Installation of holding tank in Swan 411

I am planning to take my baot into the Baltic and therefore need to install a holding tank. I have purchased a holding tank via Nautor, but I would welcome any advice on the installation.

Anthony Fawcett

Antony,
my 411 was ready to host an holding tank and I guess yours should be ready for installation too. The tank is under the starboard forward bunk and there is a second vent to be used for the tank high on the starboard side just beside the shower sump vent. My tank presently does not have an outlet from the deck but fitting one just above it would not be a problem because the tank has an outlet prepared for that. The Y input valve is behind the toilet and the discharge pump is under the sink. The discharge line converges to the toilet discharge seacock trough a Y connector. The hoses are large and difficult to bend but with some effort I was able to fit them: be sure to use the special hoses not permeable to odors!
Regards
Daniel

Anton / Daniele

I was also considering fitting a holding tank this winter. Anton did Swan make a tank specially or was it supplied from a common manufacturer. What is the material used?

Daniele,  is the space you mention the storage bin under the forward bunk by the bulkhead?

I was proposing to fit the tank under the shower tray / grey water tank as room is available and it is amidships.  Does this make sense, but the tank needs to be a flexible one to be fitted via the cupboard under the sink. The deck outlet is already fitted above the outboard facing cupboards so plumbing should be relatively easy.  Does this agree with your design thoughts Anton? 

Antony, my 411 was ready to host an holding tank and I guess yours should be ready for installation too. The tank is under the starboard forward bunk and there is a second vent to be used for the tank high on the starboard side just beside the shower sump vent. My tank presently does not have an outlet from the deck but fitting one just above it would not be a problem because the tank has an outlet prepared for that. The Y input valve is behind the toilet and the discharge pump is under the sink. The discharge line converges to the toilet discharge seacock trough a Y connector. The hoses are large and difficult to bend but with some effort I was able to fit them: be sure to use the special hoses not permeable to odors! Regards Daniel

Daniel,

Thank you for your advice. This what I had planned. I have bought a Nautor designed holding tank, which has three inlets/outlets and a couple of breather piles. It has also been fitted with a guage to indicate half full and full. i am advised that I need to have a breather pipe the same diameter as the inlet and out let pipes (28mm?) because when the suction pipe is applied the vacuum formed is quite intense. I was advised that there needs to be a carbon filter to stop the smell and i was planning to put the outlet on the stern. Have you got such a breather pipe?

How did your redecking go. I have decided that at £35,000 I will have to do without it unless I win the lottery!

Anthony

Hi John,

I bought a specially made holding tank from Nautor. It is shaped to fit in the starbord storage bin in the forepeak. The tank was not cheap and followed me around the US before finally being sent home for intallation, becoming even more expensive in the process! I would not suggest that you put the tank under the shower tray as it would be quite hard to get at and even harder to bend the thick and inflexible pipes around all the bends. There is a company called Lee Sanitation who specialise in holding tanks for boats. A friend of mine installed a holding tank in his Contest 48 taking advice from Lee Sanitation. Apparently you need a wide breather tube with a carbon filter to remove the smells. the also recommend a macerator pump to pump out the sewage to sea. This is of course is in addition to the outlet for the suction tube from the pumping station. Do give me a call if you wish to discuss further. Lee can make up hiolding tanks for you in polythene which could well be cheaper than one from Nautor.

Cheers

Anthony

Antony, my 411 was ready to host an holding tank and I guess yours should be ready for installation too. The tank is under the starboard forward bunk and there is a second vent to be used for the tank high on the starboard side just beside the shower sump vent. My tank presently does not have an outlet from the deck but fitting one just above it would not be a problem because the tank has an outlet prepared for that. The Y input valve is behind the toilet and the discharge pump is under the sink. The discharge line converges to the toilet discharge seacock trough a Y connector. The hoses are large and difficult to bend but with some effort I was able to fit them: be sure to use the special hoses not permeable to odors! Regards Daniel

Daniel,

I have been thinking more about what you suggest by way of routing the breather pipe out by the shower tray breather. This would keep it further away from the cockpit, but I am not sure I really want a 38mm hole in the hull in an area which is often under water. For this reason I was planning to run the vent pipe through the old hot air duct holes to the stern. I was planning to put the pump out fitting on deck just above the forward end of the left hand locker above the heads. In this way the pipe would be out of sight out of mind.

I am also planning to replace the existing Plastimo heads with a Jabsco small toilet. I am not sure how I will be able to get underneath the heads "platform" to screw the nuts onto the machine screws holding down the toilet. There must be a way. I think I may be able to use the old hot air vent hole again which goes through the bulkhead between the saloon and the heads.

Best wishes,

Anthony