Macerator. Why????

[C.Martin]

We use the 3" hose MOST of the time.

The macerator we have is a flojet model. We use it at home. Our sewer lift station is about 90 ft from the RV pad. I have a 2" PVC pipe that is buried between the two. With a 4 ft connection hose...I am able to pump my tanks at home. It works great.

[IMDSailor]

It's the next best thing to hiring someone to dump your tanks for you.


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[phranc]

as to the 1 versus 2 tank configuration, Most of the Prevost conversions have just
one tank of 189 gal . . Seems likely a one tank system would work satisfactory .

[SpaceNorman]

I used a conventional 3" gravity dump system a rental unit we tried. However, the coach we purchased had a Sanicon system installed on it. In terms of pure convenience and ease of use - it's hard to beat the Sanicon system. I've yet to encounter a drop of waste water in the 6 months I've been using it.

The only downside to the Sanicon is the time required. We do seem to tie up the dump station a little longer waiting for the Sanicon system to do it's job. Fortunately, our total time at the station is not that much longer than most of the gravity dumpers that we've watched. The fact that the Sanicon is an installed system eliminates all the time that gravity dumpers spend retrieving, hooking up, rinsing and storing their 3" hoses. Spending a few minutes longer standing around chewing the fat while the Sanicon does its thing is far more enjoyable than hose wrangling.

[TonyMac]

I don't carry my stinky slinky anymore. This macerator is the way to go. After it finishes, I lift the hose a few times to drain the last, and put a screw on cap on the end. The sewer hose is now water tight. Try that with your stinky slinky. Oh, and dump uphill, and dump long distance when I have no sewer hookup, but that guy over there does!

[RudyD]

Originally Posted by Clayobx

I'm in agreement with Dutch Star Don. After using both the overwhelming advantage of the Sanicon system is evident. Those that feel negative about its use as Don stated, probably have never used one. There is maintenance , for the OP's information. Once a year I remove the pump motor, loosen three fine threaded machine screws, clean the stainless impeller/chopper, lube the pump impeller, a little silicone grease around the seal and re install. That's it! Now going on five years since original installation. The ease of use and sanitary conditions far outweigh any negativity regarding the few extra minutes needed to dump both grey and black tanks.

I've used my Sanicon macerator now for 2 years with absolutely zero trouble. I never would go back. It takes a little longer to dump but I usually do that the night before anyway and rinse. I have a rinse hose permanently connected as well to a controlled water splitter at my water connection at the bib. It actually takes less time to dump for me because I can multitask while dumping instead of watching the hose, making sure it doesn't leak etc etc. I bought a 2nd extension hose which comes in really handy when wanting to take advantage of a view or patio setup and the utilities are on the Passenger side. I found the attached finger clamps at Ace hardware and this makes everything about the macerator setup ideal for me. I have the 3" hose stored on the door of my wetbay but haven't touched them and don't ever plan to.

[rjsupersonic]

If you ever had an RV park where the sewer is uphill from the motor home you would appreciate a Macerator. I currently use the Sewer Solution which uses high pressure water to macerate, no electricity required, it does use a fair amount of water but for $70 dollars for the whole system it's hard to beat. I keep a 3 inch hose handy for use at public dump stations when travelling.

[Lynn Daniel]

I had a class B with a macerator and it is amazing what can cause trouble for them. I now have the 3" tube and like it just fine.

[Wryly Blithe]

Based on this conversation (and others) I'm going to install the Sanicon system. I'm not going to get rid of my stinky slinky for those "just in case" situations, but I do want the Sanicon.

A couple quick questions:

1. All of the instructions I have found online reference the gray water bypass. What I don't understand is why bypass the gray water? What's the downside of power pumping the gray water... wouldn't it drain faster?
2. I haven't yet decided between the permanent and portable models. Are they the same motor / hose, etc? I know the connections are different, but is one a better quality unit than the other?

Thanks everyone!

[Dutch Star Don]

"Wryly Blithe".....The grey water bypass allows for the grey tank to drain while parked, without having to turn the SaniCon on. Typically, when parked for several days, no matter what type hose is being used, you leave the grey tank open to drain. The SaniCon has a small bypass hose that allows the grey water tank to drain.

The portable and the mounted unit are the same. I like the mounted unit because you don't have to disconnect any hoses, which is the beauty of the system. The collapsed hose of the mounted unit is small enough that it will typically fit on the floor of most wet bays. This photo was not taken to show the SaniCon hose, but you can see how it lays on the floor of my wet bay. It's pretty compact.

[Wryly Blithe]

Dutch Star Don - thank you. Of course... because you leave the gray tank open when you're parked. Didn't think of that one

The compactness of the Sanicon is one of the biggest reasons to get one, I have to admit. If I don't have to wrestle with the slinky any more, that'd be just fine by me. I have plenty of room in my wet bay for the hose - would probably buy an extension as well... again - just in case.

Thanks!

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by denverh

I had a 23ft Midas TT back in the 70's with a single holding tank which everything drained into. I believe that EPA might have mandated the dual tank system. Back then it was not unusual for folks to drain gray water into a bucket or on the ground. Consequently many campgrounds now say on there "rules and restrictions" sheets that no gray water is to be dumped on the ground because of sanitary things.

OR started requiring grey water to be dumped into a tank (with the vent higher than the sink) rather than on the ground back when I was towing a 16' TT with my '67 Camaro that I traded in on a factory order '68 Buick GS 400. So it's been many years (over 45) that some states have mandated not dumping grey water on the ground. At that time most TT's didn't have a toilet so no black tank required.

[TonyMac]

Wryly Blithe,
I have a swivel 90 degree clear elbow connector (got it at WalMart) where I used to attach the stinky slinky, between the y pipe and the sanicon suction hose. The suction hose is very rigid -- it's a suction hose -- so the 90 degree swivel allows for connection with less stress on the system. And then I never disconnect it. And you can see when the dump is complete and how well your rinse technique is working. The sanicon will make surging sounds when it's complete, and you'll see the hose writhing, but you can see as well thru the clear elbow.

[Clayobx]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Wryly Blithe,
I have a swivel 90 degree clear elbow connector (got it at WalMart) where I used to attach the stinky slinky, between the y pipe and the sanicon suction hose. The suction hose is very rigid -- it's a suction hose -- so the 90 degree swivel allows for connection with less stress on the system. And then I never disconnect it. And you can see when the dump is complete and how well your rinse technique is working. The sanicon will make surging sounds when it's complete, and you'll see the hose writhing, but you can see as well thru the clear elbow.

^^same here^^