I have recently purchased a boat where the previous owner used a macerator to pump overboard. I will not be allowed to pump over, so I would like to clean the pump and discharge lines real good. What is the best cleaner / method for the job?
Having been through a similar experience, I decided to replace the old lines (hoses) with new ones that I will never suspect of smelling etc. They were pricey, but worth it in peace of mind. Regarding the macerator, if you aren't going to use it, remove it and by-pass with clean hose. Store it somewhere off the boat for future re-use if you want. Next winter I will more than likely add a real holding tank and then the new hoses will get used. Geof
After a pump-out, fill the tank with clean water and pump it overboard. You can repeat it a few times if you want. This will flush out the macerator but it will probably get dirty again because there is nothing stopping waste from filling the hose and macerator again during sailing. If you really want to isolate the macerator, you should remove it or install a valve between it and the tank. Lee S/V Calaloo
Remove the y-valve and the macerator and replace the tank discharge hose with a new one that just goes straight to the deck pumpout fitting. You can either just close the seacock and plug it...or, the safest course is a hose on it that reaches well above the waterline at any angle of heel, secured to the hull or a bulkhead to keep it in place...just in case the seacock leaks. There's no point in cleaning the macerator and leaving it on the boat unused for any length of time. If/when you should sell the boat to anyone who'd be able to use, it will have deteriorated beyond salvaging.
Although I'm aware that many boats only have a tee or wye fitting in the tank discharge line, it's a very bad idea because the macerator will not stop water from from flowing through it into the tank if the seacock is left open (it shouldn't be), and that line always stays full of waste to permeate it. The right way to do it is a y-valve in the line that's always kept aimed toward the pumpout.
Thanks for the advice. To elaborate, I do have a y-valve between the tank, the pumpout, and the macerator. Im not ready to uninstall the pump just yet, as I may be going off shore next year. I just want to get as much "crap" out of the pump as posible.
sitting in the boat unused for a year. All the lubrication in the motor settles, usually resulting in corrosion...the impeller will definitely have to be replaced...and most of the rubber seals etc will have dried out, become brittle and cracked. It will be cheaper to buy a new macerator...IF/when you can ever use one.
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