I'm having trouble with my manual holding tank pump out. I have a flexible bladder tank and a hand/bildge style pump to evacuate the tank. It was working fine. Then the other day (while offshore), I was attempting to pump out and the system would not develop any suction. I thought perhaps it was a "gravity issue" while on a starboard tack (my waste exit thru hull on the starboard side). After we tacked, I tried again. No dice! What could have disabled a previously effective system? Could the vent be preventing proper suction? Could the exit fitting on the tank be causing a problem (i can see waste trying to pass through the elbow, but not getting enough suction to make the turn? Could it be the diaphragm on my hand pump (this is what I suspect). I'd love to get any other ideas before I tear the pump apart. Thanks
Pump Out Problems
- Thread starter pma foyl
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First, check the tank vent
A blocked vent would cause the pump to pull a vacuum, preventing all the suction in the world from pulling anything out of the tank. From your description of what's happening, it sounds like that's your problem.
A blocked vent would cause the pump to pull a vacuum, preventing all the suction in the world from pulling anything out of the tank. From your description of what's happening, it sounds like that's your problem.
I'd suspect your hand pump too.
If your tank is a flexible bladder, that pretty much eliminates a clogged vent line. When the pump was working before, I assume the bladder just collapsed as you were pumping out. Either the diaphram is shot or foreign matter (tp?) in the pump's flapper or check valve.
If your tank is a flexible bladder, that pretty much eliminates a clogged vent line. When the pump was working before, I assume the bladder just collapsed as you were pumping out. Either the diaphram is shot or foreign matter (tp?) in the pump's flapper or check valve.
Greg, are you thinking bladder isn't vented?
It's against CG regs to use an unvented bladder for waste holding...they require ALL waste holding tanks to be vented to the outside of the boat. However you do have a good point that even if the vent is blocked, the tank should collapse as waste is being pulled out. Still, I wouldn't rule out a blocked vent altogether.
It's against CG regs to use an unvented bladder for waste holding...they require ALL waste holding tanks to be vented to the outside of the boat. However you do have a good point that even if the vent is blocked, the tank should collapse as waste is being pulled out. Still, I wouldn't rule out a blocked vent altogether.
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