The rain water getting in through the cap is an interesting thought. Have you checked the o-ring on that cap. One way to test determine if it is rain might be to empty the fresh water tank and assuming the holding tank is not full, run water over the pump out cap area with a hose and see if the level in the holding tank increases.
Vacuflush Head Help
- Thread starter Kizuna
- Start date
wow, you guys are really all over the place. I have been through every single part of the vacuflush system and am well versed with them. First of all, the bowl is running dry because you aren't getting a good seal between the ball valve and gasket and almost certainly can be fixed by opening the ball (pushing down on the paddle and running your fingers along the black seal and then pressing down on the paddle multiple times ( a small piece of toiled paper can and does cause this). I have replaced that seal, but have always been able to fix a dry bowl leak by cleaning the surfaces. Your vacu pump keeps cycling because with that leak, it sucks the bowl dry and then sucks in air until the vacuum goes below the necessary amount and it triggers the vacuum pump again. I was the one who posted about a clogged vent line. If the vent line is clogged (because you overfilled the holding tank) then it will be difficult to pump out completely (if your finger is over a straw, the liquid can't drain out - or in this case be pumped out). The easiest check for that is when the tank is being pumped out and you believe it to be empty you should be able to hear air entering the vent on the side of the hull below the pump out hole. I usually place my finger over the vent to make sure there is some suction there. That vent comes with a screen which can also get clogged. I ripped mine out with a small pick. it serves no purpose other than to cause problems. If a fly wants to fly into the shit vent line he is more than welcome to do so on my boat (the only place he could get to would be the holding tank).
Your tank filling up much quicker than last year is quite hard to diagnose. Maybe people are shitting more this year. Since you have a vacuum leak at the bowl, you are filling the holding tank with water any time you put water in the bowl and the leak allows the pump to suck it into the holding tank. As far as fresh water cycling, it sounds like you have addressed that by tightening the necessary clamps that you have found. My water pressure and vacuum never cycle. They hold their pressure and vacuum for as long as I leave the boat. your fix should not require any duck bill valves or system disassembly from what you have described.
Your tank filling up much quicker than last year is quite hard to diagnose. Maybe people are shitting more this year. Since you have a vacuum leak at the bowl, you are filling the holding tank with water any time you put water in the bowl and the leak allows the pump to suck it into the holding tank. As far as fresh water cycling, it sounds like you have addressed that by tightening the necessary clamps that you have found. My water pressure and vacuum never cycle. They hold their pressure and vacuum for as long as I leave the boat. your fix should not require any duck bill valves or system disassembly from what you have described.
Thanks for georgemjr for you input and it all makes a lot of sense. I agree I can start with cleaning surfaces for a proper seal before replacing them, and I will. And thanks for the additional info around the vent line and checking if it's pulling air when pumping out. I will say that I hear air coming out when the vacuum pump is on. Do you have any thoughts or idea on why my discharge light is coming on with the head switch on, while the key is off and out and the switch on the panel is off?
I'm not new to boats, but I'm new to these systems. Before it was a simple to empty porta-potty
I'm not new to boats, but I'm new to these systems. Before it was a simple to empty porta-potty
This comment may not be helpful, but I would never let a holding tank go for a year without pumping it out.
Fair enough, but in the past it was never a year, just a season. If it isn't full or smelly after 3 or so months why pump it out? Pump Out is free, but I still tip the guys $20.
I guess it depends on what your protocol is, for what goes into the bowl, but for anything other than liquids, I think that time just makes everything else harder to deal with. My wife was always in charge of the head, and she was very particular about what chemicals were used. We pumped in the ocean, and the only thing I ever saw was a stream of blue liquid.
My previous boat with a Vacuflush was a 30 footer, with a good sized holding tank. I bought it from a guy who kept it tied to the dock behind his house, as a getaway man-cave to drink beer and watch TV. He did nothing to his holding tank, what went in came out. The first time my marina had it in the shop, someone working around the helm hit the discharge switch without knowing it, and as luck would have it, it was an on-off switch, instead of a momentary. Everyone started yelling at him, but he couldn't find the switch until it was pretty much on the garage floor. I wasn't there, but it took me a while to smooth that one over with the guys in the shop.
I did install a momentary switch right away.
My previous boat with a Vacuflush was a 30 footer, with a good sized holding tank. I bought it from a guy who kept it tied to the dock behind his house, as a getaway man-cave to drink beer and watch TV. He did nothing to his holding tank, what went in came out. The first time my marina had it in the shop, someone working around the helm hit the discharge switch without knowing it, and as luck would have it, it was an on-off switch, instead of a momentary. Everyone started yelling at him, but he couldn't find the switch until it was pretty much on the garage floor. I wasn't there, but it took me a while to smooth that one over with the guys in the shop.
I did install a momentary switch right away.
Just a side note about the macerator/overboard discharge... It is illegal to dump within 3 miles of shore - in some places even further out. In addition, the seacock is supposed to be closed and locked when within an illegal discharge zone to prevent... wait for it... accidental discharge! Ideally, the seacock should even have an interlock switch to disable the key/button/whatever that activates the macerator.
Ideally, the seacock should even have an interlock switch to disable the key/button/whatever that activates the macerator.All of my boats have discharged through a thru hull, no seacock in the plumbing. In most cases, the Y-valve serves as the locking point, and a zip tie is sufficient. When they dumped the tank, it was a new to me boat, which I had not yet used. The marina was prepping it for me, as I was recovering from an ACL replacement. We always went out past 3 miles.
To DennisG01 and glacierbaze, the boat has essentially a 2 level system of preventing overboard discharging. 1. the overboard seacock has to be open. There is a tag zip tied to it, but I don't thing the zip tie is holding it closed. 2. A key needs to turn on the system. Something that the CG does not want to see in the key hole should you be boarded. In my area I believe the distance to discharge overboard is 5+ miles offshore, but I haven't done that and have always used pump out. You could even say there is a third since the discharge switch on the DC panel also needs to be switched on.
Unfortunately, I am not sure about your discharge light. I will check my system when I get to the boat over the next day or so. The level indicator lights all work off of their own senders-one for each light). They are basically on/off floats (like the gas senders - wema? without levels). I have found that on occasion, one of my lights didn't work. The fix for that (unless the sender actually broke-which has not happened to me yet) was to pump out the unit and then make sure I filled it with only liquid (I actually would fill it up with water and chemical only) and then drive the boat around a bunch. The liquid would loosen up the debris that had solidified and caused the float to stick. This explains why the previous poster recommended more frequent pump outs. The paper and poo can clog those senders if it is in there too long and solidifies. I wouldn't run the pump out without opening the seacock, but would make sure that it is functioning properly by turning on the breaker and then the switch to see that you hear the pump turn on and off as soon as you release the switch or shut off the breaker. If the light is properly indicating that the pump is on, you will quickly burn out the pump. It shouldn't go on when the breaker is turned on (only when you rotate the switch), but it would stay on if you turn the switch until it thinks it has gotten to the low level. Clean the seal, pump it out and make sure you put in liquid only (no paper) to try and clean up the senders. You want to evaluate whether the pump out light is malfunctioning or actually indicating that the pump is on - 2 different problems there.
seasick - i have a 330 grady and need to change the fresh water sensor. What part number did you use if i may ask? also, do you unscrew it from the tank?
In 2016 I changed mine on my 2007 330 and as I remember it, it just popped into the tank and didn't unscrew. I have one invoice in my file and it is from KUS in Davie FL for a "S3U-11 Fuel/Water 1.25 BSP 316 ST/ST Sender." Their part number P/N 153099 for $57.38. I also changed one of my fuel tank senders so that could be that invoice as well. Try popping it out and measure the length. They are all pretty standard and it fixed my issue.
A bunch of easy little problems, tackle them individually, 1 at a time. If your bowl is dry, then the seal in the bowl is leaking and allowing the vacuum to suck the water out of the bowl and eventually, air. This is why your vacuum pump needs to recycle. As it sucks the water and air in, the vacuum goes away and then the vacuum pressure sensor tells the pump to go on. and build vacuum again. Clean that seal first, it may only need a good wiping, if not replace and that will solve vacuum pump cycling and dry bowl problem
Water pressure is simply a leak or two somewhere, I have found many during the 3 Grady;s I owned. Luckily they are usually at the end of the hose and only require tightening a clamp. Start at each faucet and check the hose (cold and hot) for leaks) don't forget the outside sink and rear shower. You will find each leak and that will prevent the pressure pump from cycling.
The full holding tank has nothing to do with the above and is a puzzle. Water is either entering through the discharge as cap as noted, or through the toilet if YOU keep adding water to the bowl while it is leaking into the holding tank.
Your discharge light? no clue.
I am probably the guy you read about with the clogged vent line. That caused some issues for me (including cycling). On the first boat, it was paper that made its way into the line when it was overfull. On the second, it was the vent screen in the vent that goes through the hull. Use a small pick and rip that screen out. The screen serves no purpose other than to clog. PPl say it will keep out flies but I have never had a fly looking to enter that (lotsa chemicals) and if they did fly into into there and then crawl the 3 ft to the holding tank, they would just die in there and get pumped out (but I have never had a fly there). Each time I pump out, I put my finger over the vent for a second to make sure it is pulling air from there (like your finger over the top of a straw).
Water pressure is simply a leak or two somewhere, I have found many during the 3 Grady;s I owned. Luckily they are usually at the end of the hose and only require tightening a clamp. Start at each faucet and check the hose (cold and hot) for leaks) don't forget the outside sink and rear shower. You will find each leak and that will prevent the pressure pump from cycling.
The full holding tank has nothing to do with the above and is a puzzle. Water is either entering through the discharge as cap as noted, or through the toilet if YOU keep adding water to the bowl while it is leaking into the holding tank.
Your discharge light? no clue.
I am probably the guy you read about with the clogged vent line. That caused some issues for me (including cycling). On the first boat, it was paper that made its way into the line when it was overfull. On the second, it was the vent screen in the vent that goes through the hull. Use a small pick and rip that screen out. The screen serves no purpose other than to clog. PPl say it will keep out flies but I have never had a fly looking to enter that (lotsa chemicals) and if they did fly into into there and then crawl the 3 ft to the holding tank, they would just die in there and get pumped out (but I have never had a fly there). Each time I pump out, I put my finger over the vent for a second to make sure it is pulling air from there (like your finger over the top of a straw).
I see an old post has been awakened looking for a part number. georgemjr you've been extremely helpful and in regards to the original post, I inspected the discharge cap and the gasket was in less than desirable condition with tiny little cracks. I've changed the cap and got a lot more time out of my holding tank last season, so I think that was the culprit. Regarding the discharge light, I was several miles off shore and decided the test the overboard discharge. It worked and after running the system, the light corrected itself. Not sure what the gremlin is there but will pay attention if it ever returns.