What to do when the macerator won't pump out the holding tank contents.

carlton

carlton

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First, check the macerator cutting head for a blockage.

No blockage? Pump OK?

In that case, dismantle the under-helm bed, cut a hole in the top of the tank (and fit an inspection hole/cover), stick your hand in the ( - full, of course - ) tank, and pull the 40+ baby wipes kindly left there by the previous owner out of the tank outlet elbow.

Holdingtankcleaning_zpsb3e72a08.jpg


Then, ask a willing mate to try the macerator once more to discover the problem is sorted. Have a really good wash, and pop open a well-deserved beer. :)

Fortunately, we have a 'no-solids' rule on our boat, so it was just a mere 36 gallons of piss I had to sink my arm in up to the elbow. :rolleyes:
 
Noting the use of the Left Hand, leaving the Right Hand pure to shake hands the next day.
The forum search facility is rubbish, but if it worked properly, you'd find a post from me about 8 years ago titled "Wife for Sale, no reserve" when Mrs FP killed our macerator with a load of baby wipes. And yes, it was about half full, with no valve to prevent everything coming out... :(
 
I was going to suggest employ an engineer to sort it!!

OH has replaced the impellor in our pump and vowed never ever to do it again :D
 
FlowerPower said:
Noting the use of the Left Hand, leaving the Right Hand pure to shake hands the next day.
Click to expand...

I can understand why you say that, but in reality I'm at a peculiar angle and the pic shows the top of my head, and I'm using my right hand to do the deed.

FlowerPower said:
Noting the use of the Left Hand, leaving the Right Hand pure to shake hands the next day.
The forum search facility is rubbish, but if it worked properly, you'd find a post from me about 8 years ago titled "Wife for Sale, no reserve" when Mrs FP killed our macerator with a load of baby wipes. And yes, it was about half full, with no valve to prevent everything coming out... :(
Click to expand...

Ah yes - I remember it well...

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?99311-SWMBO-for-sale&highlight=macerator
 
Get the previous owner to sort it out lol, Ellessar came down to Brixham to finish off a few odd jobs that needed doing when I purchased Evenstar.

Had said to him that there was a problem with the Macerator so bless him he replaced it with a new 1, quite a big job lol
 
Rule for our boat:

"Nothing down the head unless you have eaten it first." Only exception is the toilet paper (the dissolving stuff for chemical toilets)
 
A piss awful job.

Surely you have a pump out point? This could remove the er effluent and you could possibly rinse out with fresh water prior to intervention by removing the pump?

We don't have pump out pontoons here but the company that empties mobile toilets for building sites and events will for a fee pitch up and pump out probably removing most wet wipes etc with it.
 
TBH, had the tank been full of solids I wouldn't have had the nerve to tackle it. As it was liquids (and baby wipes) it was quicker to buy an inspection hatch/cover (less than a tenner), cut the hole, bite the bullet and just dive in there.
 
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