I've owned a new Catalina 310 for about a year. My wife and I went on an overnight and two unusual things happened. 1) we ran aground and Boat U.S. got us free by inducing significant heel by pulling on the spare halyard while I motored forward. 2) our first overnighter and, how shall I put this, the first time the head had been really used by a man (OK, I pooped!). Later, I tried to discharge using the macerator pump and when I flipped on the breaker, it made like a thump noise, but wouldn't run. The manual says that at excessive heel, the holding tank vent could clog. Anyone know if this sounds like a clogged vent hose or a clogged macerator (due to excessive poop)? If the vent, how best to clear it of fluid? Thanks!
Macerator or Holding Tank Vent?
- Thread starter Cliff1010
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My guess...
A clogged tank vent wouldn't prevent the macerator from starting to run...it would cause it to pull a vacuum, overheat and shut down. A blocked tank vent will also prevent the tank from being pumped out and can cause other problems, so it should be maintained to prevent it from ever becoming blocked. Solid waste shouldn't clog a macerator pump either...but flushing something that shouldn't ever go down a marine toilet--wet wipe, tampon, paper towel, wrong type of TP--can jam the impeller, preventing it from running and causing it to blow the breaker or fuse. So my guess is, somebody flushed something that has jammed the macerator impeller.
A clogged tank vent wouldn't prevent the macerator from starting to run...it would cause it to pull a vacuum, overheat and shut down. A blocked tank vent will also prevent the tank from being pumped out and can cause other problems, so it should be maintained to prevent it from ever becoming blocked. Solid waste shouldn't clog a macerator pump either...but flushing something that shouldn't ever go down a marine toilet--wet wipe, tampon, paper towel, wrong type of TP--can jam the impeller, preventing it from running and causing it to blow the breaker or fuse. So my guess is, somebody flushed something that has jammed the macerator impeller.
look for the shaft sticking out the end
of the pump motor. You should be able to get a small wrench on it and move it back and forth to loosen blockage if your lucky. Next go find a pump out station before you tear apart the unit. This isn't a vent problem. Oh yeah did you open the seacock??? Check that spare halyard Sheave for damage, you may want to use it someday. TJ
of the pump motor. You should be able to get a small wrench on it and move it back and forth to loosen blockage if your lucky. Next go find a pump out station before you tear apart the unit. This isn't a vent problem. Oh yeah did you open the seacock??? Check that spare halyard Sheave for damage, you may want to use it someday. TJ
Hi Cliff, specific to your question about ...
clearing a plugged tank vent, check out my article in the H42 knowledge base for the technique I used to clear ours. It has remained clear for the past five years since I first discovered the problem left by the PO. Terry
clearing a plugged tank vent, check out my article in the H42 knowledge base for the technique I used to clear ours. It has remained clear for the past five years since I first discovered the problem left by the PO. Terry
macerator pump has
enough sucking power to collapse a clogged plastic holding tank. A Jammed macerator pump would trigger circuit breaker in few seconds. Otherwise, the problem could be in the wiring.
enough sucking power to collapse a clogged plastic holding tank. A Jammed macerator pump would trigger circuit breaker in few seconds. Otherwise, the problem could be in the wiring.
check the ammeter
When the mercerator is on you should see amps flowing, if not then the motor is shot or has a bad comutator or the CB tripped. The comutator is a rotory switch on the motor rotor that switches in each winding at the right time. If one of the contacts is bad the motor will have a "dead spot" that cause it to either not start or stall under load. It might run without a load but might not either. The only way to tell is to turn on the mercerator and then turn the rotor by hand. Be carful to not get wraped up in your work. A bad commutator will run for part of a revolution then stop at the same place. you can repair one but it takes tearing down the motor and cleaning it with emery paper.
When the mercerator is on you should see amps flowing, if not then the motor is shot or has a bad comutator or the CB tripped. The comutator is a rotory switch on the motor rotor that switches in each winding at the right time. If one of the contacts is bad the motor will have a "dead spot" that cause it to either not start or stall under load. It might run without a load but might not either. The only way to tell is to turn on the mercerator and then turn the rotor by hand. Be carful to not get wraped up in your work. A bad commutator will run for part of a revolution then stop at the same place. you can repair one but it takes tearing down the motor and cleaning it with emery paper.
Thanks, all!
Many thanks for the responses... I found that the macerator had become clogged...a few turns of the screw at the end of the pump shaft cleared it and we are once again happy campers...thanks to all! Cliff
Many thanks for the responses... I found that the macerator had become clogged...a few turns of the screw at the end of the pump shaft cleared it and we are once again happy campers...thanks to all! Cliff
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