Marine Sanitation

Things the manufactures don't tell you.

The following are my thoughts on obtaining the most out of your digesting sanitation system. many of which wind up being disconnected because the seem to be finicky and temperamental (they are!!) So here is a few tips and pointers that I had to discover myself.

After much trial and error we have found the best most easily digestible toilet paper is the cheapest Safeway brand. the test to check this is simple put the Safeway brand in the bowel and swirl it around with a brush, it dissolves instantly. Try that with any of your expensive brands, it balls up on your brush and stays there. The paper does the same thing in your digestor, it plugs up the weirs or holes in the baffles. It will plug your post treatment filter and your chlorinator as well.

PH levels, it is very important to maintain proper ph if it runs alkaline it will stop digesting, If it runs acidic. it kills the organisms and halts digestion. it should be slightly acidic just below the neutral range. If its neutral try adding a sodium bisulfate availible at all pool supply stores. If its acidic try adding a little baking soda. PH meters are available from Mc Master Carr or WW Gainger for around $40.00. a 600" roll of litmus paper is around $10.00. I don't mind checking it on the Humphrey its easy just unscrew one of the clean out plates and have a look.

Bacteria and enzymes. The simplest and cheapest method is to use the powdered form from the hardware store put a few teaspoons in some lukewarm water to activate it then dump it in. To use a reservoir and a metering pump with a timer ( an irrigation timer works fin for this) to inject it periodically you need to use the liquid form of digestall rightant that stays inert until it makes contact with the effluent.

Don't put anything down there that you have not eaten first. OK its all right to put toilet paper down their. another beneficial thing is dish washing liquid for a surfacant, But not the antibacterial kind!! don't put any bleach or antibacterial cleaner of any kind! this will kill the system. and you will have to flush it and restart which means dumping raw sewage try to avoid this.

Avoid cross fuming the vents (chlorine tablet fumes in your chlorinator venting back into your digestor) I don't know if this has an effect or not but it seems logical.

I don't recommend any brand over another here are a few that I am familiar with:

Humphrey

Microphor

Red Fox

All of these work better when they are way oversized for your requirements.

Please e-mail me with your experiences  poop@tugboatsf.com