Can I dockside pump out through the macerator?

T

TomChaparralSignature270

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Howdy, I have a 2016 Chaparral Signature 270 with a vacu-flush system and a 10 gallon holding tank. There is a macerator pump with a side discharge through the hull. The discharge has what I believe are 1.5" NPT threads. There are no Y valves, no topside pumpout locatations, only the side discharge. Can I connect a dockside pump to this outlet and pump directly through the macerator? Should I be running the macerator during this operation. Will it destroy the macerator. Thanks! Tom
 
It may work, I don’t see how it could damage the macerator although yes you probably need to turn it on. What kind of pump do you have? A bellow pump like sealand/vacuflish or the POS Jabsco? The later can not be run dry for long

That said, what you described makes.no sense. Since discharge within 3 miles of land is illegal, I have never seen a boat with overboard discharge and no pump out. Especially a small boat less likely to spend much time offshore.

Also, overboard discharge thru hull are never threaded and close to the waterline making it almost impossible to reach with a pump out hose
 
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Seems impossible Chaparral would have engineered this boat without a deck pump out. Maybe some previous owner added the head and a tank later? If anything, I would expect it not to have a macerator and thru hull, and ONLY have the deck plate.

there is no way I would use the thru hull with a pump out - because gravity will now be your enemy, instead of your friend. Plus it will likely be a two person operation, one to work the hose, one to work the thru hull and macerator.

Although I guess if you trailer this boat, that does provide other options?

And look around your boat, perhaps in a drawer somewhere is an adapter fitting that threads into your thru hull, and latches onto the pumpout hose with its cam locks? Something like this …https://www.amazon.com/Sealand-2-Inch-Nozall-Pumpout-Adapter/dp/B00144EMW8
 
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Thanks guys, The boat is a 2016 model. It came from Florida, I am in AZ. the pump out or discharge hole is about 6" above the waterline. It is a Dometic TW series bellow type pump. I have been trailering and pumping into a sewer clean out but now that I am permanently at the lake I need a solution. Dockside pumpouts are free. The discharge hole is at the bottom side of the tank. You can see it in the pic. It is a threaded fitting . Its actually cheep to add a 1.5 inch sanitation hose and a deck fitting to the other nipple on the tank. I just don't want to if I is not necessary.20210217_145235.jpg
 
If it were me, I would put a second hose, with a deck fitting. But I guess it depends how often you pump out, and how painful it is to use the existing setup. Im guessing It’s not a huge tank, and has to be pumped out often?
 
10 gallon tank, we try to use the dock rest rooms but not always. I'm in the process of ordering parts. I hate to concept of drilling a hole in the deck.
 
If your thru hull is under threaded, and assuming the pump system over there use standard banjo fittings, you can easily screw in a fitting and clamp the pump out hose. These bellow pumps have a pair of duckbills which will allow black water to flow one way so the pump out should be able to suck thru the pump.

That said, it would be easier and more efficient to just add a Y valve, a piece of hose and a deck fitting.

Also, your set up is pretty much illegal as you don’t have a lockable thru hull. If boarded by the USCG, that’s a fine. Now I don’t know which bureaucracy has authority on your lake, but the lake rules are usually ever tougher.

The Y valve can be locked to make the set up legal or you could add a key switch on the pump.
 
thank you, that makes total sense. I.e. I am not going to destroy an impeller or anything because this pump does not work that way. I will try the pump through method until I work out all the details of of a seperate pump out fitting. I don't think I need the y valve because there is a seperate independant nipple on the tank for a pumpout hose. The motor does have a key switch.
 
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