Converting holding tank to aux water tank

[boomerang]

My wife just will not adhere to my rule of short showers, so our consumption of onboard domestic water is always high. Even with over 2- 115 gallon tanks we are always running out of water. I'd love to add more capacity and the thought occurred to me that we rarely use our holding tank anymore since I plumbed all of the heads directly overboard (what the dockmasters don't know wont hurt them) so why not use that for more drinking water capacity. Hatteras builtin a huge holding tank (80 gallons) so my plan is to completely pump it dry the best I can with the whale gusher macerator pump , flush it out with 10-15 gallons of fresh water and then plumb the Whale gusher into the domestic water tank fill hoses with a tee. That way, when we run low on water , I can switch on the previous waste discharge pump to fill the water tank with 80 more gallons!
Does this sound like a good plan for adding more fresh water tankage to our boat? Opinions are welcome because plumbing isn't my strong point.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Iggy]

Well................. I just would not use the holding tank or dump over board.

I hope this is a joke!

I am thinking of adding a water maker. The only problem is, you need the room. Other than that, three hose connection which is not hard to do. Or, the easy way a portable one and run the hoses over board and into the water fill fitting.

 

[psneeld]

You might get a more than a few "EWWW" comments.

I might want to know a bit more history of that tank to know what toxics may have been flushed there in the past. Biologicals I know I could kill off and get most out with a good flushing. One thing to think about, even a good flushing may not get a petrified layer of gunk off the bottom of a tank. That may take a lot of mechanical scraping/blasting....whatever.

Toxins are another story in my book.

Any way of getting into the tank for inspection, cleaning and possibly coat the interior to seal in/cover any nasties?

Another option would be to separate that tank completely from any faucet in your current fresh water system that provides water that could be ingested. Maybe just using that water as a supplement to your total water usage from certain fittings only.

I might also install a very robust filter system between that tank and where I was pumping it to.

There may be other options but the plumbing and heating requirements for that water could get complicated.

 

[SIBERNUT]

#1- water buffalo.
Disable water heater
#2 pun intended
If like to know your location so i do not dock near you. Ecologically irresponsible is an understatement. Wash the tank a couple of times , good to go. I love kaarma.

 

[ranger58sb]

we rarely use our holding tank anymore since I plumbed all of the heads directly overboard (what the dockmasters don't know wont hurt them)

Gak!

And what the Coast Guard doesn't know won't hurt you... until it does? Unless you're living at anchor outside the 3-mile limit, I'd say that was a step backwards.

Or do you mean you installed a treatment system, and aren't in -- or ever passing through -- an NDZ?

??

When you're at a marina, send your wifey up to the marina showers?

-Chris

 

[CharlieO.]

I would just disable your bilge pumps and fill the bilge with more water, probably better capacity than your holding tank.






Happy April!

 

[PhilPB]

A safer bad choice is use one of your fuel tanks for potable water.

 

[Bmarler]

What day is it?

 

[Keysdisease]

Happy April!!!

 

[drewread]

You might get a more than a few "EWWW" comments.

I might want to know a bit more history of that tank to know what toxics may have been flushed there in the past. Biologicals I know I could kill off and get most out with a good flushing. One thing to think about, even a good flushing may not get a petrified layer of gunk off the bottom of a tank. That may take a lot of mechanical scraping/blasting....whatever.

Toxins are another story in my book.

Any way of getting into the tank for inspection, cleaning and possibly coat the interior to seal in/cover any nasties?

Another option would be to separate that tank completely from any faucet in your current fresh water system that provides water that could be ingested. Maybe just using that water as a supplement to your total water usage from certain fittings only.

I might also install a very robust filter system between that tank and where I was pumping it to.

There may be other options but the plumbing and heating requirements for that water could get complicated.

Happy April Fools!

 

[Don L]

shouldn't have pointed out April 1 so fast

 

[O C Diver]

If you're willing to spend some money, there's a far better solution.

It's not about the volume, it's about the water pressure. If you measure the flow of the average boat shower wand from the stone age, you will find the flow is huge but the pressure sucks. Many years ago, municipal water pressures were increased to compensate for water saver shower heads and sinks. The net result is substantially less water consumption but a more pleasing rinse effect.

On my boat I swapped the 30ish PSI water pump for one that does 40 to 45 PSI.

I swapped the high flow wand for a Waterpik multi flow pattern wand with a maximum flow of 1.8 GPM. I also replaced the shower control.

Chrome Hand Held Shower Head with PowerPulse Massage (XSP-753E)

Wake up every day to a more powerful and invigorating shower massage! This 7-mode hand held shower head includes the wellness benefits of PowerPulse Massage.

showers.waterpik.com

The net result was a reduction of 33 to 50% water usage. Replacing the galley faucet would also be beneficial.

Regarding using a former holding tank for a water tank, I expect to see you on the 2025 list for "Darwin awards for fatal stupidity ".

Regarding overboard discharge within a marina, I hope you're caught, fined, and forced to restore your holding tank system before you're allowed to move your boat. That's truly 3rd world country!

If this is an April fools joke, it stinks.

Ted

 

[boomerang]

If you're willing to spend some money, there's a far better solution.

It's not about the volume, it's about the water pressure. If you measure the flow of the average boat shower wand from the stone age, you will find the flow is huge but the pressure sucks. Many years ago, municipal water pressures were increased to compensate for water saver shower heads and sinks. The net result is substantially less water consumption but a more pleasing rinse effect.

On my boat I swapped the 30ish PSI water pump for one that does 40 to 45 PSI.

View attachment 163592

I swapped the high flow wand for a Waterpik multi flow pattern wand with a maximum flow of 1.8 GPM. I also replaced the shower control.

View attachment 163594

Chrome Hand Held Shower Head with PowerPulse Massage (XSP-753E)

Wake up every day to a more powerful and invigorating shower massage! This 7-mode hand held shower head includes the wellness benefits of PowerPulse Massage.

showers.waterpik.com

View attachment 163593

The net result was a reduction of 33 to 50% water usage. Replacing the galley faucet would also be beneficial.

Regarding using a former holding tank for a water tank, I expect to see you on the 2025 list for "Darwin awards for fatal stupidity ".

Regarding overboard discharge within a marina, I hope you're caught, fined, and forced to restore your holding tank system before you're allowed to move your boat. That's truly 3rd world country!

If this is an April fools joke, it stinks.

Ted

If this is an April fools joke, it stinks.
As would Liz's shower, I'd wager!

 

[Dougcole]

I currently have a used 130 gallon diesel with only one small pinhole leak in it laying in my back yard. I will make you a great deal on it.

 

[mvweebles]

How do tanker trucks clean their tanks between food grade ingredients? I seem to recall they carry a variety of liquid cargo that are not always compatible/potable?

Peter

 

[SteveK]

For the benefit of tose that do not read every post I will recap that the OP wishes to repurpose the unused holding tank to add another 80 gallons of fresh water supply.
I think this will help of course with the long showers. I have already found another solution and that is to recycle the used shower water, thru the on demand hot water tanks as another solution to added water supply.

 

[Don L]

How do tanker trucks clean their tanks between food grade ingredients? I seem to recall they carry a variety of liquid cargo that are not always compatible/potable?

Peter

rinsed, chemical washed, clean in place methods, using different products depending on what was in it.

It isn't really that a waste tank "can not be" as much as "how would drink the water after"

But , hey give it a try and report back on "May the Fourth be with you" day

 

[READY]

Connect your shower pump and drain to the holding tank. Using that will result in no net water loss and if one were to pee in the shower an extended shower time. If you need more time drink another beer and wait 15 minutes (age dependant of course). Or shower together and double your pleasure.

 

[Comodave]

If you were indeed pumping the heads overboard then I think you should go ahead and use the holding tank as a water tank. You would probably not even need to flush it out first, just fill it with water and have at it…

 

[Brisyboy]

What a cracker of an April Fools joke - great to see some posters caught- and some even after Boomerang gave a very broad hint that the date of the post mattered - bit like when I was in a state office and we emailed out to our district offices a request that they email back 10 blank pages of A4 because we had a paper shortage for the month -some complied

 

[boomerang]

Happy April Fools Day all, and thank you for the creative replies and playing along. Maybe I'll be able to incorporate some of the ideas on our next boat...

 

[Sababa]

I had the same problem and tried the same solution, but at 400 pounds, my wife needed more water to rinse than the converted black water tank could provide. I solved the problem by rerouting the raw water discharge from one of the engines directly to the shower head. Now we have an endless supply of hot water, even if it is a little salty.

 

[Delta Riverat]

You should have kept the hot salt water routed through the poop tank. That would have cleaned it out real nice!

 

[ofer]

thank you!! you made my day. a great post

 

[CaptTom]

For whatever reason, I didn't see too many April Fool's jokes or pranks yesterday.

Thanks for helping fill the gap! You did have me going for a few moments.