Holding Tank Vent Problem?

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Ken Simpson

Greetings! Our ten gallon holding tank seems to be acting like a three gallon tank. We get back ups with pressure behind them at our pumpout deck fitting. We went off shore and tried back filling the system with sea water after blowing the tank with the macerator pump. The tank only took three gallons. Is this a sign of back prssure from a plugged tank vent? We have a standard holding/overboard system. The head pumps directly into the tank and the exit line from the tank has a "T" fitting that goes to the deck/pumpout and the macerator pump and its thru-hull. Please advise. Thanks. Ken Simpson hesperus@capecod.net
 
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress

Certainly sounds like a blocked vent

But why are you asking here instead of investigating for yourself? You obviously know the symptoms of blocked vent--tank is pressurized and you can't pump out. Did you inspect the vent thru-hull (the most likely place for a clog in a vent to occur) to see if it's clogged? Did you try backflushing it with a hose? If not, why not? I don't mean to be unkind, but at sea there are no plumbers or electricians or mechanics, and internet access to ask questions you could answer for yourself on a forum can be hard to come by 1000 miles from shore...and it's not unreasonable that you would want to sail a 35' boat to Bermuda. That makes it absolutely essential for boat owners--sailboat owners especially--to know every inch of their boats, learn to trouble-shoot for themselves and try to cure what they can--to take as much responsbility for your own boat as possible. So if you're a new boat owner, asking how to clear a blocked vent is one thing...but why don't you even know for certain whether it is blocked--especially since you know the symptoms? This time it's "only" a blocked holding tank vent--a major PITA, but not life-threatening...but next time it could be something that puts you, your boat and your crew at risk, even only a few miles from shore. So I'm not just beating you up for the fun of it, I'm trying to teach you how to save your life some day! Now go check that vent line, and if you can't figure out how to clear it, I'll be glad to explain it. And while you're at it, check ALL your vent through thru-hulls...it should be a matter of routine maintenance to check ALL vent thru-hulls regularly for signs of blockage...every time you wash the boat is a good time to do it. And the holding tank vent should be backflushed with a hose every time you pump out to keep it clear.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Fix it before you have S--- everywhere!

Ken: If it is a vent problem, I'd get it fixed before you have the tank implode/explode and you will have a mess. The first and easiest method is to just put a hose in the vent and see if it will take on water. If you find that this is a problem, try putting an air horn over the vent and blowing it. Then you can try the water again. If these all fail you must remove the vent hose, which may not be a bad idea anyway. Removing a vent hose is "usually" the easiest one to do. We back flush the vent EVERY time we pump the tank. You just don't have any idea of what can be in that hose (spiders, mud daubers, T.P. or anything else NOT known to man/woman). Good luck.
 
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