it doesn't fully utilize the available space under the settee.
I was wondering if I used that expanding foam stuff to make a template (trimmed with a knife or saw to the exact final desired shape), and shipped that block to Ronco, if they could make a tank from it. I'm guessing they'ed have to make a hollow mold from it, and then rotomold their plastic inside that. The cost for a one-off job could be high.

I recall asking the nice lady at Ronco about a 'new' custom tank shape. As I dimly recall from about 15 years ago it was $600. to fabricate it.(then). They have to make a steel shape in order to put the hot resin in and rotate it. And then, absent a rush of orders for the new shape, cut it up.
I have, over the decades, had a custom SS tank built to an odd shape to fit under a settee, and a second welded plastic tank built to fit along the boat bottom on one side aft. Both are for fresh water.
The only material to avoid for a waste tank is aluminum; SS is not really recommended either. Human waste is, among other things, corrosive.

 

[nquigley]

I recall asking the nice lady at Ronco about a 'new' custom tank shape. As I dimly recall from about 15 years ago it was $600. to fabricate it.(then). They have to make a steel shape in order to put the hot resin in and rotate it. And then, absent a rush of orders for the new shape, cut it up.
I have, over the decades, had a custom SS tank built to an odd shape to fit under a settee, and a second welded plastic tank built to fit along the boat bottom on one side aft. Both are for fresh water.
The only material to avoid for a waste tank is aluminum; SS is not really recommended either. Human waste is, among other things, corrosive.

Thanks, Loren. I suspected as much.
... on to the next nice-to-have improvement to the boat's generally very good OEM systems.