Help, holding tank won't pump out! I'm the mostly proud owner of a 1981 Catalina 30. It seems I have a problem with my waste holding tank and I have no idea what to do. The tank wont pump out and when I try adding water in through the deck pumpout only a small amount goes down and comes back out clean. There is a macerater pump between the tank and the pumpout that was not working (electrical issue) resolved it and it now runs, but no luck. Any thoughts on what could be wrong and/or how to proceed would be greatly appreciated, Carlos
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Vent is probably plugged!
Carlos: I sounds like your vent is plugged. Many of the Catalina's have the vent routed up through a stanchion (not a very good option). If this is not the case, you may be able to remove the deck plate and back flush the vent with the hose and then try pumping again. You should also see if your 'Y' valve is in the correct position.
Carlos: I sounds like your vent is plugged. Many of the Catalina's have the vent routed up through a stanchion (not a very good option). If this is not the case, you may be able to remove the deck plate and back flush the vent with the hose and then try pumping again. You should also see if your 'Y' valve is in the correct position.
P
Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Sounds like a blocked tank vent...but..
When air can't replace waste being pulled out, the pumpout or macerator pulls a vacuum and cannot pull anything out. Same is true in reverse...if air displaced by contents added to the tank has no where to escape, it leaves no room for anything to be added to the tank. Catalina vents holding tanks into a rail stanchion...the only source of air in or out is a very small slit in the stanchion. I suspect that you'll find that slit is complete plugged. Clean it out and it should clear the vent. However, although that's the mostly likely place, it may NOT be...so proceed very carefully in trying to pumpout till you do find the blockage and clear it, because a really strong pumpout pulling against a blocked vent can crack a tank. But there may be another problem too: Are you sure the macerator is directly inline between the tank and the deck pumpout fitting, and not in a hose split off the pumpout hose going to a thru-hull? If it is inline to the deck pumpout fitting, it's a blockage in the pumpout hose that would prevent a pumpout from pulling anything out of the tank or any water from going down the pumpout hose past it. There's only two possible reasons why it would be installed that way: 1. the PO must have used it to dump the tank (illegally unless he was able to go out to sea at least 3 miles from the nearet point on the whole US coastline) through the deck fitting by attaching a hose to it that dangled over the side. 2. For some reason he felt that the pumpout needed assistance from a macerator to pull waste out of the tank--which should not be necessary. If the motor runs, but you still can't pump out while it's running, there are only two possibilities: a blocked tank vent is one...the other is a failed impeller in the macerator, which is not uncommon...any time a macerator is allowed to run dry, it'll fry the impeller. In either case, you don't need it. But if it really is inline with the deck pumpout fitting, you're faced with a conumdrum: unless the only problem is a blocked vent, you're not gonna be able to pumpout the tank till you either replace the impeller (why spend money on something you need to remove?), or remove it...but you can't remove it and replace the pumpout hose till the tank is empty and flushed out without dumping tank contents inside the boat. Pray that your only problem is a blocked vent. If it's not, and if there's no inspection port in the tank that you can stick the pumpout directly into to pumpout the tank, I think you're gonna need some help from your local boatyard.
When air can't replace waste being pulled out, the pumpout or macerator pulls a vacuum and cannot pull anything out. Same is true in reverse...if air displaced by contents added to the tank has no where to escape, it leaves no room for anything to be added to the tank. Catalina vents holding tanks into a rail stanchion...the only source of air in or out is a very small slit in the stanchion. I suspect that you'll find that slit is complete plugged. Clean it out and it should clear the vent. However, although that's the mostly likely place, it may NOT be...so proceed very carefully in trying to pumpout till you do find the blockage and clear it, because a really strong pumpout pulling against a blocked vent can crack a tank. But there may be another problem too: Are you sure the macerator is directly inline between the tank and the deck pumpout fitting, and not in a hose split off the pumpout hose going to a thru-hull? If it is inline to the deck pumpout fitting, it's a blockage in the pumpout hose that would prevent a pumpout from pulling anything out of the tank or any water from going down the pumpout hose past it. There's only two possible reasons why it would be installed that way: 1. the PO must have used it to dump the tank (illegally unless he was able to go out to sea at least 3 miles from the nearet point on the whole US coastline) through the deck fitting by attaching a hose to it that dangled over the side. 2. For some reason he felt that the pumpout needed assistance from a macerator to pull waste out of the tank--which should not be necessary. If the motor runs, but you still can't pump out while it's running, there are only two possibilities: a blocked tank vent is one...the other is a failed impeller in the macerator, which is not uncommon...any time a macerator is allowed to run dry, it'll fry the impeller. In either case, you don't need it. But if it really is inline with the deck pumpout fitting, you're faced with a conumdrum: unless the only problem is a blocked vent, you're not gonna be able to pumpout the tank till you either replace the impeller (why spend money on something you need to remove?), or remove it...but you can't remove it and replace the pumpout hose till the tank is empty and flushed out without dumping tank contents inside the boat. Pray that your only problem is a blocked vent. If it's not, and if there's no inspection port in the tank that you can stick the pumpout directly into to pumpout the tank, I think you're gonna need some help from your local boatyard.
V
Vic Willman
Macerator Pump
If your macerator pump has a rubber impeller, don't run it more than 15 or 20 seconds without it pumping anything - you'll fry the impeller (if you haven't already done so). Also, I parrot the earlier response, check that "Y" valve is set correctly and that vent isn't plugged up. If air can't get into the tank due to a plugged vent, nothing will come out when you try to pump it out.
If your macerator pump has a rubber impeller, don't run it more than 15 or 20 seconds without it pumping anything - you'll fry the impeller (if you haven't already done so). Also, I parrot the earlier response, check that "Y" valve is set correctly and that vent isn't plugged up. If air can't get into the tank due to a plugged vent, nothing will come out when you try to pump it out.
J
James of s/v Neverland
Been There
When we purchased our 1982 Catalina 30 the holding tank could not be pumped out. After much trying, and after determining the vent was not blocked, we prepared for the worst...to use a circular saw and cut a hole in the top of the tank.... Then we made one last try with the best pump out station in the harbor. We back filled and pumped, back filled and pumped...finally the tank emptied. We then removed the macerator pump and discovered the cutter head had fallen off and become lodged in the marelon isolation valve the factory so thoughtfully installed in the port lazarette just aft of the macerator "T" fitting. The real problem is the design of the system on the early '80 boats and where the factory chose to locate the macerator. The pump was moved in '83 to a location immediately adjacent to the holding tank. Since doing this, we haven't had a problem with the system. Get a copy of Catalina Owner's Association Tech Manual. Indispensable for an owner of a early 80's Cat 30.
When we purchased our 1982 Catalina 30 the holding tank could not be pumped out. After much trying, and after determining the vent was not blocked, we prepared for the worst...to use a circular saw and cut a hole in the top of the tank.... Then we made one last try with the best pump out station in the harbor. We back filled and pumped, back filled and pumped...finally the tank emptied. We then removed the macerator pump and discovered the cutter head had fallen off and become lodged in the marelon isolation valve the factory so thoughtfully installed in the port lazarette just aft of the macerator "T" fitting. The real problem is the design of the system on the early '80 boats and where the factory chose to locate the macerator. The pump was moved in '83 to a location immediately adjacent to the holding tank. Since doing this, we haven't had a problem with the system. Get a copy of Catalina Owner's Association Tech Manual. Indispensable for an owner of a early 80's Cat 30.
L
Larry W.
C
Carlos
Thanks!
Thanks for all the great input folks... I'm hoping that the consensus is correct (i.e. plugged vent) I'll mess with it this weekend and let everyone know. BTW, James, the "copy of Catalina Owner's Association Tech Manual" are you referencing the "Tech-Talk Manual" described on the catalina30.com site or is it something else? If that's not it, could you tell me where I can find it? Thanks again, Carlos
Thanks for all the great input folks... I'm hoping that the consensus is correct (i.e. plugged vent) I'll mess with it this weekend and let everyone know. BTW, James, the "copy of Catalina Owner's Association Tech Manual" are you referencing the "Tech-Talk Manual" described on the catalina30.com site or is it something else? If that's not it, could you tell me where I can find it? Thanks again, Carlos
J
James of s/v Neverland
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