Tek Tanks

[TiggerToo]

Has anyone here had any experience of ordering a bespoke tank from Tek Tanks?

I am looking at installing a grey water system, and my preference would for something that fits "neatly" in a heads recess.

 

[Tranona]

Yes. Expensive but the best. You may well find they have already made a waste tank for your model boat, but if not then in my experience very helpful in helping you work out the best way to do it.

 

[tillergirl]

Yes, fitted for TG. Brilliant product. Yeap not cheap. How about some photos?

 

[tillergirl]

Mocking up and measuring

P1010217 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

Installed (can't illustrate the bracket locating it)

P1010245 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

Details

Label by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

How it works - I assume you have a Lavac (probably the best toilet in the world!). All it needs for a Holding Tank system is two diverter valves. Lower diverter set to either to empty the toilet or the Holding Tank; the upper diverter valve will either exit product from pump to the Holding Tank or Outlet Seacock.

Holding Tank Drawing 1 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

Fully fitted in heads

P1010259 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

And now to the detail. A 75 litre tank was sufficient for 4 adults for 3 days easily. Never actually tried for a longer period but there was clearly space. Of course the flushing affects the volume. Note the very short runs which minimise distance loo to tank. The quality of Tek Tank was obvious. I recall it was a quite quick turnaround once I finalised the plans. Tek Tank drawn the final darwings, submitted them for approval and then I think it was about 10 days delivered.

 

[neilf39]

Yes, got a complicated shape black water tank made for my boat. Expensive but excellent. Very helpful too.

 

[vyv_cox]

Mine is shown on this page.http://coxeng.co.uk/cruising/toilets-holding-tanks-and-associated-matters/

I made a basic mistake in my design. Having built a cardboard mock-up and transferred the dimensions to a drawing I began to think that fitting it to the outlet seacock might be tricky. I therefore reduced its height by taking a few inches off the bottom (on the drawing) but omitted to move the outlet nozzle to allow for the sloping outboard side of the tank.

When it arrived it was beautifully made but the outlet did not match the seacock by a couple of inches or so. Fortunately I was able to block the nozzle and cut a hole for a skin fitting that was in the correct location.

 

[[2574]]

Tek Tanks are excellent, here's mine, difficult shape but fits like a glove:

 

[fredrussell]

Apols for thread hijack but…

Just out of interest, is it possible, with clever pipe work like Tillergirl’s, to install a holding tank but not need a new through-hull for it? And also, must a holding tank be vented, and if so is there any odour whilst above decks?

 

[Tranona]

Yes if you have a gravity tank - most send all the waste through the tank and then overboard. You isolate the tank to hold by closing the seacock. On a pumped system like TGs hormal to have its own outlet for the stied waste with a Y valve after the toilet to choose direct or to the tank.

Yes, essential to have a big breather and usual to have a deck pump outlet as well.

 

[tillergirl]

The breather was no problem - no odour at all. I decided without the deck pump outlet - would be difficult to fit in an 'acceptable way' in the fore cabin. With the Lavac we could of course flush sea water through the holding tank. I had a practice of operating the diverter valves regularly even if not using them so as to avoid any seizing.

 

[Graham_Wright]

According to Paggy (aka Headmisdtress) the vent needs to be in and out. My "in" comes from the chain locker. The "out" is just below the gunwales.

If you fit a pump out, make sure the intended pump out nozzle fits properly. You really don't want a face full of human effluent (personal, unpleasant experience!).

 

[tudorsailor]

Tek Tank was standard fit on my 2001 yacht. I would note that in addition to a pump out hose that there is a vent hose with deck cap for pumping out. This is in addition to a small breather hose that goes to a charcoal filter. When configuring the pump out tube inside the tank, if possible have it open above the exit hole to the sea-cock. In that way, if the out let blocks, you can pass a snake down from the deck pump out.
While you are designing it, also think of how you will know how full the tank is. TekTank have various option and there are others such as Gobius.
TS

 

[MoodySabre]

I didn't make any new thruogh hulls with my TekTank. The tank pumpout goes out through the existing discharge seacock via a Y connector. I fitted a macerator to pump it out. I also have a deck pump out and a vent of course through a charcoal filter.

 

[TiggerToo]

While you are designing it, also think of how you will know how full the tank is. TekTank have various option ...

One of the features I really like about TekTanks is their supposed semi-transparency. Meaning that, allegedly, you can shine a torch from the top to see where you are with the brown stuff. All of this illustrated on VyvCox's useful website. I really like the simplicity of this.

 

[Tranona]

This is of value if you have an accessible gravity tank in a locker. I have had 3 such installations, one DIY using a custom Tek Tank, one similar but made in Greece and a factory installation. You can get a good indication of level visually. The last one had a high level warning but never really filled it that far. Other models from the same builder had level gauges, but like the water tank ones are notoriously unreliable.

 

[vyv_cox]

One of the features I really like about TekTanks is their supposed semi-transparency. Meaning that, allegedly, you can shine a torch from the top to see where you are with the brown stuff. All of this illustrated on VyvCox's useful website. I really like the simplicity of this.