---
kind: "range"
citation: "33 C.F.R. §§ 159.103–159.131"
title: "33"
from: "159.103"
to: "159.131"
count: 16
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/33/159.103..159.131"
---

# §159.103. Vibration test.


The device, with liquid retention components, if any, filled with water to one-half of their volume, must be subjected to a sinusoidal vibration for a period of 12 hours, 4 hours in each of the x, y, and z planes, at the resonant frequency of the device (or at 55 cycles per second if there is no resonant frequency between 10 to 60 hertz) and with a peak amplitude of 0.019 to 0.021 inches.


# §159.105. Shock test.


The device, with liquid retention components, if any, filled with water to half of their volume, must be subjected to 1,000 vertical shocks that are ten times the force of gravity (10g) and have a duration of 20-25 milliseconds measured at the base of the half-sine shock envelope.


# §159.107. Rolling test.

- (a) The device, with liquid retention components, if any, filled with water to half of their volume, must be subjected to 100 cycles with the axis of rotation 4 feet from the centerline of the device, no more than 6 inches below the plane of the bottom of the device, and parallel to any tank baffles. The device must then be rotated 90 degrees on its vertical axis and subjected to another 100 cycles. This testing must be repeated with the liquid retention components filled to the maximum operating level as specified by the manufacturer in [§ 159.57](/cfr/33/159.57.md).
- (b) Eighty percent of the rolling action must be approximately 15 degrees on either side of the vertical and at a cyclic rate of 3 to 4 seconds. Twenty percent motions must be approximately 30 degrees, or the maximum angle specified by the manufacturer under [§ 159.57](/cfr/33/159.57.md), whichever is greater, on either side of the vertical at a cyclic rate of 6 to 8 seconds.

# §159.109. Pressure test.


Any sewage retention tank that is designed to operate under pressure must be pressurized hydrostatically at a pressure head of 7 feet or to 150 percent of the maximum pressure specified by the manufacturer for operation of the tank, whichever is greater. The tank must hold the water at this pressure for 1 hour with no evidence of leaking.


# §159.111. Pressure and vacuum pulse test.


Liquid retention components of the device with manufacturer specified venting installed must be subjected to 50 fillings of water at a pressure head of 7 feet or the maximum pressure specified by the manufacturer for operation of the device, whichever is greater, and then emptied with a 45 gallon per minute or larger positive displacement pump that remains in operation 30 seconds after emptying the tank at the end of each cycle.


# §159.115. Temperature range test.

- (a) The device must be held at a temperature of 60 °C or higher for a period of 16 hours.
- (b) The device must be held at a temperature of −40 °C or less for a period of 16 hours following winterization in accordance with manufacturers' instructions.

# §159.117. Chemical resistance test.

- (a) In each case where the recognized facility doubts the ability of a material to withstand exposure to the substances listed in paragraphs [(b)](#b) and [(c)](#c) of this section a sample of the material must be tested.
- (b) A sample referred to in [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section must be partially submerged in each of the following substances for 100 hours at an ambient temperature of 22 °C.
  - (1) **Sewage.**
  - (2) **Any disinfectant that is required in the operation of the device.**
  - (3) Any chemical compound in solid, liquid or gaseous form, used, emitted or produced in the operation of the device.
  - (4) Fresh or salt (3.5 percent Sodium Chloride) flush water.
  - (5) **Toilet bowl cleaners.**
  - (6) **Engine Oil (SAE/30).**
  - (7) **Ethylene Glycol.**
  - (8) **Detergents (household and bilge cleaning type).**
- (c) A sample of the material must be doused 20 times, with a 1 hour drying period between dousings, in each of the following substances:
  - (1) **Gasoline.**
  - (2) **Diesel fuel.**
  - (3) **Mineral spirits.**
  - (4) **Turpentine.**
  - (5) **Methyl alcohol.**

# §159.119. Operability test; temperature range.


The device must operate in an ambient temperature of 5 °C with inlet operating fluid temperature varying from 2 °C to 32 °C and in an ambient temperature of 50 °C with inlet operating fluid temperature varying from 2 °C to 32 °C.


# §159.121. Sewage processing test.

- (a) The device must process human sewage in the manner for which it is designed when tested in accordance with this section. There must be no sewage or sewage-treating chemicals remaining on surfaces or in crevices that could come in contact with a person using the device or servicing the device in accordance with the instructions supplied under [§ 159.57(b)(7)](/cfr/33/159.57.md?p=b-7).
- (b) During the test the device must be operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Any initial start-up time specified by the manufacturer must be allowed before test periods begin. For 1 hour of each 8-hour test period, the device must be tilted to the maximum angles specified by the manufacturer under §§ [159.55](/cfr/33/159.55.md) and [159.57](/cfr/33/159.57.md).
- (c) Except for devices described in [paragraph (d)](#d) of this section, the devices must process and discharge or store human sewage over at least an 8-consecutive hour period on at least 10 days within a 20-day period. The device must receive human sewage consisting of fecal matter, urine, and toilet paper in a ratio of four urinations to one defecation with at least one defecation per person per day. Devices must be tested at their average rate of capacity as specified in [§ 159.57](/cfr/33/159.57.md). In addition, during three periods of each day the system must process sewage at the peak capacity for the period of time it is rated at peak capacity.
- (d) A device that processes and discharges continuously between individual use periods or a large device, as determined by the Coast Guard, must process and discharge sewage over at least 10-consecutive days at the average daily capacity specified by the manufacturer. During three periods of each day the system must process sewage at the peak capacity for the period of time it is rated at peak capacity. The sewage for this test must be fresh, domestic sewage to which primary sludge has been added, as necessary, to create a test sewage with a minimum of 500 milligrams of suspended solids per liter.

# §159.123. Coliform test: Type I devices.

- (a) The arithmetic mean of the fecal coliform bacteria in 38 of 40 samples of effluent discharged from a Type I device during the test described in [§ 159.121](/cfr/33/159.121.md) must be less than 1000 per 100 milliliters when tested in accordance with [40 CFR part 136](/cfr/40/part136.md).
- (b) The 40 samples must be taken from the device as follows: During each of the 10-test days, one sample must be taken at the beginning, middle, and end of an 8-consecutive hour period with one additional sample taken immediately following the peak capacity processing period.

# §159.125. Visible floating solids: Type I devices.


During the sewage processing test ([§ 159.121](/cfr/33/159.121.md)) 40 effluent samples of approximately 1 liter each shall be taken from a Type I device at the same time as samples taken in [§ 159.123](/cfr/33/159.123.md) and passed expeditiously through a U.S. Sieve No. 12 as specified in ASTM E 11 (incorporated by reference, see [§ 159.4](/cfr/33/159.4.md)). The weight of the material retained on the screen after it has been dried to a constant weight in an oven at 103 °C. must be divided by the volume of the sample and expressed as milligrams per liter. This value must be 10 percent or less of the total suspended solids as determined in accordance with [40 CFR part 136](/cfr/40/part136.md) or at least 38 of the 40 samples.


# §159.126. Coliform test: Type II devices.

- (a) The arithmetic mean of the fecal coliform bacteria in 38 of 40 samples of effluent from a Type II device during the test described in [§ 159.121](/cfr/33/159.121.md) must be 200 per 100 milliliters or less when tested in accordance with [40 CFR part 136](/cfr/40/part136.md).
- (b) The 40 samples must be taken from the device as follows: During each of the 10 test days, one sample must be taken at the beginning, middle and end of an 8-consecutive hour period with one additional sample taken immediately following the peak capacity processing period.

# §159.126a. Suspended solids test: Type II devices.


During the sewage processing test ([§ 159.121](/cfr/33/159.121.md)) 40 effluent samples must be taken at the same time as samples are taken for [§ 159.126](/cfr/33/159.126.md) and they must be analyzed for total suspended solids in accordance with [40 CFR part 136](/cfr/40/part136.md). The arithmetic mean of the total suspended solids in 38 of 40 of these samples must be less than or equal to 150 milligrams per liter.


# §159.127. Safety coliform count: Recirculating devices.


Thirty-eight of forty samples of flush fluid from a recirculating device must have less than 240 fecal coliform bacteria per 100 milliliters. These samples must be collected in accordance with [§ 159.123(b)](/cfr/33/159.123.md?p=b) and tested in accordance with [40 CFR part 136](/cfr/40/part136.md).


# §159.129. Safety: Ignition prevention test.

- (a) Components of a device that are a potential ignition source in an explosive atmosphere must pass the test in paragraph [(b)](#b) or [(c)](#c) of this section or meet the requirements of [paragraph (d)](#d) or have a specific warning in the instruction manual required by [§ 159.57](/cfr/33/159.57.md) that the device should not be installed in an explosive atmosphere.
- (b) Components protected by vapor exclusion must be placed in a chamber filled with a rich mixture of gasoline or propane in air with the pressure being varied from 0 to 2 psig once an hour for 8 hours. Vapor readings must be taken in the void being protected and must indicate a leakage less than 20 percent of the lower explosive limit of the mixture in the chamber.
- (c) Components providing ignition protection by means other than vapor exclusion must be fitted with an ignition source, such as a spark plug, and a means of injecting an explosive mixture of gasoline or propane and air into the void that protects the component. Connections must be made so as to minimize any additional volume added to the protected void by the apparatus delivering the explosive mixture. The component must be placed in a chamber filled with an explosive mixture and there must be no ignition of the explosive mixture surrounding the component when the following tests are conducted:
  - (1) Using any overload protection that is part of the device, the potential ignition source must be operated for one half hour at 110 percent of its rated voltage, one half hour at 50 percent of its rated voltage and one half hour at 100 percent of its rated voltage with the motor or armature locked, if the potential ignition source is a motor or part of a motor's electrical circuit.
  - (2) With the explosive mixture in the protected void, the test installed ignition source must be activated 50 times.
  - (3) The tests [paragraphs (c)](#c) (1) and (2) of this section must be repeated with any plugs removed.
- (d) Components that are certified as being intrinsically safe in accordance with the Instrument Society of America (RP 12.2) or explosion proof in accordance with the Underwriters Laboratories STD 698 in Class I, Group D hazardous locations ([46 CFR 111.80-5(a)](/cfr/46/111.80-5.md?p=a)) need not be subjected to this testing.

# §159.131. Safety: Incinerating device.


An incinerating device must not incinerate unless the combustion chamber is closed, must purge the combustion chamber of combustible fuel vapors before and after incineration must secure automatically if the burner does not ignite, must not allow an accumulation of fuel, and must neither produce a temperature on surfaces adjacent to the incineration chamber higher than 67 °C nor produce a temperature on surfaces in normal body contact higher than 41 °C when operating in an ambient temperature of 25 °C. Unitized incineration devices must completely burn to a dry, inert ash, a simultaneous defecation and urination and must not discharge fly ash, malodors, or toxic substances.