Septic tank Hanse 400
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Category: Hints & Tips
Forum Name: 400
Forum Description: 400 Hints, Tips and News
URL: https://www.myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1153
Printed Date: 27 March 2026 at 01:23
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Topic: Septic tank Hanse 400
Posted By: kaijus
Subject: Septic tank Hanse 400
Date Posted: 01 April 2007 at 10:14
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Has anyone got experience, if the septic tank needs a pump to empty it to the sea?
I have doubts of it working without a drainage pump.
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Replies:
Posted By: Nereide
Date Posted: 02 April 2007 at 09:18
| if the installation is similar to the 411, there is a manual pump beside it (under wash basin), to pump out waste water at sea. the only trick is knowing on what position to put sea cock and valve gate given th number of pipes running between WC and holding tank. |
Posted By: svrocinante
Date Posted: 02 April 2007 at 13:53
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No problems what so ever... at least not yet!
We've only been out far enough to do so once, but worked just fine... on our 400, only one thru-hull to open, the one with the hose that comes from the bottom of the holding tank... gravity is a wonderful thing!
Best regards,
Carlos & Maria
SV Rocinante ------------- you may not be able to control the wind, but you can adjust your sails http://www.myinternetdoorman.com - My Internet Doorman -The easiest way to keep porn out of your home...Guaranteed!™ |
Posted By: JofB
Date Posted: 02 April 2007 at 17:03
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Quite agree - gravity does the job fine! ------------- Jof 400e #31 - Grey Goose |
Posted By: Rubato
Date Posted: 02 April 2007 at 23:21
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The holding tanks are up fairly high on the 400 (they might have been lower in the 411) being located above the sink in behind the cabinetry in the head. As such, as mentioned above, all you do is open the sea cock and the tank drains by gravity... (Same arrangement on both forward and aft head) Steve
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Posted By: 400eNo205
Date Posted: 10 April 2007 at 14:04
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My experience with septic tanks are that if there is any chance for clogging/plugging it will happen. Just wait until there have been a number of women onboard.
I have prevoiusly had boats with good manual tank pumps. But have had to open the pumps and hoses with a full septic tank with built-up pressure with plugged vent hose and pump. This happened last time in the middle of the summer in a crowded marina...
After this experience i fitted an electrical maccelerator pump. Never had problems since.
I will also on my 400e(due june 2007) have electrical macelerator pumps fitted during commissioning in Germany.
PS. A friend of mine also a 400e owner have experienced problems emptying the septic tanks.
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Posted By: landlocked
Date Posted: 11 April 2007 at 05:45
| I've had no problems after a solid season of use with emptying only at sea. We have the forward and aft head on our 400. I think anything that makes it through the pump and up to the tank makes it back out again under gravity very quickly. |
Posted By: colincooper
Date Posted: 11 April 2007 at 08:27
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No problems in 14 months use on a 370 either. If the problem is "women on board" maybe you should ask what is being flushed. If you haven't swallowed it don't flush it - is our rule - and no problems emptying. Also, maybe you could introduce a little more fluid content into the tank? Sorry for the graphic language. ------------- Colin (owner of Hilde - a 370) |
Posted By: tingeling
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 12:40
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Septic tanks have two problems, 1): the things you or somebody put into thgem, and 2): The layout including heighth above waterlevel, hose diameter and turns and bends on hoses an valves.
The layout of Hanse 400 is more than OK so, provided you do use lots of water, proper toilet paper specially manufactured for this use and never put any other objects into the toilet you will never encounter problems with the Hanse 400.
A pump will only add to the list of thnings you will need to maintain.
Keep it simple
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Posted By: Adam
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 13:34
| I'm not sure about the septic system is on the hanse boats, but one trick you can use on a lot of boats if you are unable to empty the tank, is to plug the vent on the top of the tank, and start pumping one of the toilets. This should force the waste out of the tank. |
Posted By: aquarius
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 14:09
| Well, there are two possible results of this metod; it may solve your problem, or it may backfire. I've heard stories of fatal errors in trying what you suggest... |
Posted By: Abstinenz
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 14:47
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Must quote the formel 1- legend, Mr. Michael Schumacher on this: " sh*t happens...."  Sorry, could't let be, /Steen ------------- Hanse 342#436 |
Posted By: Adam
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 15:50
| Well, It's probably a good idea not to "over do" it ;) Depending on how hard you plug the vent, I would hope the plug gives before the pluming does. :p |
Posted By: tingeling
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 19:59
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I wish you all success in the bathroom this summer.
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Posted By: landlocked
Date Posted: 15 May 2007 at 02:06
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And speaking of plugged vents...
...here is the vent on the forward holding tank of my 400e. If you look closely you can see the black plastic plug still inserted in the pipe...
 ...here's what it looks like when you remove it...
 ...this explains why the back-pressure seemed to build up a little faster in this one compared to the aft tank. It also explains why we were sometimes finding a lingering odor around the forward head.
Believe it or not we have had the boat for one full season before we started to wonder if the vent might be plugged.
Also, the hose on this tank was 3/4 inch (19mm) internal diameter while both the pipe on the tank and the pipe on the vent were 5/8 (16mm). I now have a proper vent and a proper hose. The aft tank was all done properly but this forward tank was totally botched. I've sent a full set of photos to my dealer in hopes that they will feed back the information to the factory.
FYI, ours is hull #042 -- if yours was built around the same time you might want to check it out.
We still love our Hanse but sometimes wonder who's running the production!
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Posted By: Stria
Date Posted: 15 May 2007 at 09:07
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Can someone please tell me how the H 400 septic tanks work? As far as I have understood 1 - Seacocks open: you pump out the toilet and the sewage passes through the septic tank and then into the sea. 2 - Seacocks closed: you pump out the toilet and the waste stays in the septic tank until you open the seacocks or pump out from the top. Correct? I ask because I have noticed that if I pump out the toilet with the seacocks closed there is a certain backpressure building. Is that normal, or does it mean there might be a plugged vent? And, Landlocked, to realize the vent was plugged did you have to take the piping apart? Thanks Stria |
Posted By: landlocked
Date Posted: 15 May 2007 at 14:36
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Yes, Stria, that is how it works. Some backpressure is normal because of the elevation of the holding tank but if it feels "springy" when you pump it could be due to a plugged vent, resulting in a pressurized tank.
It is pretty easy to check for the plug - just remove the hose clamps at the top of the tank and pull the hose off. (you might want to open the seacock first).
Probably another test would be just to have someone listen from outside the vent while you pump. I haven't tried this but I expect the plugged vent is pretty silent. Of course the same person might also detect the odor of the venting air.
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Posted By: Stria
Date Posted: 15 May 2007 at 15:00
ahahaha!!! Will do. Thks a lot J. |
landlocked wrote:Posted By: svrocinante
Date Posted: 15 May 2007 at 16:22
Not sure if I'm simply misunderstanding, but your statement above refers to seacocks, plural, if that is not an error, then the answer is no, you must have the intake seacock open so the toilet can draw in seawater to flush... this is so for both scenarios (pumping overboard or into holding tank) ------------- you may not be able to control the wind, but you can adjust your sails http://www.myinternetdoorman.com - My Internet Doorman -The easiest way to keep porn out of your home...Guaranteed!™ |
Posted By: Scorpio
Date Posted: 15 May 2007 at 17:09
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Easier test and one I would recommend for new boats before the holding tank is used for the first time (in order to check for leaks). Close the sea cock and then fill the holding tank with water from a hose through the deck pump out facitlity. When it's full water should flow out through the breather. If the breather is blocked, there will be no water flowing out through it - it will back up through the place you are filling it from on deck.
Ed ------------- Ed Essery Scorpio GBR 9824T Hanse 342#465 - Solent Based |
Posted By: tingeling
Date Posted: 05 August 2007 at 22:42
| I am uncertain if this has been covered before, but during summer I had also trouble draing my tank. By ommitting the strainer in the vent I solved the problem as the strainer was clogged due to flooding and did not allow air to flow into the tank when emptying. |
Posted By: Popeye
Date Posted: 19 August 2007 at 21:55
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I have two seasons of happy use of 370 / 400 system (same setup) without any problems, even including kids on board (worse than female gender when it comes to "things in the loo"). Ref. toilet paper, don't waste you money on fancy dissolving paper designed for boat loos, and please don't buy cheapo recycled paper (which one would think is poor quality, but it actually well held together by glue, and does not dissolvewell at all).
The solution is very easy, just buy the softest normal paper that you find in the supermarket. In the UK it's linked up to a labrador puppy, in Scandinavia it's linked up to a baby lamb. You get the idea, just the softest standard brand in the supermarket. It dissolves quicker than you can imagine.
Going in for next season will be a two-way valve between loo and tank, such that fluids can go direct to sea (but not when in harbour), and solids go to tank. Thereby should be able to extend useable tank-time from 2-3 days to maybe 3-4-5 days. Crucial once one has found the perfect anchorage, and don't want to make the trip out to sea to dump the tank contents. ------------- Popeye the sailorman |
Posted By: Bereklauw2
Date Posted: 03 November 2007 at 00:25
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400eNR205: Could you let us know exactly how you fitted the macerator pump? I'm thinking of the same due to bad experience with tanks like these. Boudewijn ------------- Arwen, Hanse 370, #401, former owner of Mirage, Hanse 291. "Real men don't use bowthrusters!" |