I have an electro-san device which needs repair. Can I send it back to the factory to get checked over...
Yep..and I'd let them fix whatever's wrong with it. That way, you get a warranty with the new parts and installation. That is...unless it's too old be worth the cost to repair.* If it's old enough to still have the "stove timer" dial controller, it IS too old.
...and do I need some sort of certification on board?
When you pull out the device, you'll be left with a holding tank...right?* In which case, no certification needed.
What I would like to do is run the electro-san device into a holding tank and have a switch to pump out the holding tank all at once.
What's the point of having a treatment device if you're just gonna put the discharge into a tank and dump it, same as you would if you didn't have a treatment device?* Treatment devices are designed--and also ONLY certified--to discharge directly overboard...once the waste goes into a tank, it's no longer considered "treated" waste...so sending the discharge to the tank instead would not make it legal for you to dump the tank inside the "3 mile limit."
If I pipe all the sinks and shower water into this holding tank then I should meet the no discharge requirement.
No matter what you may have heard,* "no discharge" laws do NOT include gray water ("galley, bath and shower water")...they only apply to toilet waste, so you can legally discharge gray water directly overboard.* But even if you did have to hold gray water, CG regs prohibit combining gray water and "black water" (toilet waste) in the same tank...they cannot share any common plumbing, not even a common vent. So you'd have to install a separate gray water tank...which would be a nightmare to maintain.
There are a few--VERY few--non-navigable inland lakes...notably Lake George NY and Winnepesaukee in NH where state laws require gray water holding...they get away with that there because their laws requiring it are so much older than federal marine sanitation laws that the feds have "grandfathered" 'em.* However, there NO--none, nada, ZERO--coastal waters in which gray water holding is required. Misinformation like that gets started by someone who jumps to the wrong conclusion and then is somehow quoted--or misquoted--in print...and the next thing you know, everyone thinks it's true.*
It's even more common when it comes to REAL no discharge regs...an amazingly few boat owners--especially owners* of smaller boats--even know that treatment devices* exist...they think a holding tank is the ONLY option...so, to them, "can't flush the toilet directly overboard" = "no discharge." And that's what they tell others...
So...call Raritan and get the information you need to ship your LectraSan back to them for service...or not. They'll know whether it's worth repairing if you give 'em the serial number.* Do NOT reroute your sink and shower drain plumbing to your holding tank...and either buy a new treatment device and plumb it to discharge directly overboard or refurb your holding tank and plumbing to be a stand-alone system.
-- Edited by HeadMistress on Sunday 25th of March 2012 04:20:41 PM
Yep..and I'd let them fix whatever's wrong with it. That way, you get a warranty with the new parts and installation. That is...unless it's too old be worth the cost to repair.* If it's old enough to still have the "stove timer" dial controller, it IS too old.
...and do I need some sort of certification on board?
When you pull out the device, you'll be left with a holding tank...right?* In which case, no certification needed.
What I would like to do is run the electro-san device into a holding tank and have a switch to pump out the holding tank all at once.
What's the point of having a treatment device if you're just gonna put the discharge into a tank and dump it, same as you would if you didn't have a treatment device?* Treatment devices are designed--and also ONLY certified--to discharge directly overboard...once the waste goes into a tank, it's no longer considered "treated" waste...so sending the discharge to the tank instead would not make it legal for you to dump the tank inside the "3 mile limit."
If I pipe all the sinks and shower water into this holding tank then I should meet the no discharge requirement.
No matter what you may have heard,* "no discharge" laws do NOT include gray water ("galley, bath and shower water")...they only apply to toilet waste, so you can legally discharge gray water directly overboard.* But even if you did have to hold gray water, CG regs prohibit combining gray water and "black water" (toilet waste) in the same tank...they cannot share any common plumbing, not even a common vent. So you'd have to install a separate gray water tank...which would be a nightmare to maintain.
There are a few--VERY few--non-navigable inland lakes...notably Lake George NY and Winnepesaukee in NH where state laws require gray water holding...they get away with that there because their laws requiring it are so much older than federal marine sanitation laws that the feds have "grandfathered" 'em.* However, there NO--none, nada, ZERO--coastal waters in which gray water holding is required. Misinformation like that gets started by someone who jumps to the wrong conclusion and then is somehow quoted--or misquoted--in print...and the next thing you know, everyone thinks it's true.*
It's even more common when it comes to REAL no discharge regs...an amazingly few boat owners--especially owners* of smaller boats--even know that treatment devices* exist...they think a holding tank is the ONLY option...so, to them, "can't flush the toilet directly overboard" = "no discharge." And that's what they tell others...
So...call Raritan and get the information you need to ship your LectraSan back to them for service...or not. They'll know whether it's worth repairing if you give 'em the serial number.* Do NOT reroute your sink and shower drain plumbing to your holding tank...and either buy a new treatment device and plumb it to discharge directly overboard or refurb your holding tank and plumbing to be a stand-alone system.
-- Edited by HeadMistress on Sunday 25th of March 2012 04:20:41 PM
