Thanks for the responses to my previous inquiry. Could someone tell me where the "vent" is located on the 40.5? I may have a blockage and I don't know how to clear it. I am not mechanically inclined, so speak s-l-o-w-l-y. Bill J
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Time to explore your boat
The vent is the smallest hose coming off the tank, at or on the top of the tank. Trace it from the tank to the hull...prob'ly right at the toe rail--unless the boat is a Catalina, in which case all you'll find is a slit at the bottom of a rail stanchion...no thru-hull. On all (?) other boats, when you check the same place on the outside of the boat, you'll find the other side of the thru-hull. It may look like a stainless "cap" that has a slit in the bottom of it. That's the part you need to check regularly to make sure that nothing is blocking it, and clean out if something is. And while you're in "explore the boat" mode, find everything else too, especially all your seacocks and breakers. An emergency is NOT the time to START looking for the valve that stops the water from gushing into the boat or the right breaker to turn off a smoking electrical motor.
The vent is the smallest hose coming off the tank, at or on the top of the tank. Trace it from the tank to the hull...prob'ly right at the toe rail--unless the boat is a Catalina, in which case all you'll find is a slit at the bottom of a rail stanchion...no thru-hull. On all (?) other boats, when you check the same place on the outside of the boat, you'll find the other side of the thru-hull. It may look like a stainless "cap" that has a slit in the bottom of it. That's the part you need to check regularly to make sure that nothing is blocking it, and clean out if something is. And while you're in "explore the boat" mode, find everything else too, especially all your seacocks and breakers. An emergency is NOT the time to START looking for the valve that stops the water from gushing into the boat or the right breaker to turn off a smoking electrical motor.
Starboard side, midship
about 8 inches below the toerail. Find the deck fitting for the pumpout and look over the side.
about 8 inches below the toerail. Find the deck fitting for the pumpout and look over the side.
UNPLUGGING YOUR VENT LINE
Bill, on my Passage 42 I unplugged my vent line by connecting a city water hose to the end of the vent line that connects to the holding tank. Once you locate the vent line, use standard plastic fittings to connect the water hose to this vent line. Make sure you clamp the vent line to the plastic fitting. Turn on the water and the 60 pounds pressure should clear any blockage. I actually had to take a small screw driver and insert it into the vent scupper to break my blockage loose. Before I connected the city water I tried to blow air through the vent line to confirm that it was blocked. Just be sure to put your mouth on the clean fitting, not the vent line itself. Terry
Bill, on my Passage 42 I unplugged my vent line by connecting a city water hose to the end of the vent line that connects to the holding tank. Once you locate the vent line, use standard plastic fittings to connect the water hose to this vent line. Make sure you clamp the vent line to the plastic fitting. Turn on the water and the 60 pounds pressure should clear any blockage. I actually had to take a small screw driver and insert it into the vent scupper to break my blockage loose. Before I connected the city water I tried to blow air through the vent line to confirm that it was blocked. Just be sure to put your mouth on the clean fitting, not the vent line itself. Terry
Do NOT use the same hose to fill your water tanks!
In fact, I don't really recommend your method at all, Terry. 60 pounds of water pressure down a narrow hose can produce some surprising and unpleasant results. Follow these directions for maintaining your vent, and it shouldn't be necessary: A tank cannot be emptied under vacuum. Unless air can be pulled in through the vent to replace the waste (or anything else in ANY container) being pulled out, a vacuum is created in which nothing more can be removed--but in which the suction CAN crack the tank. A blocked vent also prevents the air displaced by incoming contents from escaping, which results in a pressurized tank. This can have disastrous consequences--anything from blown out fittings to a cracked tank to a sewage geyser when the pumpout fitting cap is removed to a backup in the toilet. Follow these "rules" to prevent the above problems: 1. check your vent through-hull regularly...blast it out with a hose every time you wash the boat; 2. Never turn pumpout operation over to a dockhand and walk away. Stay there and watch to make certain that the tank is being completely pumped out. Terminate pumpout/dumping at sea immediately if waste stops flowing before the tank is empty. Do not try to pump out or dump the tank again until the vent has been cleared. 3 Stop flushing and cease using the toilet when you feel any backpressure or see any waste backing up into the toilet. 4. The vent is NOT an overflow. Only air should ever pass through it. Accidents do happen, though, and they can result in a clogged vent. Cease using the toilet immediately if you see waste coming out the vent and and get to a pumpout as soon as possible so that waste doesn't have time to dry and harden in the vent hose. Flush it out VERY thoroughly with clean water to remove any bits of waste in it. To prevent overflows out the vent, install a gauge.
In fact, I don't really recommend your method at all, Terry. 60 pounds of water pressure down a narrow hose can produce some surprising and unpleasant results. Follow these directions for maintaining your vent, and it shouldn't be necessary: A tank cannot be emptied under vacuum. Unless air can be pulled in through the vent to replace the waste (or anything else in ANY container) being pulled out, a vacuum is created in which nothing more can be removed--but in which the suction CAN crack the tank. A blocked vent also prevents the air displaced by incoming contents from escaping, which results in a pressurized tank. This can have disastrous consequences--anything from blown out fittings to a cracked tank to a sewage geyser when the pumpout fitting cap is removed to a backup in the toilet. Follow these "rules" to prevent the above problems: 1. check your vent through-hull regularly...blast it out with a hose every time you wash the boat; 2. Never turn pumpout operation over to a dockhand and walk away. Stay there and watch to make certain that the tank is being completely pumped out. Terminate pumpout/dumping at sea immediately if waste stops flowing before the tank is empty. Do not try to pump out or dump the tank again until the vent has been cleared. 3 Stop flushing and cease using the toilet when you feel any backpressure or see any waste backing up into the toilet. 4. The vent is NOT an overflow. Only air should ever pass through it. Accidents do happen, though, and they can result in a clogged vent. Cease using the toilet immediately if you see waste coming out the vent and and get to a pumpout as soon as possible so that waste doesn't have time to dry and harden in the vent hose. Flush it out VERY thoroughly with clean water to remove any bits of waste in it. To prevent overflows out the vent, install a gauge.
40.5 vent hose ingormation
On the Hunter 40.5 the thru hull that is attached to the septic vent has a hood on it. There was some traffic earlier about how this produces ill effects. Anyway, because of the hood, it is hard to flush the vent line. The only way to be sure is to disconnect the line from the septic tank itself, which is difficult because you have to remove a bunch of stuff including the flooring under the Nav Station. Ours has been clogged and has caused lots of problems. Replacing the thru hull is nearly impossible, tight location behind an access panel in the left hand side of the cabinet in the starboard head. I have thought about rigging up a hosehold plunger, remove the stick, hook up a hose to the hole that can then connect to a garden hose. The plunger rubber can form a nice seal around the thru hull (with the hood)and you could blow through the hose to ensure that the vent line was open. You could also use this system to force water down the vent line to wash it out. I have tried spraying the vented thru hull with a hose, but it is impossible to tell whether water is making it down the vent line or just spraying out. Anybody have any other suggestions? Peggy, what do you think?
On the Hunter 40.5 the thru hull that is attached to the septic vent has a hood on it. There was some traffic earlier about how this produces ill effects. Anyway, because of the hood, it is hard to flush the vent line. The only way to be sure is to disconnect the line from the septic tank itself, which is difficult because you have to remove a bunch of stuff including the flooring under the Nav Station. Ours has been clogged and has caused lots of problems. Replacing the thru hull is nearly impossible, tight location behind an access panel in the left hand side of the cabinet in the starboard head. I have thought about rigging up a hosehold plunger, remove the stick, hook up a hose to the hole that can then connect to a garden hose. The plunger rubber can form a nice seal around the thru hull (with the hood)and you could blow through the hose to ensure that the vent line was open. You could also use this system to force water down the vent line to wash it out. I have tried spraying the vented thru hull with a hose, but it is impossible to tell whether water is making it down the vent line or just spraying out. Anybody have any other suggestions? Peggy, what do you think?
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