Replacing duck bill valves

Put Vicks vaporub under your nose or wear a mask. Stinky job.
 
It's often time to replace the duckbills when your VacuFlush runs constantly, cycles too often without flushing the head, appears to run too ;ong between flushes.
Bill
 
Thanks Bill. Negative on the first two. It does seem to take longer to cycle up this from last year though. I have had the boat just about three years now and doubt very seriously the previous owner ever changed them so no telling how old they are. Looks like I will be adding another job to the list for this winter.
 
John the vacuum switches go bad also. If you change the bills and it keeps pumping while the water stays in the bowl and there are no leaks, it's probably the switch.
 
Thanks Dan. Maybe do that to as preventative maintenance. Didn't mean to hijack mike's post. Everything is working fine at present. It just takes about 30 seconds to cycle when flushed and it seems that time was shorter when I first got the boat.
 
I'm not a fan of preventive maintenance when it comes to duckbills. Maybe "evasive maintenance" would be a better way to put it. When the time necessary to build a vacuum increases, start rinsing out the system and then change the valves.

My systems each average 40 seconds. The fwd system ingests a foreign object every few years, so it's gone through it's share of valves. The aft system hasn't been opened since the boat left the factory 17 years ago.
 
Funny, we have an aft cabin motor yacht and the aft head is not used much either. Separation of powers I think... :D
 
When I had a VacuFlush I would occasionally run Vinager through it to keep the Calcium deposits to a minimum. I still use a SeaLand waste pump in place of my Jabsco pump that transfers my holding tank to my PuraSan treatment system. The SeaLand pump is way more reliable than the old Jabsco grinder. I wish I would have listened to advice here on the board about the run dry Jabsco's being anything but run dry. I always dreaded changing out the Jabsco. I have 2 seasons on the SeaLand pump and it's still going strong.
Bill
 
My pump comes on and runs through a cycle about every 2 minutes or so. I changed all the duck bills and it is still doing the same thing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Mike-I took the pump out and did it where I had more room. Made the job much easier.
 
If water is staying in the bowl, you either have a leak or the vacuum switch is bad. If water is being drawn down from the bowl and it dries up you have to rebuild the throne.
 
The water stays in so I will have to look for the leak. Thanks for the info.
 
If water is staying in the bowl, it could be the seals on the ball valve shaft. There are two O-rings that can leak.
 
Thanks. I will check that out. I do hear a hissing sound. Just ordered a new vacuum check valve too.
 
Make sure the bowl clamp is tight. I think it's supposed to be 60 inch pounds or something like it.
 
quote:
Originally posted by HOGAN

I'm thinking this might best be a job that I pay the marina to do...

Click to expand...


Although I only had one I did it on my own and it's actually quite easy although I did accidently break the pressure switch and had to replace that also. Don't do it on a rainy day when you can't air out the boat however. I wasn't properly prepared for the backflow and the subsequent "odor".
 
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