Macerator Pump & Sanitizing the Fresh Water Tank

[@MegaZewe]

I would put in an elbow so the macerator pump is below the tank that way the water will flow down to the pump

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

That is a great idea! Thank you MegaZewe - I will be looking into this.

[@anastock9849]

Cheers for the video content! Apologies for butting in, I am interested in your initial thoughts. Have you heard the talk about - Proutklarton Protecting Aqua Plan (probably on Google)? It is a good exclusive guide for getting prepared for a mega drought minus the headache. Ive heard some decent things about it and my work colleague at very last got cool results with it.

[@wearemilesfromnowhere4630]

After 25 years of using the Jabsco mascerators in my RVs, I've never had one not drip at the impeller housing. Once I quit doing permanent installs, the units lasted much longer. Ditch the flat hose because rolling it up after a dump is not fun. Need to couple the ends of the dump hose tightly when not in use. It is a process in figuring out each set up. Good video.

[@GreenTechFusionRenewableEnergy]

We Are Miles From Nowhere , yes I agree on getting that other hose you where talking about, they don’t kink and your going to hate that white kinking hose when actually dealing with real waste. Good setup though and should work well for you.

[@jackturtle131]

Just a stupid idea having that flat hose

[@jaxxdamien7452]

Instablaster...

[@keffective6650]

Whatever hose you end up with, I have found that a short piece of pipe with a long sweep elbow (or two 45s) with a fitting to attach to your hose makes a great end of the run. Like your video showed, shoving the hose end into a clean out is fine if it is clean. A one inch sweeping elbow and about 18 inches of pipe dropped down into your clean out makes sure the hose doesn't shoot out, and is easier to clean up than the cloth hose cover. I have enjoyed watching your build, and hope you get to enjoy living in your bus soon!

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Great point - Thank you.

[@dirtroadsailing6418]

Nice find on the macerator pump, I bought a flojet model with a fancy case and a switch for over $200. The first time I tried to use it the fuse blew, replaced it and it blew again. I discovered that when it was assembled they used some sort of sealant that had got on the blades and dried up like construction adhesive. Took me forever to get it off. You need to get a short 5' section of hose so you can keep the pump below tank level to completely empty it.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

I saw those and I can appreciate that they are probably much better than the pump we got :). As I mentioned in the video we hope to use this pump and system only as a "plan b" option when we can't dump with our standard hose. Man $200+ pump with goop all over it - why didn't you send it back? Love the idea of the short section to keep the pump below the tank - I am going to look into that - thanks for the suggestion.

[@er1073]

I appreciate no waste in the waste dump lol. It looks as usual a great job. No you can probably be a lot more comfortable while finishing the coach. Thanks for sharing your video with us. Ed

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Ed - I always look forward to hearing from you.

[@duanequam7709]

I see it as a very well thought out system. Your doing a great job. Always remember there is the right way, the wrong way, and the other way of doing things. Great job and video.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thanks 👍

[@ashleymarks6144]

Well....that’s exactly how you “deploy” a hose like that. Nailed it. It will be interesting to see how it holds up to UV.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

LOL I was looking for any excuse to "deploy" that hose! Hopefully this macerator setup remains a "plan b" type setup. I will keep an eye on that hose for sure. We have successfully done 2 "real" tank dumps now and it has held up well so far. We will keep you posted.

[@richroj]

Hi Juan & Michelle, great video everything looks good and coming along nicely. can't wait for the next video.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Coming soon!

[@jerrywallen8327]

I had the strange sensation that I could smell bleach the minute you opened the jugs. Very powerful video to send bleach smell all the way to Missouri!

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

LOL - thank you Jerry

[@TheKandyGuy]

dumping the black tank can be crazy ha..? also it seems like it will take time too..!! be safe and hello to all of you..!!

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

We are pretty new to all of this RV stuff :)

[@garyplewa9277]

Teflon tape is NOT a sealant! May people mistakenly believe it is, but in reality, it is a thread lubricant, designed to allow the tapered threads to tighten with less friction and therefore deeper into their mating tapers. If you have threads which bottom out (such as you've encountered) then the lubricating value of teflon tape serves no purpose (again as you've discovered) and it will leak. The o-ring just may work, but without a groove to hold it captive, the tightening action may cause it to "squirt out" into the pipe. I would recommend using a pipe thread sealant paste, which they sell at Home Depot and Lowes. Since this is a waste line you aren't concerned with it coming in contact with drinking water. I had a very difficult leak problem installing a Rheem Hot water heater using dielectric unions. The heater came with threaded nipples and the dielectric unions had threads which ended abruptly and bottomed out on the nipples before they were completely tight. This is where I researched and found teflon tape was not a sealant and that even sealants designed for pipe thread joints had difficulty with hot 100 psi water (yes, my neighborhood pressure is that high). The final solution was to use Permatex Ultra-Grey RTV Maximum Torque Gasket maker on the threads. Once cured it didn't leak and hasn't for 5 years now. I now use this Ultra-Grey for all critical applications and it serves as a thread locker too for bolts. Thanks for another great video. Your channel is a pleasure to watch.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Gary. I am sorry I was not clear - the fitting actually did have a grove in the bottom that looked like it was designed for an O-ring. The O-ring seems to have worked well and we have successfully completed 2 "real" tank dumps without a single drop of leakage. Thank you for the advice on pipe thread sealant paste and Permatex Ultra RTV Maximum Torque Gastket Maker - I will put those in my toolbox.

[@alandoesstuff.1254]

I use sump pump hose from HomeDepot for my macerator. Its large since it doesn't lay flat, but its light since it is just plastic.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Alan - I will have to look into that!

[@hymer644g]

Hi Juan, here in the uk we generally don’t have black tanks as most motorhomes have a toilet cassette. We just have a fresh and grey tank. We are advised not to use bleach as it taints the water. I have used a product called pure o clean for years which is granulated and you just add to your tank , leave it a few hours and then flush the system and your then able to drink the water without having the taste of chlorine.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you so much for sharing this Jon - I have not heard of that product but I will be researching it - thank you!

[@normanboyes4983]

You are making superb progress and doing real quality work.👍It’s been a long while since I viewed your channel but Covid presented an opportunity to binge watch and catch up.😀👍Keep up the good work.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thanks a ton

[@zephyrold2478]

Hi, Nice job, an O ring needs a groove to secure it between 2 mating surfaces, othervise it can dislocate on lets say a 1/5 of the circumference and then leak, a good old handmade thumbs up.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Zephyr - I am sorry I was not more clear in the video - the flat spot on the CAM end of the fitting actually did have a groove that looked like it was designed for an O-ring (that is why I said I thought it should have had one from the factory) - I am happy to report that no leaks have occurred and we have successfully dumped the tanks twice already!

[@randyrainwater983]

👍👍 one step closer.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Yes indeed!

[@edenfieldwarrior]

Well done. I have to say that since owning my first camper in1968 and then moved onto Motorhomes here in the U.K. emptying the black tanks is my least favourite part of ownership. I don’t mind doing it, it’s just not a pleasurable activity! Be safe, be happy.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you David - We have now completed 2 "real" tank dumps and I am going to have to agree with you there - not my favorite thing :). Honestly though I was expecting it to be a little worse (I guess I have seen the movie "RV" one too many times)

[@pocketchange1951]

👍👌🇨🇦❤, nice job, pretty much a very similar system to what I have been using for years, well researched, all I did differently was put an elbow so the macerator was fully below the tank so my pump hung vertically ( so from the the tank shut off to the downward elvow was a clear plastc pipe, so you could see ) and I put a camlock on the hose and the pump, didn't trust the twist method as well as an elbow so no kinks, gr8 stuff guys

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Great idea on the elbow to get the macerator lower! I am going to look up if we can do something like this - thanks!

[@pocketchange1951]

@@BeginningfromthisMorning 5he straight pipe from the shut off to the elvox can be clear, so as to see contents,and then the macerator in a vertival postion, that way you will not get much air until the cery end, as well, when I empty, I left my airbags on the driver side and deflate on the door side, that way I have a guaranteed tilt, all the best guys, also I use a a disposable diaper under the connections on the inside, so if a small drip should develop, it is caught and does not go under a tank and smell kinda ,ike how I use the diapers to fill my inboard motor on boat,

[@samanthapowell5882]

Add another new connector half way on the hose so it is not so long every time but can be if needed!

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Great idea! Thank you

[@southothehighway]

You can also use bromine made for hot tubs as a sanitizer

[@jameswhittington4779]

Test more, flush more before you use the waste system. You really don't want to find any problems with real waste in the tank :-)... Also as mentioned before the macerator pump needs to be below the tank level so it isn't pulling in air (stinky air)... As always your attention to detail is impressive, and enjoyable to watch. Keep it up, and can't wait to see you on the road.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you James - we did test 2 more times and have now successfully completed 2 "real" tanks dumps. What we ended up doing that worked well for us is driving the passenger side of the bus up on 2x12 blocks to get the tank to tilt toward the driver side - it was simple and effective. I am happy to report not a single drop of leakage in the "real" dumps. I was expecting worse for sure (I guess I have seen the movie "RV" too many times).

[@jameswhittington4779]

@@BeginningfromthisMorning LOL Man it has been a long time since I saw that movie... Unfortunately I had the dump pipe fall out of the tank twice.Once when I ran over a lazy boy that fell off a trailer (nearly empty tank but stinky). Then when I got the trailer back from being repaired, it was a brand new tank (replaced by an RV dealer). The campground, and many of the patrons were not very happy about that. I had to get the insurance company, and a lawyer involved to get that resolved... OOH and I had to find a different campground LOL. I love the videos of your build, that is going to be one really nice bus... 10K subscribers is coming up!!

[@jeepinjohnny2898]

Yo - BM . another good vid - thanks .

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Much appreciated

[@ThisOldBus]

Happy camper will keep your black tank smells down. I don’t like the fire hose OR the 1/4 turn to keep it on. Last thing you want is that thing leaking or popping off. A dedicated garden hose that you can hook the ends together on after use is good for macerator dumping.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thanks Scott - I am hoping to be able to use the 3" "regular" dump hose 99% of the time. This is more of a "plan b" option (and to give us the ability to dump in non-standard places). We did indeed use Happy Camper and we were thrilled with how well it worked.

[@csudsuindustries]

One thing to note about bleach. Due to various hard/soft water conditions to use bleach that is used for that area. So bleach for North Eastern area is different than the bleach for Arizona.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

I had no idea - very interesting! Thank you for sharing.

[@artatexture889]

I sure do like your videos!

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you so much!

[@michaeldeckert6023]

Loved the throw!! Really a guy thing.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

LOL!

[@DennisWintjes2]

Thanks. Like #284. Watched the ads... That hose will always kink unless you give it the room it needs to expand. I will be interested in knowing what your final choice will be. I agree you don't want a 75' 3/4" garden hose sitting in a storage locker.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thanks Dennis - we will let you know - so far we have had 2 successful "real" tank dumps with no leaks or mess.

[@JerrysThisandThat]

Plumbing life Lol. Good job on that system.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Plumbing has been my least favorite part of the conversion so far ...

[@freddygee49]

Wow I like your bus

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Freddy!

[@flyinggyros9745]

HeyJuan, why not just using a regular dump hose when you can. Then keep that setup for when you need it. Alan

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thanks Alan - that is exactly what we plan to do. We are hoping to use the 3" gravity hose 99% of the time and just have this setup as a "just in case" type of scenario. Unfortunately at our house the flush out is above street level so it becomes on of those "odd" situations where you have to pump up hill. I am happy to report that we have had 2 successful "real" tank dumps so far, but back to your point - I hope we can use the boring old gravity hose most of the time. Thanks!

[@gullreefclub]

You should seriously consider putting an elbow off your pump or consider some other strain relief for your canvas hose where it connects to the pump. One method I have seen down on canvas hose is to get some pvc pipe and fittings that is slightly larger than your hose and then thread the canvas hose through your the pvc pipe while your using the hose. A benefit of this type of setup is it allows for the canvas hose to stored flat and the pvc pipes and fittings don't necessarily need to be glued together for use which would in theory allow for more compact storage and with appropriate other pieces of pipe and fittings you could incorporate the pvc pipe build into your macerator pump support stand. Or another stand for the pump could be fabricated using a tripod or bipod both of which would be more compact than your wooden stand. lastly I would definitely make an elbow for the end of canvas hose to stick down the opening of whatever you are dumping into. PS skip using teflon tape and use liquid teflon pipe sealant it works far better sealing connections. Have a nice day and thanks for the video.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you for the very thoughtful response. I will be putting liquid teflon pipe sealant in my tool bag. I really like your ideas of using some PVC for strain relief and securing the end with an elbow. Thank you!

[@gregorythomas333]

I think you did very well on the macerator choice but I would seriously re-think the flat hose. Once you start using it for waste dumping you will not like having to handle it as the cloth covering will hold all kinds of nasty stuff...and as you already noted...it kinks very easy. I understand the need for space conservation but the hassle & messiness of the flat hose may not out weigh the space saving aspect. A normal 3/4" hose might be a better option even though it takes up a lot more room...or maybe an expandable type hose but I don't know how well that would work.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thanks Gregory - hopefully this macerator setup will be a "plan b" type of setup. We have successfully used the hose twice for "real" tank dumps now and it has cleaned up and folded up nicely. If we were using it as our primary means of dumping we would very likely ditch it and go with something a little more substantial. We hope to use the 3" hose like 99% of the time. If this is not the case we will certainly reconsider. Thank you for the input - we always appreciate your feedback.

[@vaughanellis7866]

Having used a Macerator system on a boat I would advise that you you do not use any wet wipes/ moist tissue on the toilet as they have a tendency to block the Macerator, also try to run your pump-out lines as straight as possible as that will reduce any back pressure on the line and open the waste gate before turning on the Macerator.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Vaughan - great suggestions

[@dj2574]

Would you need the pipe to be so long?...great system though

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank DJ - We hope that the macerator + long hose will be a good "plan b" and we can use our regular 3" hose to dump most of the time. If we are visiting family or friends and they have a flush out (like what we have at our house) - it is a pretty convenient way to dump. We have even heard of people dumping into a toilet etc. A macerator can help if the dump station is higher than the level of the tank as well.

[@FocusedontheRoad]

Nice work guys! Please share what filters you end up with. I found some on Amazon that were fairly inexpensive for the quality. Loving my Culligan filters. We have a new rig (2021 Alliance 370FB) so we haven't flushed the fresh tank yet.. Yall have inspired me to flush out the fresh water tank. Great content guys! love the videos. - Paul and Cinnamon

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Hi guys - We saw the video of your new rig very exciting! We bought our filters through amazon. We ended up with 5 micron (amzn.to/37wqWQe) for position 1, 1 micron (amzn.to/2Yx3b6s) for position 2, and a "less than 1 micron premium carbon filter" (amzn.to/3hr38C5) for our last filter.

[@bobflinn7529]

While Clorox is a good bleach, it often has 'perfume' or other additives. Sanitizing my water tank I use the cheap stuff that doesn't have any additives. Just make sure it has a good percentage of bleach in the jug. Also once the tank is full, make sure you run each faucet until you smell bleach at the fixture. This ensures all the lines get treated, not just the tank.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you for the tips. Unfortunately this clean out was during the peak of the pandemic and I had trouble finding ANY bleach. I ended up borrowing some from my mom!

[@southothehighway]

Would swimming pool test strips help you verify that you have eliminated all the chlorine?

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Great idea!

[@nascarray1]

The problem with the hose is you have to pull out the entire 64 feet and must be kept straight. I trashed mine.....PITA!

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

I agree with you there Ray - we have now used this hose / system to dump a couple times and dealing with how long the hose is a little tiresome. We hope to only use this as a "plan b" type of solution for when we cannot use our normal 3" dump hose. Someone else had suggested maybe cutting two lengths at like 20ft and 40ft which makes sense. If I grow tired of it I will come up with something and probably make another video of that. Thanks for the feedback.

[@greganderson1103]

How long till you load up and head out on adventure?

[@josephwilliamcosta]

Years...

[@nickburns2034]

@@josephwilliamcosta 🙈🤣

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

LOL Joseph might be onto something there. All kidding aside we really hope to make it out by the end of the year. The COVID thing has placed a really strange stress on everything but we will make it out somehow :)

[@greganderson1103]

We took our 1976 GMC BUFFALO bus to Daytona Beach for bike week. Left on March 4th. Came back on March 15th. Just before shutdown. Had a great trip 3000 miles . One rear dual tire blowout . Lost a little time . It's always something. I love your videos. You guys press on . Stay happy healthy and safe. You're doing a great job.

[@redwards2006]

My wife has health issues with chlorine and Clorox so I researched and found a product used by boats. Its a tablet.

[@FocusedontheRoad]

Please share. Tablet sounds easier.. lol

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

This does sound easier - what is it?

[@redwards2006]

website: www.hopkins-carter.com/pumf14oztub.html

[@mrmudstud5980]

Looking good:...........Suggestion: To make things simple and less work/steps, consider putting a pipe elbow from the black tank facing towards the rear of the coach under the water filters. Then connect your macerator semi-permanent and secured to the floor of the coach. Put a valve with a quick connect for the discharge hose connection on your macerator. Now, all you have to do is connect the discharge hose when you need to dump. One less piece of equipment to store and connect when you need it. Make things simple, figure how to do it, and make it as "all" one connection. If you need to pick-up your water filters to make room, do it now before you hit the road. This way you won't need the wood support to hold the macerator. May consider getting a bigger macerator or get another as a spare, so if it retires early, you will have one without making a lot of changes. Get it while they still available, because as luck is, when you need it, they may be discounted.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you MrMudstud all great suggestions - for $50 a spare macerator makes a whole lot of sense. We really hope to use this as a "backup" solution to using the normal 3" pipe so I don't want to burn too many cycles on it but your suggestions make a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing them with me.

[@capthawk57]

Use the liquid Teflon rather than tape. It is much more reliable than tape.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Tom - Several people have suggested that and I will look into it - thank you very much.

[@jeremykamel9655]

You could have just put 3 cups in the first filter housing and turned the water on.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

LOL yes, yes we could have. Sometimes it seems we just do everything the hard way.

[@aaronburchael2512]

wow that was allot of water lol

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you Aaron - yes - I guess we dumped almost 320 gallons of water

[@stevenash2933]

Instead of waiting for the bleach smell I add a little food coloring and wait for the colored water to come out

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

That sounds like a great idea!

[@bparkinson1234]

Looks like a sh**y job to me! Thanks

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

LOL Thanks Bill - we have now had 2 successful "real" tank dumps and to be honest I thought it was going to be worse (maybe I have watched the movie "RV" too many times)

[@bparkinson1234]

Beginning from this Morning excellent. Was thinking about getting one of these. Just worry about something blowing up. Thanks

[@thead10]

Use Toilet liners or (shopping bags) for feces, do not put it in your tank. Dumping your tanks can be accomplished with a water hose & gravity only, plus you will find that water consumption will be cut in half & occasional black tank odor will no longer occur. I have been in my coach for 5 years now and by not using the toilet for solids I spend zero time on dumping issues. While most people will probably think it crazy is there any reason why you can't use White Vinegar opposed to Clorox to disinfect your water tank? After all it is a god given natural deodorizer & disinfectant that will expose your body to absorbing zero negative chemicals when you bath there is already enuf of that in the tap water when U fill up.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you D Harris - interesting points - we are certainly not up to that level yet. Thank you for the advice

[@TimTurner115]

If you're filling your tanks with city water. It has a certain amount of bleach AKA chlorine and algaecides. You really do not have to do this to your tanks. Leaving bleach water in your black tank will be good. It helps eat the waste. Of course I'm an old retired plumber so I really wouldn't know anything

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thanks Tim - I suspect you are correct. If you watched any of my plumbing videos you watched my first experiences with plumbing, so it goes without saying that you likely have forgotten more than I know. Thank you for the input.

[@TimTurner115]

@@BeginningfromthisMorning. I watch your videos I'm like Great job. You know the system. If it works it works. If not try again . please keep it up. I try not to forget. I try to learn something every day.

[@Paul-hk7ue]

your better off with a water buddy and a 5/8 hose......................poop and tp dont move like clean water

[@TaylorRose981]

I hope that wasn't splash less Chlorox. That stuff doesn't sanitize anything.

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

Thank you for the tip Taylor - I don't believe it was but I honestly do not remember.

[@Paul-hk7ue]

carry plumbers putty

[@Paul-hk7ue]

i have the same one....and a spare.........you wont like it ........works intermittent and at times has to be cleaned out as you use it..........yer gonna get poop on yourself.......jus so you know

[@BeginningfromthisMorning]

LOL thank you Paul - I can't say I have not been warned.