Ok, silly question. I just bought an 1974 Ericson 29 in Hawaii. I've never had a head before (previous had a columbia 22) and am quite looking forward to a functional head. However I located the waste deck plate. Located a electric motor waste pump (disconnected and not sure why the wire was cut and no juice to the pump) But my real question is when I do get the pump working how do I pump in out if there is no station near me? My understanding is if I go three miles out I can empty the holding tank. I cannot find a hose on the internet to connect to the waste deck plate. I'm assuming that you wouldn't want it running all over the deck. And after that,... How do I clean the dang thing? Thanks for any help on this.
Holding Tank: How do I empty it and other questions?
- Thread starter mauidoc
- Start date
Thanks. The manual has a few different versions of how it might be set up. I'll look for that. If I'm lucky then it will have a thru hull for discharge I take it..... I hope it doesn't explode on me.....
Doc,if you are looking at the same "manual" as I have for the sanitation hoses, tanks, etc, do yourself a favor and throw that crap away. It shows several different possibilities, none of which seem to pertain to much. Most confusing drawing I've ever seen, right next to the wiring diagram.
That pump you're looking at is likely called a macerator pump, and they are generally fairly reliable and simple. The bigger hose coming out the front of it should go to your holding tank, maybe being routed through a valve as previously suggested, and the smaller hose coming off of the side should run to a thru-hull valve, enabling you to pump it overboard. If the wires have been cut, it sounds kind of odd, as that is one system on the boat that I want to work. So in effect, all that pump is doing is pumping the tank, straight to the valve. I can not advise trying any "home remedies" for pumping it back out of the waste pipe that is located in the cockpit. It can be done in a few different ways, but you'll wish you had never attempted it.
Once you get the pump working, (try and not run it dry for too long, they don't like that), and the thru-hull open, keep pumping, and filling with fresh water from the topside until you get it rinsed out good. And then......the odyssey begins. Whole books have been written on the topic of keeping a system clean and smelling good. Vinegar, and Odorlos come to mind for de-fumigating it, and I'll leave that research to you. But in the end, this is one system, from the tank, head, hoses, and pump that will be best served by a burial at sea, in the same spot where bin-laden was kicked overboard, and replace it with new. If you have a wife, or girlfriend that comes on board with you, and you would like for them to return a second time, I urge you to consider this advice...
That pump you're looking at is likely called a macerator pump, and they are generally fairly reliable and simple. The bigger hose coming out the front of it should go to your holding tank, maybe being routed through a valve as previously suggested, and the smaller hose coming off of the side should run to a thru-hull valve, enabling you to pump it overboard. If the wires have been cut, it sounds kind of odd, as that is one system on the boat that I want to work. So in effect, all that pump is doing is pumping the tank, straight to the valve. I can not advise trying any "home remedies" for pumping it back out of the waste pipe that is located in the cockpit. It can be done in a few different ways, but you'll wish you had never attempted it.
Once you get the pump working, (try and not run it dry for too long, they don't like that), and the thru-hull open, keep pumping, and filling with fresh water from the topside until you get it rinsed out good. And then......the odyssey begins. Whole books have been written on the topic of keeping a system clean and smelling good. Vinegar, and Odorlos come to mind for de-fumigating it, and I'll leave that research to you. But in the end, this is one system, from the tank, head, hoses, and pump that will be best served by a burial at sea, in the same spot where bin-laden was kicked overboard, and replace it with new. If you have a wife, or girlfriend that comes on board with you, and you would like for them to return a second time, I urge you to consider this advice...