Bob Taylor presents Sanitary Tank Systems

Since 11-04-04

     Having just completed a series of chemo­therapy treatments it has come to mind the similarity of an old diesel boat’s sanitary tank and an old man’s bowels. High on chemo medication’s list of side affects is the dreaded diarrhea. The similarity in the operation of these systems can be shown in the following.  

Normal operation of blowing the tank when full is to open the discharge valve, build up some pressure and in a short time we have an empty tank although venting is a little different, you still have the odor of an inboard vent in the room. Another fairly normal operation is the building up of some pressure, so you open the discharge value, but all that is released is some foul smell. This operation can sometimes give a false reading, as described below.

       Then you have the situation where the tank is full and there is a need to blow. Well somehow the pressure in the tank has built up past the normal operating pressure, we open the discharge value and the contents of the tank comes rushing out. (In technical terms this is known as diarrhea.)

       You close the discharge value thinking the tank is empty, wrong, within minutes you notice the pressure building up you rush to open the discharge valve and out goes more refuse. This same problem continues till you find the chemical Kaopectate, now you pour this in the tank and the problem is solved.

 Now we have another problem; after a couple days, we find the is tank full, so we need to blow the tank. The discharge valve in open, normal pressure built up, but nothing happens, our discharge line is plugged up. We apply a little more pressure, nothing happens. We check the manual, it says to add the chemical Milk of Magnesia to the tank and wait a short period of time, then try blowing the tank again. Finally, the tank is empty and hopefully back to a normal operating procedure.

 --Bob Taylor, Captain of the Head.