Macerator for Hunter 34

[Charlie98117]

I’ve been looking at my plumbing and studying old threads trying to figure out how to add a macerator. I’ve sketched my current setup and then modified it to show what I think will work, would appreciate comments telling me what I’m missing. Mainly wondering if I could use a wye for the discharge connection rather than adding another 3-way.

 

[dlochner]

Good timing, I've been considering adding a overboard pump on my boat. I'll use a Whale pump rather than a macerator. Your drawing addresses a couple of questions I have.

First question: The macerator discharge goes to the existing overboard discharge after the vented loop. Is this OK or should go in before the vented loop?

Second question: Your drawing shows a second discharge port from the holding tank. Can a T or Wye be placed in the existing pump out hose with a single shutoff valve before the macerator?

 

[JoeWhite]

Charlie, your diagram is confusing me. Vented loop usually is a 5/8"hose that goes from top of the holding tank to the deck. You may mean siphone break loop. This hose is also much smaller than deck pump out hose. You can connect the macerator input to the "Y" split off and a 1" throuhull is needed for its output.

 

[Charlie98117]

First question: The macerator discharge goes to the existing overboard discharge after the vented loop. Is this OK or should go in before the vented loop?
Second question: Your drawing shows a second discharge port from the holding tank. Can a T or Wye be placed in the existing pump out hose with a single shutoff valve before the macerator?

Hi Dave:
1. I put the macerator discharge wye after the vented loop thinking that gravity would send the waste out rather than filling up the from the head 3-way on the other side. I could add another vented loop to the macerator discharge line if that is a better direction.
2. My tank only has an inlet at the top and a discharge at the bottom. I've seen a H340 factory diagram with a T off the discharge line to the macerator with no valve so I think that works too.

 

[Charlie98117]

Charlie, your diagram is confusing me. Vented loop usually is a 5/8"hose that goes from top of the holding tank to the deck. You may mean siphone break loop. This hose is also much smaller than deck pump out hose. You can connect the macerator input to the "Y" split off and a 1" throuhull is needed for its output.

Hi Joe. You're right, that is a 1-1/2" siphon break loop. It does have a vent on the top. I'm not showing the tank vent which goes straight up with no loop. I was trying to avoid another thru hull so that is why I was wondering about a wye on the discharge side.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Unless you do a lot of blue water cruising, do you really need direct overboard discharge AND the ability to dump the tank? As of now, there's no place in your waters where it's legal to do either one, but that's a topic for another discussion.

However...Looking at your drawings...There seems to be a lot more hose than necessary in both your existing and your proposed plan. The vented loop should be immediately ahead of the thru-hull, which would put it AFTER any macerator or manual tank discharge pump.

Here's how I would plumb it: Toilet to y-valve...one side to tank, the other side to the vented loop and thru-hull.
You COULD use a tee or a wye to add the macerator pump, but you'd have to cut into the pumpout line above the top of tank to be able to block flow from the tank to work on the macerator pump. A y-valve might make more sense. That will have to be 1.5" line 'cuz the inlet to the pump is 1.5". However the macerator discharge is 1"...so unless your toilet also has a 1" discharge (making it a Jabsco...every other mfr uses 1.5") and the thru-hull is 1" too, you'll need a reducing adapter to connect the macerator to the thru-hull.

Charlie, your diagram is confusing me. Vented loop usually is a 5/8"hose that goes from top of the holding tank to the deck. You may mean siphone break loop. This hose is also much smaller than deck pump out hose. You can connect the macerator input to the "Y" split off and a 1" throuhull is needed for its output.

You're confusing a vented loop--which IS a siphon break--with a tank vent LINE, Joe.

Peggie

 

[Charlie98117]

Unless you do a lot of blue water cruising, do you really need direct overboard discharge AND the ability to dump the tank? As of now, there's no place in your waters where it's legal to do either one, but that's a topic for another discussion.

However...Looking at your drawings...There seems to be a lot more hose than necessary in both your existing and your proposed plan. The vented loop should be immediately ahead of the thru-hull, which would put it AFTER any macerator or manual tank discharge pump.

Here's how I would plumb it: Toilet to y-valve...one side to tank, the other side to the vented loop and thru-hull.
You COULD use a tee or a wye to add the macerator pump, but you'd have to cut into the pumpout line above the top of tank to be able to block flow from the tank to work on the macerator pump. A y-valve might make more sense. That will have to be 1.5" line 'cuz the inlet to the pump is 1.5". However the macerator discharge is 1"...so unless your toilet also has a 1" discharge (making it a Jabsco...every other mfr uses 1.5") and the thru-hull is 1" too, you'll need a reducing adapter to connect the macerator to the thru-hull.

Hi Peggy. I realize it's more complicated than needed. I believe the PO modified the original to allow direct discharge for British Columbia waters which allow this and is terribly short on pump out locations. I'm planning an extended trip up there and was hoping to add a macerator without redoing the whole system and without adding another thru hull.

My existing system is just as you describe if I understand correctly "Toilet to y-valve...one side to tank, the other side to the vented loop and thru-hull". I was planning to use a Rairitan macerator with the 1-1/2" w/waste valve to allow easier service. Can the 1" macerator pumped waste be safely connected to the vented loop if the wye is placed before the vent?

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Charlie, different model boat here, but the way Hunter built our system should work for you. Basically, our electric heads discharge bowl contents to the holding tank. Our holding tank has two ways to empty; a deck pump out fitting and a macerator discharge through hull below the waterline. The tank has only one discharge stand pipe, which is shared by both discharge ports via a wye fitting, not a valve. Neither of these have a siphon break. The macerator through hull valve remains closed until it is time to empty the tank in open waters.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

My existing system is just as you describe if I understand correctly..."

Almost. You show your run up to the vented loop immediately after the y-valve in the toilet discharge line. That's the wrong place for it...it should be immediately ahead of the thru-hull, after any overboard discharge pump. If you put it where you did to get some help from gravity going into the tank, there's a better way to do it: aim the discharge fitting on your toilet straight up and run a hose that rises a few inches higher than the top of the tank, then arches down to the tank inlet fitting. That'll make it possible to pump only long enough to move bowl contents over the top of that arch. You can put the y-valve anywhere you want to in that line.

Can the 1" macerator pumped waste be safely connected to the vented loop if the wye is placed before the vent?

The wye is going into the pumpout line to connect a line TO the macerator. The vented loop should be installed AFTER the macerator. Both the toilet direct discharge line and the macerator pump discharge line will use the same thru-hull. I need to ask my guru if they each need a vented loop or can share the same one....I'll get back to you with the answer tomorrow. (I've never pretended to KNOW all the answers, only to know where to find the ones that stump me).

--Peggie

 

[kloudie1]

The original configuration was that the head discharged directly to the holding tank; the discharge line from the tank goes to a tee , one side of which goes to the deck pump out and the other to a manual diaphragm pump. The manual pump goes up through a vented loop then down to the thru hull. It would be simple to install a macerater in place of the manual pump. No extra thruhull, no extra valves; head always to tank, pump out or pump overboard both available .

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

But if you look at his drawings you'll see that he has a y-valve in his toilet discharge line that allows him to choose between going to the tank or directly overboard. He only has one thru-hull and shouldn't need another one to add a a macerator pump.

--Peggie

 

[Charlie98117]

It would be simple to install a macerater in place of the manual pump. No extra thruhull, no extra valves; head always to tank, pump out or pump overboard both available .

I agree going back to the original concept of toilet to tank would be a simple system but mine was modified and the hoses don’t need replacement so was hoping to keep as much as possible.

 

[Charlie98117]

The wye is going into the pumpout line to connect a line TO the macerator. The vented loop should be installed AFTER the macerator. Both the toilet direct discharge line and the macerator pump discharge line will use the same thru-hull. I need to ask my guru if they each need a vented loop or can share the same one....I'll get back to you with the answer tomorrow.
--Peggie

Thanks. Seems like it would be pumped waste into a vented loop from either of 2 sources.

 

[jssailem]

I think Kloudie’s system is correct.

Only 1 Wye valve. Used to divert effluent to the pump out on deck or the pump out thru hull.

Purpose of macerator/whale pump is to empty the holding tank when in waters beyond the “No Discharge” zone. Well beyond the Puget Sound.

Purpose of the loop is to stop siphoning water into the tank when the thru hull is open. So it is between the thru hull and the macerator/whale pump.

There should also be a loop between the water intake thru hull and the toilet. Again to prevent external water from siphoning into the boat.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

There should also be a loop between the water intake thru hull and the toilet. Again to prevent external water from siphoning into the boat.

A vented loop in the intake IS needed on all manual toilets installed at or below waterline, but the line between the thru-hull and the pump is the wrong place for it because it will interfere with the pump's ability to prime.

It needs to be installed between the pump and the bowl (see Figure 1 on page 3 of the Jabsco owners manual Jabsco Manual Twist & Lock owners manual , which shows where it belongs on all manual toilets).
It also needs to be at least 6-8" above waterline AT ANY ANGLE OF HEEL, not just when the boat is at rest, which on most sailboats puts it about 2-3 FEET above the bowl. (see attached photo). This obviously requires replacing the short piece of hose toilet mfrs use to connect the pump to the back of the bowl with 2 lengths of 3/4" hose long enough to put the loop where it belongs.

Discharge vented loops are not needed if the toilet only discharges into a holding tank.

--Peggie

 

[Terry Cox]

I edited my post above to correct an error. The discharge hose from the bowl to the tank does not have a siphon break/vented loop. There is siphon break between the sea water intake through hull and the bowl.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

There is siphon break between the seat water intake through hull and the bowl.

It's in the wrong place, Terry. See my post #15.

--Peggie

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

You show your run up to the vented loop immediately after the y-valve in the toilet discharge line. That's the wrong place for it...it should be immediately ahead of the thru-hull, after any overboard discharge pump.

I gave you bad advice there, Charlie...the meds I'm taking for bronchitis fogged my brain. Your vented loop IS in the wrong place, but because you're plumbed to flush directly overboard, it actually should be immediately after the toilet, installed using the directions I gave you for using just a loop in the toilet discharge line.

That also answers the question of whether you can use the same vented loop for both the toilet and the macerator pump: No, because they need to be in two different locations.

Sorry for the misinformation earlier.

--Peggie

 

[Charlie98117]

I gave you bad advice there, Charlie...the meds I'm taking for bronchitis fogged my brain. Your vented loop IS in the wrong place, but because you're plumbed to flush directly overboard, it actually should be immediately after the toilet, installed using the directions I gave you for using just a loop in the toilet discharge line.

That also answers the question of whether you can use the same vented loop for both the toilet and the macerator pump: No, because they need to be in two different locations.

Sorry for the misinformation earlier.

--Peggie

Thanks for the clarification Peggie. Hope your bronchitis gets better. Charlie

 

[Terry Cox]

It's in the wrong place, Terry. See my post #15.

--Peggie

Hmm. if removed, what would prevent sea water from siphoning into the toilet bowl after a flush since the bowl is below the waterline?