Overboard Pump-Out Question

[grady23]

Hope everyone is ready for the season. I have a 1997 Gulfstream that has a "Y" valve option for overboard discharge of the head. I currently have the boat trailered and tried to get this to work. Using the owners manual, I set the "Y" valve to the "Down" position and opened the seacock, per book. Hit the pump switch and could hear pump running but no discharge. Tried all combination and pump spins but no discharge. I have never actually used this, but wanted to see if it works. BTW -- I was going to discharge the waste in to a trash can and then dispose of it. I even poured some water down the deck pump-out hole to see if I could "prime" the pump.
ANY ideas???

 

[DennisG01]

OK, a couple (possibly) silly questions...

-- Does the tank (porta potti or holding tank) have enough "material" in it to be pumped out? The water won't necessarily prime the pump since you're introducing the water to the tank, not the pump.

-- Are you sure you're turning the Y-valve handle in the right direction?

-- What type of pump? Macerator or Dometic Transfer style?

If you've done all of the above, then there's a couple possibilities. Most common would be a worn impeller in the macerator or duck bills in the transfer pump. Also check connections for leaks. If you have an actual holding tank, then possibly the dip tube (if from above) is either cracked or broken off.

Glad to hear you're not pumping out into the water! Remember to remove or secure the seacock handle appropriately when you're back on the water.

 

[HMBJack]

My opinion, based on past experience = You need to replace the Duck Bill valves. Not likely the impeller in the tank.

Duck bills are either inverted or broken. You probably have 2 or 4 of them. I think West Marine stocks them.

Crappy job. Good luck and wear your gloves!

 

[grady23]

Just for clarification, the "holding tank" is he small tank under the toilet itself. The unit is plumbed for deck pump-out or over-board discharge. I was trying to get the pump to discharge in to a large galvanized tub on the ground. I ended up using my shop Vac to clear the tank. These Port-a-Potty units were original designed to be removed from the boat and cleaned. Grady decided that would put plumbing in the unit

 

[DennisG01]

Porta-potties come in two basic styles. One is a simple porta-potti and, as you first described, has to be removed to be emptied. The second style looks just like the first, but has fittings on the back side for pump-out and vent. Both styles are still available like that today.

What type of pump do you have onboard?

In case anyone's interested, concerning duckbills... vacuum pumps (for the "flushing") use (4) duckbills, transfer pumps (akin to a macerator) use (2).

 

[grady23]

Dennis -- No idea what pump came with the boat. The head is the 2nd type you mention as I stated early on. It is plumbed for either pump-out thru deck connection, which I have done before or over-board discharge via the "Y" valve.

 

[DennisG01]

Dennis -- No idea what pump came with the boat.

Well.... I'm having a hard time seeing your pump from where I am. You'll have to either describe it to us or take a picture. Kinda hard for us to help without more info, you know?

What I meant, above, about the difference between the types of porta-potties is that it wasn't "Grady's" idea - these types of porta-potties have been around for ages.