Grey water outflow from head sync best practice

[paulheth]

On our new to us 2008 Benteau 40 it the outflow from the head sink has been routed to the shower sump, which triggers the automatic float and pumps out from there. There is a seacock directly under the sink that is currently blocked and unused. My guess would be that perhaps it was reconfigured to avoid water coming up the sink during a starboard tack??? I am thinking about changing it back and just remembering to close that seacock when we plan to really lean 'er over.

On my last boat (catalina 320) it only inflow in a very set of rare circumstances. Any Bene 40 (or similar) owners out there experienced really bad inflow to the head through the related seacock?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Just sombody's idea of a more "environmentally responsible" way to deal with gray water. You can re-route the sink drain line to go directly out its own thru-hull with a clear conscience. It would be easier to keep a plug in the sink when underway than have to deal with opening and closing the thru-hull.

--Peggie

 

[paulheth]

Just sombody's idea of a more "environmentally responsible" way to deal with gray water. You can re-route the sink drain line to go directly out its own thru-hull with a clear conscience. It would be easier to keep a plug in the sink when underway than have to deal with opening and closing the thru-hull.

--Peggie

Peggie, thanks for your note.

And I should add I feel like I have officially 'arrived' having now been responded to by forum royalty.

I will re-route with a clean conscience.

Cheers.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I will re-route with a clean conscience. cheers.

This will allow you to do something else that you should find very useful:
Sink drain thru-hulls are below the waterline on almost all sailboats. So disconnect the toilet intake hose from the thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and re-route it to tee or wye it into the sink drain line as close to the seacock as possible because the connection must be below waterline to work. You'll be left with an unused thru-hull that you can repurpose to use for a washdown pump and probably be able to shorten the intake line.

This will allow you to flush normally with sea water. After you’ve closed the sink drain seacock in preparation to close up the boat (you do close all seacocks before leaving the boat to sit??), fill the sink with clean fresh water and flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed, the toilet will draw the water out of the sink, rinsing the sea water out of the entire system—intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl and the discharge line,(Water poured into the bowl only rinses out the toilet discharge line). If your toilet is electric, be careful not to let it run dry…doing so can burn out the intake impeller. Or you can keep the sink drain seacock closed except when it's needed to drain the sink and flush with fresh water down the sink all the time...your choice.
It may also be necessary to keep the sink plugged except when in use, with a rubber sink plug or by installing a conveniently located shut-off valve in the drain hose. Otherwise the toilet may pull air through the sink when you try to flush, preventing the pump from priming.

This also makes winterizing the toilet and tank a lot easier: close the sink drain seacock and pour the antifreeze down the sink.

I got this idea from a Tartan owner in the mid-'90s (Tartan used to plumb their head intake lines this way) and have been recommending it ever since.

--Peggie

 

[paulheth]

This will allow you to do something else that you should find very useful:
Sink drain thru-hulls are below the waterline on almost all sailboats. So disconnect the toilet intake hose from the thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and re-route it to tee or wye it into the sink drain line as close to the seacock as possible because the connection must be below waterline to work. You'll be left with an unused thru-hull that you can repurpose to use for a washdown pump and probably be able to shorten the intake line.

This will allow you to flush normally with sea water. After you’ve closed the sink drain seacock in preparation to close up the boat (you do close all seacocks before leaving the boat to sit??), fill the sink with clean fresh water and flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed, the toilet will draw the water out of the sink, rinsing the sea water out of the entire system—intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl and the discharge line,(Water poured into the bowl only rinses out the toilet discharge line). If your toilet is electric, be careful not to let it run dry…doing so can burn out the intake impeller. Or you can keep the sink drain seacock closed except when it's needed to drain the sink and flush with fresh water down the sink all the time...your choice.
It may also be necessary to keep the sink plugged except when in use, with a rubber sink plug or by installing a conveniently located shut-off valve in the drain hose. Otherwise the toilet may pull air through the sink when you try to flush, preventing the pump from priming.

This also makes winterizing the toilet and tank a lot easier: close the sink drain seacock and pour the antifreeze down the sink.

I got this idea from a Tartan owner in the mid-'90s (Tartan used to plumb their head intake lines this way) and have been recommending it ever since.

--Peggie

Thanks Peggie. Thats next level stuff! Much appreciated.