We have a 2005 Hunter 33 with an electric head. The problem is that when we leave the boat we leave a very small amount of water in the bowl, turn off the power and close the seacock for the macerator pump. Then, when we return to the boat a few weeks later the bowl has about 5 inches of dirty water in it. Does any one have an idea on where the water is coming from?
Bowl filling with water
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Or does your toilet use onboard pressurized fresh water?
What's the make/model of your toilet?
You close the "seacock for the macerator." That would be the thru-hull through which you dump the tank and has nothing to do with the toilet plumbing. Or...do you really mean the flush water intake thru-hull?
Or does your toilet use onboard pressurized fresh water?
What's the make/model of your toilet?
The head uses pressurized fresh water to flush. The seacock we close is for the overboard dump of (I think) the head/waste water tank. The label next to the seacock only says "macerator"
Not sure yet where the water is coming from...but I DO know...
...That if you're keeping the "macerator" thru-hull open all the time while sailing, it's highly likely that you're filling up the tank with sea water that's being forced up the line by the pressure of the hull moving against the water. The macerator pump will slow it down, but it won't stop it from happening. That's why that thru-hull should always be closed except when actually dumping the tank.
I also know that if you're turning on that macerator to dump the tank, or flushing the toilet directly overboard out that same thru-hull anywhere except in the Gulf at least 3 miles outside Galveston Bay, you're doing so illegally. That can cost you big bucks in fines, and TX is really sticky about enforcement.
But what REALLY worries me a whole lot more than whether you're using the toilet illegally is that you THINK that seacock opens a thru-hull to dump the tank, but you don't KNOW..which seems to indicate that you don't know the first thing about your boat's plumbing. If you don't know what hoses are connected to which thru-hulls and what else they're connected to at the other ends, what would you do if you suddenly noticed that the boat shoes you left next to the settee are now floating in 3" of water above the cabin sole??? For your own safety, take the time to learn about the systems on your boat...'cuz when your shoes are floating or you smell smoke, it's too late to start!
But...let's see if we can get to the bottom of where the water is coming from... 5" is pretty close to a bowl full of water! The good news is, ithe toilet uses onboard pressurized water and the only thru-hull at the other end of the system is closed when you're not there..so it's not gonna sink your boat. And the fact the water is dirty doesn't mean much...even a cupful of clean water poured in from the sink won't be clean after several weeks. Except it should evaporate unless it's continuous slow seepage from the intake or the discharge line.
So a few more questions:
Do you pump out or dump (never mind the legality, I need the information!) the tank last thing before you go home?
Fresh water pump breaker left on, or turned off?
Does the water smell like sea water or fresh? Is it really yucky--which sea water would be...or just "not clean"...leaves stains the bowl? Stinky or odorless?
...That if you're keeping the "macerator" thru-hull open all the time while sailing, it's highly likely that you're filling up the tank with sea water that's being forced up the line by the pressure of the hull moving against the water. The macerator pump will slow it down, but it won't stop it from happening. That's why that thru-hull should always be closed except when actually dumping the tank.
I also know that if you're turning on that macerator to dump the tank, or flushing the toilet directly overboard out that same thru-hull anywhere except in the Gulf at least 3 miles outside Galveston Bay, you're doing so illegally. That can cost you big bucks in fines, and TX is really sticky about enforcement.
But what REALLY worries me a whole lot more than whether you're using the toilet illegally is that you THINK that seacock opens a thru-hull to dump the tank, but you don't KNOW..which seems to indicate that you don't know the first thing about your boat's plumbing. If you don't know what hoses are connected to which thru-hulls and what else they're connected to at the other ends, what would you do if you suddenly noticed that the boat shoes you left next to the settee are now floating in 3" of water above the cabin sole??? For your own safety, take the time to learn about the systems on your boat...'cuz when your shoes are floating or you smell smoke, it's too late to start!
But...let's see if we can get to the bottom of where the water is coming from... 5" is pretty close to a bowl full of water! The good news is, ithe toilet uses onboard pressurized water and the only thru-hull at the other end of the system is closed when you're not there..so it's not gonna sink your boat. And the fact the water is dirty doesn't mean much...even a cupful of clean water poured in from the sink won't be clean after several weeks. Except it should evaporate unless it's continuous slow seepage from the intake or the discharge line.
So a few more questions:
Do you pump out or dump (never mind the legality, I need the information!) the tank last thing before you go home?
Fresh water pump breaker left on, or turned off?
Does the water smell like sea water or fresh? Is it really yucky--which sea water would be...or just "not clean"...leaves stains the bowl? Stinky or odorless?
Number one, let me assure you that we know the rules concerning dumping waste overboard in Texas and adhere to them closely. It's interesting that you jumped to that thought so quickly is it common in your area for people to dump whenever/ where ever?
Number two, I was just stating the condition we leave the boat in to keep the post short so I'll go into more detail.
The seacock for the macerator is always in the closed position, I exercise the valve on a monthly basis to keep it working freely. To empty the tank we use the pump-out at the marina. After sucking the waste out (at the pump out) we add water to the tank and suck it out to kind-of flush the tank out.
By dirty I mean that the water in the bowl is brown, has scum floating on top and smells like rotten eggs when it's flushed.
The freshwater pump breaker is in the off position as is the breaker for the pump that flushes the head. ( the head has two rocker switches that control it. One, if pushed one way pumps the water out of the bowl, and if pushed the other way fills the bowl. The other switch only goes one way and pumps water into the bowl and out at the same time. )
Number two, I was just stating the condition we leave the boat in to keep the post short so I'll go into more detail.
The seacock for the macerator is always in the closed position, I exercise the valve on a monthly basis to keep it working freely. To empty the tank we use the pump-out at the marina. After sucking the waste out (at the pump out) we add water to the tank and suck it out to kind-of flush the tank out.
By dirty I mean that the water in the bowl is brown, has scum floating on top and smells like rotten eggs when it's flushed.
The freshwater pump breaker is in the off position as is the breaker for the pump that flushes the head. ( the head has two rocker switches that control it. One, if pushed one way pumps the water out of the bowl, and if pushed the other way fills the bowl. The other switch only goes one way and pumps water into the bowl and out at the same time. )
Just a couple more questions...
You told me HOW you pump out, but you didn't answer my question. WHEN do you pump out--only when the tank is full, or last thing before leaving the boat?
Is there a working tank level indicator? Or do you estimate when the tank is full?
And in my first reply, I asked for the make/model of your toilet, but you haven't told me that yet either...you've described how it flushes, but many electric toilets are available with dual rocker switches.
I'm glad to know that you know more about your boat's plumbing (and marine sanitation laws) than your original posts indicated....so you you should be able to describe the head discharge plumbing. Is there a vented loop in the head discharge line? If not, is it a continuous uphill run from the toilet to the tank? About how many feet run uphill from the toilet?
And btw, nationwide (prob'ly worldwide too) more tanks are illegally dumped than are pumped out. So yes, it's common in my area AND in yours.
You told me HOW you pump out, but you didn't answer my question. WHEN do you pump out--only when the tank is full, or last thing before leaving the boat?
Is there a working tank level indicator? Or do you estimate when the tank is full?
And in my first reply, I asked for the make/model of your toilet, but you haven't told me that yet either...you've described how it flushes, but many electric toilets are available with dual rocker switches.
I'm glad to know that you know more about your boat's plumbing (and marine sanitation laws) than your original posts indicated....so you you should be able to describe the head discharge plumbing. Is there a vented loop in the head discharge line? If not, is it a continuous uphill run from the toilet to the tank? About how many feet run uphill from the toilet?
And btw, nationwide (prob'ly worldwide too) more tanks are illegally dumped than are pumped out. So yes, it's common in my area AND in yours.
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