Holding tank sludged can't pump it out

D

dazeoff-wy

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Need help with new to me boat. bought a 87 carver Montego this spring and have recently descovered problem with head.I am new to boating so bear with me. a couple of weeks ago we lost water pressure in the fresh water system. I traced it to a blocked screen filter between water tank and pump, which is not accessable because of prevoius owner modification. This will be addressed in off season. So we have been using and bucket and lake water to supply flushing water. I am not sure of the bran but the toilet sets on a small holding tank then has a macerator pump which pumps to the main holding tank little time the pump sound changed ( sounded like it was working hard) and the level in the tank wne down. this is when i noticed what looked like a layer of sludge in the bottom of the toilet holding tank. I tried putting more water in to give more solution for the pump to pull but that did not do much good. after all that here is my question. is there something I can do or add to the tank to " soften up" the sludge so the pump will work better or does it sound like the pump might need replacing[:-yuck][:-yuck]
 
Several of us likely have a few ideas that would help, but we need a bit more info to work with.

To begin with, try to give us make, or model, or post a pic.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Radioactive

Several of us likely have a few ideas that would help, but we need a bit more info to work with.

To begin with, try to give us make, or model, or post a pic.

Click to expand...


Unfortunately the boat is at the marina 40miles away and I left the book on it. if it hekps the toilet is provided water by the fresh water system and has a foot lever at the base. when the leveer is pushed the valve opens and water flows in the bowl. kile i have seen on rv's. there is a seperat hose that comes out of the seat bank holding tank the goes to the macerator pump to transfer to the holding(black water) tank. it is in the seat base tank that I found the sludge I believe the pump may have become weak or the sludge needs to be broken up fo the pump to pull it through. I will be going to the boat in a day or two and will have the realy info. I would appreciate any ideas that I might look at when I go back to the boat as it is an hour drive one way each trip
 
Bran, Prunes, or castor oil? Just kidding. :-)

You've gotta get something in there to disolve and/or agitate that sludge.
 
Addressing just the sludge issue ( though there is likely more to the issue ), you can add one or two drops of automatic dishwashing liquid/gel and flush it into the holding tank. Take the boat out into some "chop" and slosh it around a bit. return, pump out, flush several times ( to add more fresh water ) and include a drop or two of the gel, slosh boat... rinse, repeat.

If you can gain access from the top of the H/T, spraying a strong jet of water at the sludge will break it up a bit ( and splash. Be careful! )

Note: the automatic dishwasher liquid/gel is because it is a low/no suds detergent. Using something like "Dawn", which is a great degreasser, will generate mountains of suds.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Radioactive

Addressing just the sludge issue ( though there is likely more to the issue ), you can add one or two drops of automatic dishwashing liquid/gel and flush it into the holding tank. Take the boat out into some "chop" and slosh it around a bit. return, pump out, flush several times ( to add more fresh water ) and include a drop or two of the gel, slosh boat... rinse, repeat.

If you can gain access from the top of the H/T, spraying a strong jet of water at the sludge will break it up a bit ( and splash. Be careful! )

Note: the automatic dishwasher liquid/gel is because it is a low/no suds detergent. Using something like "Dawn", which is a great degreasser, will generate mountains of suds.

Click to expand...


thanks radio
do you think mixing water and dish washing soap first and poring in with a bucket to agitate would work.
 
Do NOT use "dish washing soap" use "automatic dishwasher" soap. You do NOT want suds.

While you could mix before placing the fluid in the system, it is unnecessary. You really need to agitate. ie: Go jump some wakes/waves. Or, if you can gain access, put on the long gloves, get a stick and stir. Else take the boat out. I like the boat ride plan better.

A gentle "stir" is not what you want. You want to "bruise the martini". Shake it up.

--

Hmmm. That sounds a bit harsh, but that is not intended. Simply get a non-sudsing detergent into the system and agitate vigorously, by what ever method seems most reasonable.
 
What if you fish a garden hose down the pumpout all the way to the tank ? I too think you have more than one issue..
 
It sounds like a SeaLand Traveller to me. They're an RV-type toilet that dump by gravity to a small holding tank directly below. If you want a bigger or remote holding tank the macerator-transfer pump makes sense.

The RV stores have a "wand" that you put on the end of a garden hose, and stick down through the toilet to wash out the sludge. Then proceed as Radioactive suggests. Careful, it could be a messy job....
 
THANKS ALL
WILLIE I THINK YOU HIT IT ON THE HEAD FOR THE TYPE. YOUR DESCRIPTION FITS TO A TEE.
THANKS FOR ALL THE SUGGESTIONS I THINK I WILL FILM THIS WEEKENDS ADVENTURES FOR "DIRTY JOBS " ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL[:-snorkel]
 
Add ice cubes when you add the diswashing soap. Then go "slosh" the boat. The ice cubes will looses the crud and will melt so you should be able to pump everything out.
 
Even if it doesn't work, you had an excuse to go for a boat ride!!!!
 
thanks for all the advise and support.
The admiral and I will be out this weekend for some running and hopefully not to messy results will let yout know
Gene
 
I had a similar problem. I was advised to use Calgon water softener or Borax as opposed to dishwasher detergent and I honestly do not know if one is any better than the other, it's just another option. After the above recommended "sloshing", here is what I did. First and foremost, see if there is a vent filter in the boat in the holding tank vent line. If there is, remove it. Pump out the tank. After you have pumped out as much as you can, shove a garden hose in the vent line and turn it on full force and continue to pump out the tank.

You will be amazed at how much more crap is going to get dislodged from the force of the water coming from the garden hose. Continue to pump until the site glass shows clear. Mine took about 10 minutes to get that way and that was only two seasons of buildup. YMMV.

GeeBee put one of these in his tank on the off season and says it works great. It performs the same function as the garden hose, but is a lot easier to deal with.

http://www.rvsupplywarehouse.com/product/detail.cfm/pid/2836

He has an entire pictorial on here somewhere.
 
David
thanks for the input. I think the difference is that the large holding tank in the bilge is not the problem. It is the small tank under the toilet that has the sluge build up. I still think the ideas will help we'll see in a couple of days
Gene
 
well we made the drive and tried your suggestions. the dish washer soap did help clear things up, but it appeares the problem is really the macerator pump, it had difficilty getting prime to pump when it did it worked well . after a little work thought the motor begin to falter and eventually quit. I think the pump needs to be deep sixed. and so it goes
 
One more learning experience... Thanks for keeping us informed!
 
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