Both the heads on my boat discharge to a holding tank (no overboard arrange) and have to be pumped out with the macerator (or sucked out).
The forward tank the last owner says never was used. But I used it and the level gauge now says it is half full. The aft tank is used most of the time and the level gauge always says it is empty (it's wrong azs I learned when stuff came out the vent!).
The first time I pumped the forward tank the macerator ran, and ran and ran till it tripped the breaker. I could not really tell by the sound that it pumped out. It later reset and the pump seems to run fine and from the sound I would say it does pump (but am guessing really). But I can not really tell by the sound when it finishes. The gauge still says it is 1/2 full so it doesn't work either, or does it which is another question.
I was going to have it pumped out. But started wondering if the vent was clogged because it had not been used. So decided not to have it sucked out in fear of the tank being damaged. So when I was out the other day I took the pump out fitting off and tried it again knowing the tank was vented well. It did kind of sound like it did in fact prime, pump, and empty this time. But it still says it is half full and again couldn't really tell by the sound.
And of course the aft tank always says it is empty when I know it isn't.
I don't really want to mess with the level gauges tuill next fall on haul out. So...
Beside the sound how do you know if the tank is empty? Would the amps go up and come back down after it is empty? It doesn't appear so and it seems to me that it goes empty and the pump starts to bind up and that increases the amps (I can see the amp meter while holding the button). But the amps don't really change much to really make a judgement on.
Now to the posted title: is there a flow sight glass that can be installed on the pump discharge that could be installed to watch for the flow? It of course has to be good for the use as to strength and being not becoming an odor problem.
The forward tank the last owner says never was used. But I used it and the level gauge now says it is half full. The aft tank is used most of the time and the level gauge always says it is empty (it's wrong azs I learned when stuff came out the vent!).
The first time I pumped the forward tank the macerator ran, and ran and ran till it tripped the breaker. I could not really tell by the sound that it pumped out. It later reset and the pump seems to run fine and from the sound I would say it does pump (but am guessing really). But I can not really tell by the sound when it finishes. The gauge still says it is 1/2 full so it doesn't work either, or does it which is another question.
I was going to have it pumped out. But started wondering if the vent was clogged because it had not been used. So decided not to have it sucked out in fear of the tank being damaged. So when I was out the other day I took the pump out fitting off and tried it again knowing the tank was vented well. It did kind of sound like it did in fact prime, pump, and empty this time. But it still says it is half full and again couldn't really tell by the sound.
And of course the aft tank always says it is empty when I know it isn't.
I don't really want to mess with the level gauges tuill next fall on haul out. So...
Beside the sound how do you know if the tank is empty? Would the amps go up and come back down after it is empty? It doesn't appear so and it seems to me that it goes empty and the pump starts to bind up and that increases the amps (I can see the amp meter while holding the button). But the amps don't really change much to really make a judgement on.
Now to the posted title: is there a flow sight glass that can be installed on the pump discharge that could be installed to watch for the flow? It of course has to be good for the use as to strength and being not becoming an odor problem.
