On the hard workin' hard

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Thomas Ehmke

Peggy, I am in the midst of upgrading the head-holding tank system and am following guidelines you gave me earlier this year. I have a couple of questions I hadn't thought of until I got my hands dirty (no jokes, please) this afternoon. I want to remove the small vent lines which are located fore and aft on the sides of the tank, place them on the top and make them larger. I reached inside the tank to try to determine how to disconnect the fittings, and they appear to be welded or glued into place. I don't foresee any problem removing them unless they can't be loosened. Are all factory-installed fittings threaded into the tank? If not, how would I go about cutting new threads into a 1/4" tank wall? I have done household plumbing and cut threads onto black and galvanized pipe, but never yet had to cut threads INTO a tank. I suppose I could find a nut that would thread onto the plug and draw the plug up tight with the nut on the inside of the tank. I plan to use twin vents again only larger (1 1/2"),running the forward one out at the port bow and the aft one at the starboard bow. Per your advice, I have to do this because I am going to have to install the vent thru-hulls higher on the hull than a 45 degree angle, and I want the advantage of cross ventilation to compensate for the steeper angle. Is there a rule of thumb for locating the thru-hulls distance-wise aft of the bow? Before I get my hole saw out, I want to be sure that I don't put it too far forward or aft. Other than that, everything has gone well. I have installed the new inlet hose and properly vented it. The wiring for an Accugage is in place and all there is left to do is install the sensors. Thanks again for your help. I think I told you this once before, but it bears repeating. I read so much good information at this site, but it doesn't get real until I start to do something. Then old-timer's disease sets in and I have a hell of a time remembering ( or finding) the info. The fun really starts when I start bending my late fifties model body into the proper contortions to do the simplest job on the boat. I swore off swearing though. Nobody hears it but me, and I sound pretty stupid chewing myself out:) Tom Ehmke
 
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Dave

Tom, Go Sailing

Tom, Summer is almost over and you are still on the hard and working on your head/holding tank? Preparation priorities are in order here. Your priorities should be as follows: 1. Do all work to allow you to launch. 2. Install all equipment to allow you to sail 3. Rough Tune the rig. 4. Get engine operational. 5. Work on stuff you can do all summer with the boat in the water (note this include the head/holding tank except replacing the thru hulls). 6. Go sailing have a great summer! dave
 
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Thomas Ehmke

Thanks, Dave

I haven't forgotten what it's all about.It has been more of a weather problem here in NW Ohio than a lack of desire to get out onto the water. Spring sprung all at once here a couple of weeks ago and then retroed back into winter until last Thursday. That makes getting to the boat kind of tough. There are only a few boats in the water here. Usually picks up around May 1. I'll be there, but some of this stuff has to be done on the hard. I hear you and hope you've already had your first taste of salt air and fresh wind. Tom
 
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Tom Ehmke

Peggy, the tank is plastic.

As I explained, I want to make the vent openings larger and create cross ventilation. I will install new fittings on the top of the tank. Thanks, Tom
 
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress

That makes it easy...

Go to the hardware store or plumbing supply store and buy two 5/8" threaded plugs. Wrap 'em very well with teflon tape and screw them into your existing vent fittings (after you remove the existing vent hoses, of course). Then go to the local boat store and buy two 1" bulkhead thru-hulls. Take them with you when you go back to the hardware store with those and buy a hole saw attachment for your electric drill that's a VERY tight fit for the outside diameter of the fittings, and some 1/8" rubber gasket material. Pick your spots on the tank and drill the holes. Reach into the tank through the inspection port and insert a bulkhead fitting into each hole. Make a rubber gasket to go over the hose barb part of the fitting that will not be sticking out of the tank that's a VERY tight fit. Put it on the hose barb...put the nut on the hose barb and tighten no more than one full turn past hand tight. Warm the hose with a blow dryer till it begins to soften. Put a hose clamp VERY loosely around then end of the hose. Put a little dish soap on the end of the fittings and inside the end of the hose...slip the hose onto the fitting. You now have two new vent fittings that will not leak.
 
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Tom Ehmke

Peggy, one more time, (I hope)

Peggy, In the original article I stated that I would like to use 1 1/2" hose and two 1 1/2" thru-hulls for the new vents. In your reply you suggested 1". I'm really paranoid about getting plenty of ventilation into the tank, and because I'm going to have to install the vent hose at more than a 45 degree angle of rise to the outlet location, I want to use the larger diameter hose and two vents to permit cross ventilation. Is this overkill? My other question in the original article had to do with the location of the holes in the hull for the vent thru-hulls. I read your suggestion to install at about 18" below the toe rail. Is there a rule of thumb about how far back from the bow to cut the holes? I want to make sure that I don't cut a hole into the hull and later find out that it should have been in another spot to avoid water entering when the boat is well-heeled :) As Always, Thanks Tom Ehmke
 
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress

1.5" vent is even better, Tom

The upward limit of the diameter is determined only by how big a hole in your boat you can accept cosmetically. When putting it on the top of the tank, you'll need a 90% thread-barb elbow, which needs at LEAST 4.5" clearance above the top of the tank or it won't fit...5" is better. As for where to put the through-hull...on every hull--and it varies with the design of the boat--there's a point where it starts to curve toward the bow...and forward of that point the hull stays out of the water even when the rails are in the water. The vent thru-hull needs to be forward of that point--far enough forward to keep the through hull out of the water at maximum heel. It needs to be high enough on the hull to make sure that any bow wake can't flood the tank through the vent...typically about 18" below the toe rail is plenty high enough, and hopefully that will allow it rise no more than 45 degrees. If you have to put it lower to do that, just remember you have to keep it out of the water too. Life is compromises. If the vent line can be less than 3' long, you really only need one, going forward...so you may not need to do anything to the one going aft.
 
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Tom Ehmke

New vent system went well, Peggy

Went down to the boat today and among other things, worked on the vent system from the holding tank. I got a little creative and thought I'd pass the info along to you for your opinion. While scrounging for fittings at WM and BoatUS I found a 1 1/4" threaded to barbed 90 degree fitting, and while trying to come up with a combination of off the shelf parts to complete the task, I found a 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 nylon bushing which threaded onto the 1 1/4" fitting quite nicely. So I bought 4 of the bushings and two of the 90 degree fittings to assemble the twin vent system. When I got to the boat, I took my hack saw and cut the threads off the bushing to turn it into a nut, sanded it smooth and threaded it onto the 90 degree fitting. I then inserted the fitting into the tank and threaded one of the remaining bushings onto the fitting from inside the tank. It worked!! so I removed everything, put teflon tape on the threads and reinstalled the two assemblies. The big advantages of all this are cost and clearance. The whole assembly for both openings costs less than one thru-hull and doesn't stick up any more than 2" from the top of the tank. I still have to get some rubber gasked material. One other thing. When I cut the opening for the 1 1/4" threaded to barbed fittings,using the 1 7/8" hole saw, the fit was snug enough that I was able to thread the fitting into the hole. So it is held in place by two sets of threads. Peggy, thanks again for the advice. I probably wouldn't have tackled this job without the guidance you've given me and what I have read in your replies to others who have head, holding tank, and odor problems.
 
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