yelbis
Well-Known Member
It appears that my holding tank fills even though the sea cock is open for the flush to exit the yacht. She is a 2004 Bav 32 sailboat. Any sensible suggestions welcome please.
bavaria holding tank problem
- Thread starter yelbis
- Start date
jonathankent
Well-Known Member
How about fitting another valve in the Y-piece??
One to go out to sea, and one to go into the holding tank.
One to go out to sea, and one to go into the holding tank.
exfinnsailor
Well-Known Member
Had same problem with a Charter Bavaria 37 at Easter in the Solent .. Was told by fellow sailor there was a pump on board acording to the German Instruction Manual that he was reading .. Suggested he turned to the back as had already read all info in ENGLISH .. and the ...... goes in at the top and out of the tank at the bottom .. So we had a full tank of ...... and it was getting fuller .. Anyway while trying to decide what to do we met another of our group and had a bit of close quater fun and games and guess what ....... Ops .... Seems like you only have to get one tu..... stuck at the bottom and its a pump out or alot of tacks and gybes ... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
exfinnsailor
Well-Known Member
Sorry the last post was not an intellegent reply but it is 23:15 and the sun is well past the yard arm .. Looks like a design problem .. Beneteau has a Magerator pump to stop the problem .. So perhaps you could change boats .. bit drastic i suppose but the best on offer at this time of night /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
Sounds like the bottom of your holding tank is crusted or blocked with paper. I suggest that you put a clamp on the breather pipe and pump, you might un-block it that way. The otherway is to get a pressure hose and force water back up into the tank from the outside, again it may work(It did for me, but it need to be of industrial strength not the ones you buy in Halfords).
Bavaria have not included a pump out point so your holding tank is a sealed unit. I do not recommend that you take of the bottom pipe.
Bavaria have not included a pump out point so your holding tank is a sealed unit. I do not recommend that you take of the bottom pipe.
Bav34
...
Don't understand the 'design problem' or 'macerator pump' comments.
My 34 has a handle alongside the loo mounted on the sink pedestal.
Set one way it pumps out to sea through a seacock. Simple.
Set the other way the loo pumps directly into the holding tank.
This is emptied either through a shoreside pump out facility through a deck fitting OR there is a switch on the electrical panel which turns on the electric macerator. This pumps out to sea through another seacock.
Both seacocks are located under the sink basin along with sink out seacock, shower out seacock, loo in seacock.
You MUST have a diverter handle there somewhere.
If you really can't find it talk to Opal.
My 34 has a handle alongside the loo mounted on the sink pedestal.
Set one way it pumps out to sea through a seacock. Simple.
Set the other way the loo pumps directly into the holding tank.
This is emptied either through a shoreside pump out facility through a deck fitting OR there is a switch on the electrical panel which turns on the electric macerator. This pumps out to sea through another seacock.
Both seacocks are located under the sink basin along with sink out seacock, shower out seacock, loo in seacock.
You MUST have a diverter handle there somewhere.
If you really can't find it talk to Opal.
Bav34
...
Ah. Reading Toscas reply the original q can be interpreted two ways. Are you saying that the tank is filling although you have set the LOO to pump out to sea (my interpretation) or that the TANK is filling although the TANK is set to pump out to sea ?
jeremyshaw
Well-Known Member
If the tank if failing to 'pass through' effluent then welcome to the club. We had this problem particularly if we closed the tank while in harbour. Sludge settling on the bottom meant it did not always flow out when opened.
Fortunately on our cat we can lean out of a low level heads hatch, shove a hose into the outflow and blow up it. Timing is everything of course!
However the long term fix was to fit two Y valves to minimise use of the holding tank.
Fortunately on our cat we can lean out of a low level heads hatch, shove a hose into the outflow and blow up it. Timing is everything of course!
However the long term fix was to fit two Y valves to minimise use of the holding tank.
jackho
Well-Known Member
Yes the newer Bavs flush through the top of the holding tank so you obviously have a restriction at the discharge outlet on the bottom. My 37 has a large inspection cover (approx 150mm) that can be removed to allow a rubber cloved hand into the tank !!! Smells like you don,t have that ? Never had a problem with 6 on board most of the season - but routine is to 12 pumps water inlet before flush to empty and then another 12 pumps water inlet then pump to empty.
You could remove the level sensor - close the seacock and pour bleach into tank and leave for a few days (that would protect the pump from the corrosive effects) and see if the bleach has dissolved the blockage. Otherwise it's a disconnect job!!
You could remove the level sensor - close the seacock and pour bleach into tank and leave for a few days (that would protect the pump from the corrosive effects) and see if the bleach has dissolved the blockage. Otherwise it's a disconnect job!!
Silverado
Well-Known Member
I'm probably a veteran of unblocked Bavaria holding tanks now.
The easiest way to clear the blockage (assuming you have one) is to pump out the tank from the deck. This is simple to achieve with a hand bilge pump and a bit of hose taped to the bottom. Better not do it on the marina because it is quite smelly.
Lower the level in the tank until it is below the level of the imspection hatch. Then continue as has been already suggested - open the hatch, use a long rubber glove and push a rod or long screwdriver through the outlet pipe at the bottom to release the blockage.
If it doesn't release then you will have to push the rod up the pipe from underneath the boat. You will be able to reach it from the dinghy. One way or another you will release the dudu.
As a maintenance measure you should always leave the tank full of water when the boat is now in use. that way the contents will not solidify.
The easiest way to clear the blockage (assuming you have one) is to pump out the tank from the deck. This is simple to achieve with a hand bilge pump and a bit of hose taped to the bottom. Better not do it on the marina because it is quite smelly.
Lower the level in the tank until it is below the level of the imspection hatch. Then continue as has been already suggested - open the hatch, use a long rubber glove and push a rod or long screwdriver through the outlet pipe at the bottom to release the blockage.
If it doesn't release then you will have to push the rod up the pipe from underneath the boat. You will be able to reach it from the dinghy. One way or another you will release the dudu.
As a maintenance measure you should always leave the tank full of water when the boat is now in use. that way the contents will not solidify.
yelbis
Well-Known Member
I can find one seacock which is in the open position, it is located within a cutout within the wet locker, the boat is fitted with a deck pump out facility which is lucky. I can not se another seacock that I can open when out to sea in order to discharge the holding tank.
zefender
Well-Known Member
I suspect you've only found one of what you need. There'll be the seacock which should be (at least it is on mine) under the floorboards in the starboard berth). This empties the tank when at sea. The other is a diverter switch (probably marked Tank and Sea). On my boat the diverter switch is behind the wet locker. This sends the contents direct to sea or to the tank. Hope this helps!
TonyS
Well-Known Member
We use a length of dowel. The blockage is caused by putting paper down the loo. Make a simple key to undo the lid and one poke is often enough. The best advice is to have someone look behind when the valve is opened - you can tell from the brown stain on the water that it has discharged. If not use the dowel, preferably long before it is full. Or stop putting paper in it.
Emjaytoo
Well-Known Member
On our 30 Cruiser, the heads pumps out through the tank. Shut the sea cock to hold it in the tank, open the sea cock to empty the tank and to operate the heads in the normal way. Our basic rule is "if it hasn't passed through you, it doesn't pass through the heads" - tank or no tank.
We have yet to use our deck pump out facility due to the difficulty with getting along side at the marina. Still everyone says its a "piece if pi**" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
We have yet to use our deck pump out facility due to the difficulty with getting along side at the marina. Still everyone says its a "piece if pi**" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
WayneS
Well-Known Member
The newer BAV's do not have a diverter. Everything goes into the holding tank and it discharges through the single outlet when it is opened.
The other major issue is that there is a 90deg bronze bend on the seacock. The cause of many a blockage and also prevents a coat hanger going up from the outside.
In 18 months we have not had a blockage...yet.... but am not looking forward to one.
W
The other major issue is that there is a 90deg bronze bend on the seacock. The cause of many a blockage and also prevents a coat hanger going up from the outside.
In 18 months we have not had a blockage...yet.... but am not looking forward to one.
W
muddyfeet
New Member
My 2003 B.36 has had emptying problems this year for the first time - fortunately i can get access thru the top and "rod" the outlet to get it to empty and then see that my problem is large flakes of hard scale flaking off the sides and sliding down across the outlet. It took several goes with a pressure washer to remove most, but not all of the scale coating - I guess some form of de-scaling fluid will have to applied during the winter.
Sounds like you will have to tackle the problem this way now if you can't gett access into the tank?
Sounds like you will have to tackle the problem this way now if you can't gett access into the tank?