Sink Drain Container Ideas....

[Ranger3/75]

Iam looking for ideas for draining our sink (gray water).We currently use a 5gal.plastic container,but seems like the sink drains very slow still.Any new ideas would be appreciated,as we are new to PUP campers,have always had 5W or TT.
We have learned many new ways and ideas for PUP camping from this site.So how about some more good ideas............Thks

[dkutz]

Iam looking for ideas for draining our sink (gray water).We currently use a 5gal.plastic container,but seems like the sink drains very slow still.Any new ideas would be appreciated,as we are new to PUP campers,have always had 5W or TT.
We have learned many new ways and ideas for PUP camping from this site.So how about some more good ideas............Thks

Most people either spend the big money for the wheeled totes.  Or go cheap and go to Walmart and get a blue Aquatainer.  THere are many threads on the subject here, try a search.

[coach]

disconnect the drain hose. If that speeds up draining, the hose is the problem, if it doesn't then the under sink hose is the problem.

Drain lines need to go down hill, no little rises that create secondary traps.

A different collection container won't speed it up!

See this recent thread Slow draining sink

[pershingd]

Don't forget to vent your collection container if its sealed. Remember, if you want water to go in, air has to get out of the container.

David

[flyfisherman]

There was a recent thread going here on PUT about slow draining sinks that had some good information ~

My Starcraft sink has always had it's idiosyncrasies ... it might work just perfect one time and the next next time it's slow drain to not draining at all. In my tinkering around with the situation I discocvered that simply by jiggling the drain hose under the sink (there's an access cabinet right under the sink that exposes the drain line and the incoming water line to the sink) and that always breaks things lose.

Since the only gray water there is to deal with is from the sink, a 5/gal bucket serves the purpose for me just fine. Have two lids for the thing, one for general use where the lid simply has a hole cut out of the center where the drain hose is just barely inside - use this set-up for most of the NFS campgrounds (or out in the boonies and no campground per se) and I'll then take the gray water contents and water some needy looking bush or tree in the general area. The other lid snaps shut over the bucket and has fitting where another drain hose I configured attaches both to the camper and to the lid securely and has a "Y" drain attachment fitting that allows it to vent. Use this closed set-up for places that require a "closed" gray water system, like the Corps of Engineers C/G's. Although I set up this system up at the Corps of Engineer C/G I rarely use the sink as they (Corps of Engineers) always have a great dish washing shelter. They have a big double stainless sink and it sets high. A pleasure washing the dishes there as the sink in the PU sets too low for me ... bothers my back before the chore is done!

Anyway, why should I but some expensive "tote" that's a hassel to move around and to store when not in use, especially when the 5/gal bucket works so well?
Here's the only pic that I have showing the 5/gal bucket in place ... please note that it is colered gray!






And ... the C/G shown is one of my favorite places to stay, it's in the Nantahala Nat'l Forest in western North Carolina.



Fly

[coach]

Anyway, why should I but some expensive "tote" that's a hassel to move around and to store when not in use, especially when the 5/gal bucket works so well?
Fly

You shouldn't. Several things I like about 5 gallon buckets, they are free (reuse)and they can be packed full of stuff so as not to take up much room!

While not my pic, one I like!

[Skamper]

I use a bucket too because i store stuff in it when heading to/from camping to save space.  It can also be stored away at night so that my sink run-off doesn't attract animals at night.

[4Campers]

We use a 6 gallon blue tote for our gray water. Since it tends to smell after a few uses, we keep it rinsed after use, but don't (can't) pack things in it. One problem is the size of the tote, but with a front storage area in our pup that has not been a problem for us. It works well unless the ground is not very level, then we use boards to level it and make sure it's lower than the drain spigot. We have two different hoses to run from the pup to the tote, one is a short piece of garden hose about three feet long. This one is used if the tote sits lower or has to be further away from the pup. Have had problems with this at times when the water in the tote rises above the end of the hose, then the water drains slow. We have another PVC adapter I made up that has a hose bib to attach it to the pup, which is attached to a 90 degree elbow and a 18" piece of 1/2" PVC with an 45 degree angle cut on the end. The end sits just inside the tote and drains well. (kind of like the one that is in the picture Coach posted) Sometimes due to the angle of the site, the end of this PVC adapter won't reach the tote so we use the hose. Sometimes using boards to raise the tote up we still use this adapter, but that is a balancing act in some places.
We have also had problems with the drain line itself. It only takes a few tiny pieces of waste to clog the small hose, and once I had to use a plunger to force these out. We no longer use the inside sink for washing dishes because of this, but do empty the waste water into the sink with the strainer in place to catch any crumbs.
And as others have posted, there has to be an air hole to allow for the water to enter and the air inside the bucket to escape. If the drain hose is in the water, it will be slow, and if the hose has a loop or drop before it gets to the bucket, it will drain slow. Gravity is your main assist for draining the water from the pup to a collection bucket.

[Tiffany]

Hey Fly, that's a great picture!  I love that area; we've rafted the Nantahala river a handful of times.

[kjcamper]

I made up a tee fitting with about an 8 inch piece going up from the tee and a piece going down with a fitting to push on a piece of 1 inch hose that drains into the buckett or conainer. It drains real well and stores ok as it is not very long.