Waste tank replacement

[Bolo]

Last year, right after we bought our E-32 III, I removed the hand pump, "Y" valve, etc. to prevent any waste to be pumped over board. Good thing too because later we were boarded and inspected by the Coast Guard on the Chesapeake Bay. :0305_alar They were very "pleased" that we couldn't pump anything over board.

The previous owner had left us with cracked and smelly hoses that I had already known about from the survey. It was a smelly, dirty job to remove and replace those hoses! :0305_frow At the time I thought that the smell was all coming from the old hoses and that getting rid of them would solve the problem. It did to a point but what I discovered later was that the waste tank itself smelled. It's not cracked or breached in any way. The smell might just be from being old or picking up the scent from the old hoses over the years. For whatever reason I’ve decided to replace the tank this year and I'm looking for advice.

I'm sure that I won't be able to find an exact replacement so if anyone out there has done this before, what model and make tank did you install? I know that I can just measure the old tank and find something close but I'm looking for a short cut here. (Aren't we all?) Thanks!

 

[treilley]

Look for a number on the top of the tank. Ronco made many of the OEM tanks. If you cannot find the number get measurements and call Ronco anyhow as they may have a listing of boats they supplied tanks for.

Here is a link to their online catalog

http://www.ronco-plastics.net/pdfs/MarineTanks2006.pdf

 

[Glyn Judson]

Holding tank odor and getting rid of it.

Bob, Try an easier fix first and if you do, it'll save you a lot of time and expense. As I've posted before, A. Make 50/50 mix of muriatic acid and water, (2 quarts in a plastic bucket). B. Pour 1 qt. into a the toilet bowl and let it stand for 15 minutes and flush into an empty holding tank. C. Repeat with second quart. D. Flush tank thoroughly and add 1 oz. per 10 gallons of tank capacity of Odorlos solution to the tank through bowl. By thoroughly, I mean totally fill the tank with fresh water (or salt water) and pump it all out three times. Make sure to get all traces of the muriatic acid flushed from the toilet and hoses too. The acid mix should foam like an Alka Seltzer in the toilet which is the sign of it dissolving all the calcium build-up that acts like an odor sponge, a good thing. As far as getting a replacement tank is concerned if you have to, jot down the tank number that's molded into the tank top and with that in hand and a drawing of what size and where you want your fittings, call Ronco Plastics here in SoCal at 714.259.1385 to order a replacement. They made our tanks way back when and are still in the business. The only difference now is that they make the tank wall thickness twice what yours is now. You can visit their web site to look for your tank at http://www.ronco-plastics.com. But first try the cleaning method and I guarantee it will rid your tank of all odor as long as you use the Odorlos faithfully during sailing season. Good luck, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA

 

[Loren Beach]

Our '88 has a Ronco black plastic roto-molded tank with the number stamped on one side -- and it's not a side in plain sight, either. If/when you reach the point of removing the old tank, the number should show up.

Note that your tank may be fine, but there could be a leak or seapage around any inlet or exit fitting, or at the point the vent hose connects. Also, the vent hose may need replacing after all these years.

Good luck,
Loren

 

[Bolo]

Bob, Try an easier fix first and if you do, it'll save you a lot of time and expense. As I've posted before, A. Make 50/50 mix of muriatic acid and water.........

Glyn, I've already replaced all of the hoses to the tank so I don't I'd get too much from your treatment of the head and hoses. But what I think I will do is to remove the tank, to get the number, and also to try your treatrment of the tank while it's on the dock. Filling and pumping the tank out three times would be a problem since access to the pump out station takes time. Thanks for the tip!

 

[jreddington]

I had Ronco replace my holding tank last year.

We had a bit of a mix-up on the order, but they took care of the issue. While it's best to have the job go right the first time, the real test of customer service is how they handle it a problem. Ronco passes with flying colors.

To place the order, you provide the tank number, and a diagram of what fittings you want. My glitch came up when I followed Glyn's advice to have an inspection port put in the top of the tank (old one didn't have one). Glynn noted his 3" spin welded port. When on the phone, they suggested a 4" port which made sense. However, when it arrived the port was not spin welded but screwed and gooped on. I wasn't comfortable with the long term reliability of the seal as the tank flexes. Turns out 3" is as big as they can go with spin welding.

No problem. They made up a new tank with a 3" inspection port. However, the word didn't get to production that I wanted a black tank. Caught it before they shipped it and they made a 3rd tank of the right color.

Told me to keep the original. Just in case you could use it, it is a Ronco 11W. Two 1 1/2" (actual dimension about 2") threaded connectors on bottom for drain, One 1 1/2" on top for fill, plus a 1/2" (actual dimension about 3/4") vent connection, and of course that 4" inspection port. If you've eliminated the overboard pump connection, you could use a screw in plug for one of the two drains.

If you (or anyone else on the board) could use it for something, let me know and I'd be happy to "cargo shift"

By the way, Glyn's advice is good. I do like the access to thorougly clean out the tank at the end of the season. Haven't had to use it for any declogging yet (knock on teak).