how to pump out waste water?

[steve the farmer]

We literally picked up the new boat on Friday, its on a trailer and other than our pre-purchase sea trial we have yet to get it wet. We had a survey done and apart from a few cosmetic issues the boat is great, however the toilet was not used or tested, and the fresh water tank was empty. Therefore, the surveyor could not report on these as working or not. I am told the toilet or galley sink has not been used during the time of the last ownership and that was in 2014, so suspect they will need some TLC replacing rubber seals etc, but maybe not!

What I do know is. There is no hot water system on board, the sink has a manual single cold faucet. On the port gunwale there is a water in point and a waste water pump out point, tracing pipe runs from these I can see I have 2 tanks under the deck, a fresh water tank to starboard and a waste tank on port side. In the heads I have a right handed manual pump toilet. In the bottom of the hull there is a 3” sea strainer water inlet in the hull which is piped to a sea cock under the cabin step which then goes to the toilet pump.

What I am not sure of is how to use the loo and pump out. What I think is, you first open sea cock, put lever on loo to fill bowl position and pump water in, so I am assuming this is water from the sea/lake via the strainer. To empty you move lever to other side and pump to empty bowl, and that goes into the waste tank. Finally throw lever over again to add water to bowl ready for next use. Is that correct? And if so, is my fresh water tank purely for the galley sink or can that be used to fill the loo bowl?

Now I come to pump out questions. As I shall be towing the boat to and from slipways where there will be no pump out points, so how can I empty my waste tank? Obviously, I cannot do this directly into an inland waterway, but can I do this at sea somehow? And importantly how can I empty the tank at home? I have no problem parking the trailer over my sewer drain, but it’s how can one physically suck/pump/empty the waste tank out?

Thank you, Steve.

 

[markc]

Hi Steve

All your initial assumptions are correct. Sea water to flush toilet, fresh water for galley. Emptying waste tanks will be by vacuum via the deck fitting and additionally you may have a macerator and overboard discharge form the tank or the option to switch the toilet to discharge straight overboard - you will see an additional pipe from the tank via a pump to another seacock, or a diverter valve by the toilet. If you don't have either of these, the only option is via the deck fitting.

Enjoy the boat!
Mark

 

[steve the farmer]

Thanks Mark

 

[simonfraser]

If the waste tank / toilet is empty and has not been used for a while pump some water through it first.
No leaks, pump some gloop through it, porridge / bread and see what happens.
If it all leaks out the sides or blocks up, less messy to clean up

 

[Tranona]

The waste tank may empty by gravity rather than having a pump. you need to check the outlet pipe at the bottom and follow it. If it goes direct to a seacock it is gravity so everything you pump out of the toilet goes through the tank. If you want to hold it close the seacock. If it is a pumped system then the pipework will be more complicated with a diverter valve to give you a choice of holding or sending direct out. If the pump iss manual there will be a handle and a pipe leading to a seacock.

The freshwater tank is just for the galley and washbasin if you have one.

 

[steve the farmer]

I have now had a better look under the cockpit floor and there are two waste outlet piped from the waste tank. One goes directly to the gunwale suction point the other to a 12V macerator which then goes to an open outlet on the port side. So that now makes sense.
I think I also have found the switch for the macerator up on the helm. There are two toggle switches mounted on a square printed panel, but the printing has all but faded away, the only legible part says 'Caution continued pumping after tank is empty may damage pump' So I am pretty sure this is the macerator on and off switch. looking behind the helm panel also confirms its the macerator switch as its the same colour/type cable as on the macerator. However when I do throw the switch I cannot feel or hear any movement with the macerator. I wouldn't think it would know if the tank was empty, ie have a float switch or anything, so I would have expected some feel that the unit was working, wouldn't I?
Just to confirm, key was in and turned on and all other helm controls were working.

 

[steve the farmer]

The waste tank may empty by gravity rather than having a pump. you need to check the outlet pipe at the bottom and follow it. If it goes direct to a seacock it is gravity so everything you pump out of the toilet goes through the tank. If you want to hold it close the seacock. If it is a pumped system then the pipework will be more complicated with a diverter valve to give you a choice of holding or sending direct out. If the pump iss manual there will be a handle and a pipe leading to a seacock.

The freshwater tank is just for the galley and washbasin if you have one.

I cannot see any diverter valve. the outlet from the toilet is contentious single pipe going straight to the holding tank. But as just mentioned there are two seperate outlet pipes from the holding tank.
Thank you for the confirmation on the fresh water tank, I think I shall change the manual tap as that does not work well for an tap with a flow sensor and pump.

 

[steve the farmer]

If the waste tank / toilet is empty and has not been used for a while pump some water through it first.
No leaks, pump some gloop through it, porridge / bread and see what happens.
If it all leaks out the sides or blocks up, less messy to clean up

Thank you for that advice. I just tried water to start, tipping it into the toilet bowl and pumping it out. My wife had her head under the cockpit floor and confirmed as I pumped out that she could hear water entering the waste tank. And the toilet bowl emptied very well, but I think after quite a few fills and flushes I noticed moisture around the handle shaft and at the point on the pump where the handle shaft goes through. So I think I have seal issue there. No other leaks visible on the pipework though.

 

[Portofino]

I have now had a better look under the cockpit floor and there are two waste outlet piped from the waste tank. One goes directly to the gunwale suction point the other to a 12V macerator which then goes to an open outlet on the port side. So that now makes sense.
I think I also have found the switch for the macerator up on the helm. There are two toggle switches mounted on a square printed panel, but the printing has all but faded away, the only legible part says 'Caution continued pumping after tank is empty may damage pump' So I am pretty sure this is the macerator on and off switch. looking behind the helm panel also confirms its the macerator switch as its the same colour/type cable as on the macerator. However when I do throw the switch I cannot feel or hear any movement with the macerator. I wouldn't think it would know if the tank was empty, ie have a float switch or anything, so I would have expected some feel that the unit was working, wouldn't I?
Just to confirm, key was in and turned on and all other helm controls were working.

They normally have a breaker switch on the saloon panal “ waste pump “ - you need to find this .

Check the volts to the switch’s on the helm - you gonna need a multimeter set to D.C. to ck for 12 V

Apply 12 v to the macerator pump separately to see if it turns .
They can be taken apart and unceased btw .Like any other D.C. motor they make a noise when running shoul be audible .
Also with the multimeter ck if there’s any V arriving at the macerator when the helm switch (s) are thrown ?

Ck all the connections clean them up thinking corrosion ver d Gris increases resistance etc

Plenty of seal kits available for it all , google the part .
Ours are electric but nethertheless they too have a seal on the motor shaft like your pump handle - all designed to be replaced they are serviceable items .
Those manual pump ones have various perishable plungers as well again I think you can get a full “service kit “ and renew them all - may as well .

If you have no guage on the black tank then just run the “pump out” ( once it’s functional ) for a few mins .
Say 3-5 mins . What it means is don,t leave it on full time or overnight - re burning it out etc .As said you will hear it running anyhow when the engines are off .

You can get seal kits / parts for the macerator pumps too - again service items .


We have two electric toilets , one black tank pump .
I,ve replaced ( and carry spares ) one toilet pump motor shaft seal .Its actually a macerator as well under the bowl .

Stripped down the black tank macerator pump cleaned fitted new impeller a €10 part and re- sealed .
If the motor spins and poorly pumps then it’s the impellor being rubber they eventually perish or wear and loose there effectiveness ,
Obviously if the seals seep anywhere on this pump then that’s a source of noxious odours so ck it’s all bone dry when it’s running ,

As said all serviceable items , think a clutch or brakes on a car they have a variable life and will need doing at some point if the car is not brand new to you .

 

[jcwads]

There should be a Y valve coming off the tank that diverts the waste to the macerator or pump out depending on where you move the valve.

If you switched on the macerator and no noise then you need to check breakers - is there a switch for waste or macerator on your breakers panel? Failing that a loose connection?

As recommended, best to try and test all this with some fresh water, to see its all ok. Macerators have a shelf life. I know from bitter experience when one on my old boat failed and as I tried to discharge, the macerator discharged into my bilge via broke seals and nuts.

 

[markc]

There should be a Y valve coming off the tank that diverts the waste to the macerator or pump out depending on where you move the valve.

Not necessarily, the tank could have 2 outlet pipes (mine does), one for overboard and one for pump out

 

[Tranona]

I have now had a better look under the cockpit floor and there are two waste outlet piped from the waste tank. One goes directly to the gunwale suction point the other to a 12V macerator which then goes to an open outlet on the port side. So that now makes sense.

That sounds like a very poor system as all the waste seems to go into the tank and then pimped out directly overboard above the waterline(?)

The normal way with a pimped system is to have a diverter valve in the outlet from the loo to give a choice of pumping direct to sea through an underwater seacock, or going to the tank with a pump to a separate seacock underwater. Don't like the idea of discharging sewage above the waterline except through the deck pumpout.

 

[steve the farmer]

Not necessarily, the tank could have 2 outlet pipes (mine does), one for overboard and one for pump out

Yes mine is like yours, has two outlet waste pipes, side by side out the bottom or the tank. One directly to the vacuum pump outlet location the other pipe to the macerator.

 

[steve the farmer]

They normally have a breaker switch on the saloon panal “ waste pump “ - you need to find this .

Check the volts to the switch’s on the helm - you gonna need a multimeter set to D.C. to ck for 12 V

Apply 12 v to the macerator pump separately to see if it turns .
They can be taken apart and unceased btw .Like any other D.C. motor they make a noise when running shoul be audible .
Also with the multimeter ck if there’s any V arriving at the macerator when the helm switch (s) are thrown ?

Ck all the connections clean them up thinking corrosion ver d Gris increases resistance etc

Plenty of seal kits available for it all , google the part .
Ours are electric but nethertheless they too have a seal on the motor shaft like your pump handle - all designed to be replaced they are serviceable items .
Those manual pump ones have various perishable plungers as well again I think you can get a full “service kit “ and renew them all - may as well .

If you have no guage on the black tank then just run the “pump out” ( once it’s functional ) for a few mins .
Say 3-5 mins . What it means is don,t leave it on full time or overnight - re burning it out etc .As said you will hear it running anyhow when the engines are off .

You can get seal kits / parts for the macerator pumps too - again service items .


We have two electric toilets , one black tank pump .
I,ve replaced ( and carry spares ) one toilet pump motor shaft seal .Its actually a macerator as well under the bowl .

Stripped down the black tank macerator pump cleaned fitted new impeller a €10 part and re- sealed .
If the motor spins and poorly pumps then it’s the impellor being rubber they eventually perish or wear and loose there effectiveness ,
Obviously if the seals seep anywhere on this pump then that’s a source of noxious odours so ck it’s all bone dry when it’s running ,

As said all serviceable items , think a clutch or brakes on a car they have a variable life and will need doing at some point if the car is not brand new to you .

Wow, thanks for all that info.