Dometic Marine, the world's leading supplier of marine sanitation systems, recently announced that the SailVac(TM) Vacuum Holding Tank System being launched at METS next month has been nominated for a prestigious DAME Award. The SailVac system is the world's first vacuum holding tank specifically designed for small to medium-sized sailboats and offers a wealth of benefits over current sailboat sanitation systems to provide longer cruising periods and less pump-outs.
Frank Marciano, President of Dometic Marine is thrilled with the nomination, 'We recently returned from the US trade show, IBEX with an Innovation Award for our new Dometic In-Duct Breathe Easy(TM) Air Purifier, so to be going into Europe's key trade show with a nomination for another Dometic product is great credit to our design team. It certainly is nice to be recognized for innovations on both sides of the Atlantic in the same year!'
The system combines a vacuum pump, vacuum reservoir and waste-holding tank into one unit, which curves and narrows to fit the outboard space of a head that's typical of a sailboat hull. It features an interior baffle system that protects vacuum components from wastewater at high angles of heel; and reinforces ribs to prevent tank distortion while building or storing vacuum or during pump-out. The holding tank is made of specially formulated long-lasting polyethylene resin that is roto-molded to eliminate seams or weak points.
Paired with a VacuFlush toilet, the SailVac system has the lowest water consumption for flushing. Flushwater consumed is less than one gallon per person per day so a modest holding tank supplies up to three times more usage between discharges (six days for two people using just an 80 litre tank). With less than 0.5 litre per flush, odour-free freshwater can be used in place of microbe-laden seawater; this also reduces the requirement for through-hull seacocks.
Additionally, because every flush is vacuumed completely into the holding tank, no wastewater is left standing in the flexible hose that runs between the toilet and the tank. This is common with traditional toilet systems and can lead to malodour permeation of the hose over time. The vacuum eliminates the foul smells that can buildup in a sailboat head. The air vacated from the vacuum holding tank is also purged of malodours by an activated carbon filter on the vent side of the vacuum pump.
The SailVac has the lowest electrical consumption of any electric toilet system. By using a powerful vacuum force (similar to toilets in passenger jet aircraft), waste and flush water are instantly blasted out of the bowl and upward into the vacuum holding tank. Power draw is no more than 3 amps (12 volts DC) to regenerate and maintain vacuum level for the next flush. Other electric toilet systems consume 25 to 40 amps per flush.
Dometic Marine is launching its extensive range of new products, including the SailVac vacuum holding tank at this year's METS, 16-18 November 2010. For further information please visit the Dometic Marine team at Stands 01.615, 01.715 and 10.417.
To view the SailVac Holding Tank video, please click here.