Help - Secondary Mascerator and tank dumping to the ocean not working

[SVFreedom]

Maybe hold off on that 'til you're back home with lots of supply backup. Actually, there's really no need to remove other than to look inside and possible cleanup of crud.

IF you get so bored you find yourself just HAVING to remove the plug, try heating the plug and tank, near the plug, with a hair dryer until both are hot to the touch. Attack it gently and it may unscrew a lot easier than when cold.

Good luck .

Good idea on waiting. Ironically, the forward head seat just broke (It never gets used), finding one will likely not happen in the island , saying supplies are limited is an understatement.
As for bored, it will never happen
As for heating up, the ole heat gun stays on board, it comes in handy more than I could tell.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

the forward head seat just broke

OMG is that a bad omen ? Look underneath the seat. If you see a 666 stamped into it anywhere, consider abandoning ship now while you have the chance.

As for heating up, the ole heat gun stays on board, it comes in handy more than I could tell.

I could never trust myself with a heat gun. Far too impatient .

 

[SVFreedom]

OMG is that a bad omen ? Look underneath the seat. If you see a 666 stamped into it anywhere, consider abandoning ship now while you have the chance.
not a chance, not on this boat.. lol


I could never trust myself with a heat gun. Far too impatient .

well, it is a heat gun or use my torch, the heat gun wins most times....

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

well, it is a heat gun or use my torch, the heat gun wins most times....

Oxy-acetylene torch on vinyl sanitary hose fittings .......................... maybe too much even with my level of impatience.

 

[SVFreedom]

It was the Macerator. I had a brand new spare, after some further investigations, I figured it was the pump.
Installed the new one (not a fun job for both access and just a shitty job), activated the Macerator button and like new, the gin clear waters turned brown.. At least it is resolved, thanks for all the support. I hate doing any work while we are out cruising, only what is necessary because parts and marine items are very sparse out here.

So, three years old Jabsco. I am thinking of buying Raritan to keep as my spare, the reputation is much better, anyone with experience on those? They appear to be a direct connect..

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I imagine that being so PO'd after completing the job, you didn't keep the old pump to determine the cause of the failure ?

I had a Jabsco pump fail about 15 years ago from broken stud.

All corroded and rotten so I didn't blame it too much.

I intended to replace the old, busted Jabsco with a new one and this is what I found inside the new pump upon inspection :

I returned it to the dealer and he promptly replaced it with a new one which didn't instill a hell of a lot of confidence. I checked the bolts and they showed no signs of cracking. The pump has been in service for quite a number of years with no sign of failure yet.

Just based on Jabsco's long and miserable history, I would invest in a Raritan pump if it will fit into the same space as the Jabsco.

 

[SVFreedom]

I imagine that being so PO'd after completing the job, you didn't keep the old pump to determine the cause of the failure ?

I had a Jabsco pump fail about 15 years ago from broken stud.

View attachment 225448

All corroded and rotten so I didn't blame it too much.

I intended to replace the old, busted Jabsco with a new one and this is what I found inside the new pump upon inspection :

View attachment 225449

I returned it to the dealer and he promptly replaced it with a new one which didn't instill a hell of a lot of confidence. I checked the bolts and they showed no signs of cracking. The pump has been in service for quite a number of years with no sign of failure yet.

Just based on Jabsco's long and miserable history, I would invest in a Raritan pump if it will fit into the same space as the Jabsco.

Jabsco is junk. I am an engineer, the quality is not good, your bolts are proof.
I did replace my forward macerator with a Raritan, the quality is much better. I really wanted to replace them both with a whale pump, no maceration but the space will not allow it.
I am buying another Raritan as my backup, just dont know if Ill need it in a week, a year or three years, my confidence on Jabsco has been pretty low..
I did ask Raritan if they made a head attached macerator that would fit the Jabsco bowls, they dont and I am not likely to replace the entire head, just keep spares. Raritan also make some smart switches that rotate the pump weekly so I may install those (Now, I just hit the button on both every few weeks just to keep the pumps turning.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I am an engineer,

My condolences. I too am the product of a mis-spent youth which resulted in my becoming an engineer. Actually, not that bad at all except in union situations which in most cases defied belief that an outfit could even continue to exist under conditions like that. The engineering degree got me into some really interesting places as in spending the last five years after retiring (2000-2005) in a little place called Coco Cay.

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It's changed a lot since I was there but just a riot while I was the "Island Engineer" (drum roll please) for five years. Had a crew of 15 guys who were the most skilled individuals I have ever worked with and greatest all round guys imaginable. They worked with you, not for you.

Jabsco needs no further mention. Absolute garbage. I had one and changed over to a Raritan five years ago with smooth (leakless) sailing ever since.

Do keep us apprised of any further excitement you encounter down there. I returned to Coco Cay last year for a day on an RCCL ship and really don't think I'd like to be there now. It's completely lost its island charm. More new machinery there that you can imagine. Beautiful new 3 meg. diesel generator set up now. The RO unit has been upgraded to something like 9 or 10K gallons per day. My all time fav. for new equipment is the sewage treatment plant. Beautiful if I can use the contradiction.

 

[SVFreedom]

My condolences. I too am the product of a mis-spent youth which resulted in my becoming an engineer. Actually, not that bad at all except in union situations which in most cases defied belief that an outfit could even continue to exist under conditions like that. The engineering degree got me into some really interesting places as in spending the last five years after retiring (2000-2005) in a little place called Coco Cay.

CocoCay Cruises: Cruise to CocoCay, Bahamas | Royal Caribbean

Find the best Perfect Day at CocoCay cruise deals as you get ready to chill, thrill, and unwind on your own Bahamas vacation getaway with the best private island experience.

www.royalcaribbean.com

It's changed a lot since I was there but just a riot while I was the "Island Engineer" (drum roll please) for five years. Had a crew of 15 guys who were the most skilled individuals I have ever worked with and greatest all round guys imaginable. They worked with you, not for you.

Jabsco needs no further mention. Absolute garbage. I had one and changed over to a Raritan five years ago with smooth (leakless) sailing ever since.

Do keep us apprised of any further excitement you encounter down there. I returned to Coco Cay last year for a day on an RCCL ship and really don't think I'd like to be there now. It's completely lost its island charm. More new machinery there that you can imagine. Beautiful new 3 meg. diesel generator set up now. The RO unit has been upgraded to something like 9 or 10K gallons per day. My all time fav. for new equipment is the sewage treatment plant. Beautiful if I can use the contradiction.

We stopped at coco for the ight, they were friendly and let us come ashore to stretch our legs.. Too much like Ft Lauderdale for me.
I am an aerospace guy, designed, developed and mfr jet propulsion for the DOD, marine is a different world. LOL
Just ordered a new Raritan to match the other one.. If or should I say, when the jabsco fails, we will be set... LOL

Coco would have been a cool gig, I would take that and spend my time out here getting paid, heck yes...

 

[American_Mainsail]

It was the Macerator. I had a brand new spare, after some further investigations, I figured it was the pump.
Installed the new one (not a fun job for both access and just a shitty job), activated the Macerator button and like new, the gin clear waters turned brown.. At least it is resolved, thanks for all the support. I hate doing any work while we are out cruising, only what is necessary because parts and marine items are very sparse out here.

So, three years old Jabsco. I am thinking of buying Raritan to keep as my spare, the reputation is much better, anyone with experience on those? They appear to be a direct connect..

The Jabsco macerator pumps from our era of Hunters (early-mid 2000s) had material problems. Mine was leaking when I bought the boat in 2019. If I remember right, the bolts holding the head onto the pump had corroded. I replaced it with a Raritan and I recommend that pump. They're more expensive, but failures in the blackwater system totally suck to fix. Raritan offers an option for an in-line valve that makes working on the macerator less painful. The extra money for a quality macerator pump is worth it, IMO.

On a side note, Marine Sanitation Systems turned me on to oxidizer additives (like NoFlex digester). I've used all kinds of head treatments (including Raritan's formula) and I'm a big believer in products like NoFlex. I have been replacing original (dated 2002), vinyl blackwater hoses this spring and the NoFlex has made the job significantly less painful.

The problem with NoFlex is that it's expensive due to hazmat shipping issues. If you pull the MSDS, NoFlex is mostly Sodium Percarbonate (the oxidizer). It also appears to contain a detergent (sodium carbonate), and a surfactant. I'm starting to test mixtures of the raw materials in my head in an attempt to use the NoFlex more sparingly.

 

[SVFreedom]

The Jabsco macerator pumps from our era of Hunters (early-mid 2000s) had material problems. Mine was leaking when I bought the boat in 2019. If I remember right, the bolts holding the head onto the pump had corroded. I replaced it with a Raritan and I recommend that pump. They're more expensive, but failures in the blackwater system totally suck to fix. Raritan offers an option for an in-line valve that makes working on the macerator less painful. The extra money for a quality macerator pump is worth it, IMO.

On a side note, Marine Sanitation Systems turned me on to oxidizer additives (like NoFlex digester). I've used all kinds of head treatments (including Raritan's formula) and I'm a big believer in products like NoFlex. I have been replacing original (dated 2002), vinyl blackwater hoses this spring and the NoFlex has made the job significantly less painful.

The problem with NoFlex is that it's expensive due to hazmat shipping issues. If you pull the MSDS, NoFlex is mostly Sodium Percarbonate (the oxidizer). It also appears to contain a detergent (sodium carbonate), and a surfactant. I'm starting to test mixtures of the raw materials in my head in an attempt to use the NoFlex more sparingly.

Thanks. I installed a PVC valve ahead of both Macerators and open/close as needed, it at least stops a large dump of waste when removing the macerator. Ill look at Raritans, anything to make this easier. I installed a Raritan in the fwd head, barely used. it.
The no flex is all I use, typically in every tank. If I remember I had the recommendation from Peggy and stuck with it but it ahs been many years. However, I saw it in action when my fwd head attached macerator failed with solids and paper in the bowl. I added no flex to see if I can get it liquified to siphon it out before trying to replace the pump, it was really amazing how fast it liquified everything, I used a dinghy hand pump into a gallon bucket. After that, I only use noflex, I would say in 90% of tanks after they are purged, the other 10% is just forgetfullness, guess I should look to see if it can damage poly tanks at all.... Have 4 containers on board so we do not run out during cruising season.. I think we use about 1 per season (6 months / 2 people), lol