I am having trouble pumping out my holding tank and am looking for suggestions to start trouble shooting. Here are the symptoms: - I place the suction hose into the deck fitting and nothing pumps out, yet holding tank was 2/3 full. - Suction was verified good on the pump-out pump and hose. - When I poured water through/down the deck fitting, it travels into the holding tank. Two thoughts I have: 1) There is a partial clog in the line between the tank and deck fitting. 2) The inlet/pick up for the pump-out line is not positioned properly near the bottom of the holding tank. Any other ideas?
Pump Out Problems
- Thread starter MDO
- Start date
- Status
Vent line appears clear
Vent line appears to be clear. I have cycled the vent line valve closed and open several times. When vent line valve is closed, there is obviously a vacuum on the tank. Air is being sucked out of tank and sides of the plastic tank begin to contract, but still no waste is sucked out.
Vent line appears to be clear. I have cycled the vent line valve closed and open several times. When vent line valve is closed, there is obviously a vacuum on the tank. Air is being sucked out of tank and sides of the plastic tank begin to contract, but still no waste is sucked out.
check the obvious first...
were you sure that you were at the right deck fitting, when it was pumping, was the tank starting to implode? Does your boat have a macerator or a vacuum pump? If it has a vacuum pump, it is possible that you could of had the ball valve closed, then turned it on, the possitive pressure inside the system inverts the what are called duck bill valves and prevent the tank from emptying both from the pump out and through the ball valve. if that is the case, get some bleach, cloveds, a latex suit and get used to the smell of poop. The only way to fix it is to replace the valves and in the process get poo all over the bilge, that smell never comes out.
were you sure that you were at the right deck fitting, when it was pumping, was the tank starting to implode? Does your boat have a macerator or a vacuum pump? If it has a vacuum pump, it is possible that you could of had the ball valve closed, then turned it on, the possitive pressure inside the system inverts the what are called duck bill valves and prevent the tank from emptying both from the pump out and through the ball valve. if that is the case, get some bleach, cloveds, a latex suit and get used to the smell of poop. The only way to fix it is to replace the valves and in the process get poo all over the bilge, that smell never comes out.
Vent line valve?
Tank vent lines rarely have any valves in 'em. The only exceptions are blue water passagemaking boats that have tanks in the bow and vent lines going forward out the hull near the bow. Owners of those boat have been known to put a seacock on the vent thru-hull or a shutoff valve in the tank vent line to keep water out of the tank during sea conditions that keep decks awash for days...but it's highly unlikely that would be true of any boat on the Bay. So I suspect you're confusing a y-valve in the tank discharge line with a valve in the vent line. If the tank discharge fitting were a bit further up the side of the tank than it should be, the pumpout and/or macerator should still be able to empty the tank as far as the fitting...so I think that rules out a too high discharge fitting...UNLESS-- The discharge fitting is on the top of the tank, with a pickup tube inside the tank. If the tube has fallen off, or is metal and has been eaten through by urine, that would do it. Mike, any vacuum tank (assuming you're asking if the toilet is a Vacuflush) would be ahead of the tank and so would have no bearing whatever on tank pumpout. And btw, there should never be any need to do what you describe to service a VacuFlush. It's possible that there's a clog in the tank discharge fitting, but my money is on a blocked tank vent.
Tank vent lines rarely have any valves in 'em. The only exceptions are blue water passagemaking boats that have tanks in the bow and vent lines going forward out the hull near the bow. Owners of those boat have been known to put a seacock on the vent thru-hull or a shutoff valve in the tank vent line to keep water out of the tank during sea conditions that keep decks awash for days...but it's highly unlikely that would be true of any boat on the Bay. So I suspect you're confusing a y-valve in the tank discharge line with a valve in the vent line. If the tank discharge fitting were a bit further up the side of the tank than it should be, the pumpout and/or macerator should still be able to empty the tank as far as the fitting...so I think that rules out a too high discharge fitting...UNLESS-- The discharge fitting is on the top of the tank, with a pickup tube inside the tank. If the tube has fallen off, or is metal and has been eaten through by urine, that would do it. Mike, any vacuum tank (assuming you're asking if the toilet is a Vacuflush) would be ahead of the tank and so would have no bearing whatever on tank pumpout. And btw, there should never be any need to do what you describe to service a VacuFlush. It's possible that there's a clog in the tank discharge fitting, but my money is on a blocked tank vent.
I think its the pick-up tube
Thanks for the ideas. I thin kit is the pick-up tube. Here's why: - Discharge fitting IS at the top of the tank. - There IS a shut-off valve/sea cock for the vent line. I have cycled it shut and open to verify good air flow. - During one trouble-shooting attempt the tank access cover was opened and still nothing was sucked out despite the pump-out pump working fine. - There is no vacuum pump.
Thanks for the ideas. I thin kit is the pick-up tube. Here's why: - Discharge fitting IS at the top of the tank. - There IS a shut-off valve/sea cock for the vent line. I have cycled it shut and open to verify good air flow. - During one trouble-shooting attempt the tank access cover was opened and still nothing was sucked out despite the pump-out pump working fine. - There is no vacuum pump.
Prime the pump
Our pump caddy has a "suspect" pump. I generally prime it with some lake water and splash some water around the fitting on the boat to make sure its sealed good. One of the projects for the club this year is to replace the pump on the caddy-a 110Volt AC if we can find it.
Our pump caddy has a "suspect" pump. I generally prime it with some lake water and splash some water around the fitting on the boat to make sure its sealed good. One of the projects for the club this year is to replace the pump on the caddy-a 110Volt AC if we can find it.
Another idea
Before you get your hands too dirty and spend $$ "waste"-fully, have you tried going to a commercial station and sucking out the load you have?
Before you get your hands too dirty and spend $$ "waste"-fully, have you tried going to a commercial station and sucking out the load you have?
I think we've solved it, David...
I'd guess that fewer than 10% of boats have waste tank vents that can be closed...that yours really does has to mean that the boat has either done some serious passagemaking, or the owner who installed the valve planned to. If the vent IS open and the pickup is on the top of the tank, the pickup tube has to be the culprit. What's the tank made of? If it's metal--and/or the pickup tube is--urine has most likely either perforated it or eaten through it enough to cause it to fall off. The tank is most likely in bad shape too. So you want to check the inside of it thoroughly after you get it empty...which, btw, you can do by sticking the pumpout hose into the tank via the inspection port. Send plenty of water down the deck pumpout fitting while pumping out to rinse out the tank. y If the tank is plastic, the tank should be ok...and SHOULD have a PVC pickup tube that's apparently broken loose from the fitting. It's a relatively easy fix...cement a new pipe inside the thread-barb tank fitting. Again, rinse out the tank thoroughly before starting any work. If the tank is fiberglass, the inside of it should be inspected for blisters, rot etc. No matter what the tank is made of, if the tank fittings and/or pickup tube are metal replace 'em with plastic. Metal and waste are a very bad combination.
I'd guess that fewer than 10% of boats have waste tank vents that can be closed...that yours really does has to mean that the boat has either done some serious passagemaking, or the owner who installed the valve planned to. If the vent IS open and the pickup is on the top of the tank, the pickup tube has to be the culprit. What's the tank made of? If it's metal--and/or the pickup tube is--urine has most likely either perforated it or eaten through it enough to cause it to fall off. The tank is most likely in bad shape too. So you want to check the inside of it thoroughly after you get it empty...which, btw, you can do by sticking the pumpout hose into the tank via the inspection port. Send plenty of water down the deck pumpout fitting while pumping out to rinse out the tank. y If the tank is plastic, the tank should be ok...and SHOULD have a PVC pickup tube that's apparently broken loose from the fitting. It's a relatively easy fix...cement a new pipe inside the thread-barb tank fitting. Again, rinse out the tank thoroughly before starting any work. If the tank is fiberglass, the inside of it should be inspected for blisters, rot etc. No matter what the tank is made of, if the tank fittings and/or pickup tube are metal replace 'em with plastic. Metal and waste are a very bad combination.
- Status