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Old 06-01-2015, 04:31 PM   #1
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Macerator users, I'd like advice

I'm in the process (Well, the mortgage stage, shoot me now.) of buying a new home. This home has a septic tank with an above ground cleanout. Since I have this access to the septic system, I may as well use it, right?

I have three 54 gallon tanks, black, gray and galley. 162 gallons total. The closest I can get my camper is about 75 feet away from the cleanout across a very slight uphill run.

How do you handle this? All three tanks in the septic? Just the black down the septic and the gray water on the grass? I'll need a macerator to run that distance, the Flojet uses an electric motor, but will I need a garden hose to pump water through to mix? And, how much water does it use?

Just one tank isn't much worse than a long shower, but I don't know about dropping 162 gallons in plus whatever the macerator needs.

I'm still poking around on google, but thought I'd go ahead and ask here.
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Old 06-01-2015, 05:25 PM   #2
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Great questions. I'm in nearly the same situation, but already own the house. I have a new Flojet from Amazon, and my septic guy is installing another inlet pipe just for the RV. I'll be pumping about 85 horizontal feet with a 2-foot rise. I have drained gray water into an open sump, but intend to pump that into the septic system when the new pipe is ready.
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Old 06-02-2015, 06:01 AM   #3
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I've been using our macerator for a few years now whenever we park at our dtrs. home. It's about 75' to the sewer inlet on a slight rise. Haven't had any problems yet. Just make sure you use the largest hose(circumfrence) you can get so the macerator won't have to work so hard.
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Old 06-02-2015, 06:54 AM   #4
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How would I handle it...

ONE Tank at a time and possibly spread that over two days..That is a lot of "Stuff" for a single dump so dump one tank,, either all at once or half a tank at a time (use your watch) over two days.. Wait a day for the septic to recover.. Dump next tank,same process.

If you are in a hurry and about to return to the road you can hasten.. But you may overload and if that happens.. Well you won't like it.
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Old 06-02-2015, 08:36 AM   #5
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To put things in perspective, a typical washing machine cycle uses about 40-50 gallons of water, so you are looking at the equivalent of about 3 loads of wash. A modern septic system in good working condition (and you need to have that determined before closing on the house!) should not have trouble with that. As far as gray water onto the lawn ... if you live in a mostly rural area, and you have a place away from the house (and other house) that has good drainage) I would not hesitate to use it to irrigate. When we visit my SIL, she lives in a rural area, and during the summer is happy to have the gray water on her shrubs and grass.

As far as the hose goes, it should be at least 1" inside diameter, which you will find is a little pricey. A less expensive alternative is to use some PVC or polyethylene water pipe - the pipe also has a lower coefficient of friction which makes it easier on the pump.

The ShurFlo pump works great - just make sure to check the impeller for hair or strings once in a while. Also helps to add a little oil to the impeller after use to keep it from corroding ....
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Old 06-03-2015, 05:12 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wa8yxm View Post
How would I handle it...

ONE Tank at a time and possibly spread that over two days..That is a lot of "Stuff" for a single dump so dump one tank,, either all at once or half a tank at a time (use your watch) over two days.. Wait a day for the septic to recover.. Dump next tank,same process.

If you are in a hurry and about to return to the road you can hasten.. But you may overload and if that happens.. Well you won't like it.
I do them at the same time...not simultaneously of course. The black tank first, then the grey to help clean out the hose.
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