Holding Tank Pump-out Issues

Fresh/Waste Water Systems, Watermakers, HVAC, Refrigeration...
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Free B
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Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:32 am

Holding Tank Pump-out Issues

Post by Free B »

Wondering if anyone has experienced this - try to pump out a holding tank that you know has some "stuff" in it only to have nothing come up. Y Valve appears to be in the right position, did a dye test and saw nothing in the water.... Tightened up two hose clamps at the top near the underside of the deck.... could not reach the clamp at the top of the tank (can ANYONE older than 11 reach in there?)...

I am not familiar with how this tank is plumbed - can only go by the owner's manual as it appears to be original (I am the boat's third owner since '93)... Anything else I should be looking at - or telling someone more qualified than me to look at?

Thanks for the help.

Free B

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Holding Tank Pump-out Issues

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Is the "stuff" in it old or new? Any chance that there was old "stuff" that dried out on the bottom and is clogging the intake?

-- Geoff
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1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

Free B
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:32 am

Re: Holding Tank Pump-out Issues

Post by Free B »

So this is embarrassing - it turns out the Y valve was mislabeled and indeed the "stuff" was going overboard (not sure why the dye test didn't tell me this yesterday - perhaps I didn't pump enough).... the "ring" that is screwed in to hold the valve in place must have been rotated when the new head was installed year before last....so since then, all the "stuff" has been fed to the fishes....

I figured this out today when I closed the overboard seacock on a hunch and tried to pump the head - well the pressure built until I could no longer move the handle - open the seacock and the rush of seawater out the bottom was all you needed to hear....

One more lesson learned...

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