67vetteal
New Member
Working in my bilge today and noticed a device I'm sure is a Macerater. The system is a Vacuflush. I've never heard the Macerater run. When does it operate? Thanks, Al W.:huh:
Macerater
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rondds
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- Oct 3, 2006
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- 2001 380DA
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- Merc 8.1s (2008)...Hurth ZF 63 V-drives...WB 7.0 BCGD (2013), Garmin 8208 & 740 MFDs, GMR 24xHD dome
Isnt that the movie with Arnold Schwartzenegger?
But seriously, if it is a macerator, it will have a large hose leaving it and heading towards a seacock. If you open the seacock (Y-valve), and activate the macerator switch (usually in the head), you can pump the contents of your holding tank out and into the drink. Don't do this any less than three miles off the coast as it is a federal offense with some pretty steep fines.
But seriously, if it is a macerator, it will have a large hose leaving it and heading towards a seacock. If you open the seacock (Y-valve), and activate the macerator switch (usually in the head), you can pump the contents of your holding tank out and into the drink. Don't do this any less than three miles off the coast as it is a federal offense with some pretty steep fines.
sbw1
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- Oct 10, 2006
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Macerators are grinders that are plumbed from the waste holding tank to a through hull. They make sort of a low pitched whinny sound when turned on. You will see some cloudy water in the area of the through hull when it is turned on. This is due to the contents of the holding tank being pumped overboard.
Well... the reason I asked what kind of boat he had is because there is no way to know if he has a true macerator or a T-pump. If it's a standard vacuflush system in a newer Sea Ray, then he probably has a T-pump and it is not going to grind up stuff or make a whining noise. It's going to sound like the pumping noise the vacuum generators make as it's the same design with a bellows pump and one-way duckbill valves. The difference is there is only a single duckbill on each side of the bellows instead of two like the vacuum generator.
Here's the T-Series discharge pump:
http://www.sealandtechnology.com/pdf/600340678 Discharge pump instr.pdf
It's not a true macerator as it doesn't do any grinding....
A couple notes... The bellows and various other internal parts like the duckbills are interchangeable with the vacuum generator so if you ever get in a bind and need to fix the vacuum generator, you can rob the T-Series pump for parts. If you check the parts list on both, you'll notice the part numbers are the same.
Also, the use of these things are pretty much illegal unless you boat in the ocean.
Here's the T-Series discharge pump:
http://www.sealandtechnology.com/pdf/600340678 Discharge pump instr.pdf
It's not a true macerator as it doesn't do any grinding....
A couple notes... The bellows and various other internal parts like the duckbills are interchangeable with the vacuum generator so if you ever get in a bind and need to fix the vacuum generator, you can rob the T-Series pump for parts. If you check the parts list on both, you'll notice the part numbers are the same.
Also, the use of these things are pretty much illegal unless you boat in the ocean.
quality time
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- Oct 30, 2007
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Hopefully not during your CG courtesy inspection. :lol:
sbw1
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When you run it, the through hull needs to be in the open position. It is controled from your DC electrical panel. The breaker will say "macerator" or "waste discharge" or something similar. You may not have one, but if you do it will be on listed on the panel and a breaker will be installed. If you boat on an inland water way it must be sealed with a clamp or tie of some sort with a no discharge label attached. As others have said, it is illegal to dump waste on inland rivers and lakes.
67vetteal
New Member
Thanks for the replies! I'll not have time this week to take a picture and post it. Will follow up next week. Al W. BTW, our boat is a 97 250DA.
- Aug 25, 2008
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If one of your guests ever flushes a tampon down the toilet, it will most likely get jammed in the macerator and break the pump and you will get the privilege of replacing one.. Not a very enjoyable job..
There is no macerator between the toilet and the holding tank on a vacuflush system.
- Aug 25, 2008
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I knew that.. I guess it was a bad response.. My friend had 1988 30ft Sundancer which did not come with a pump-out connection. The only way to empty the tank was to run the macerator and then pump it over board. I think the system ran the macerater for 15 minutes, then started discharging. Over the years he lost 2 macerater pumps because someone flushed a tampon down the toilet. I had the privlege of helping him manually empty the holding tank into buckets :smt119 and then remove and replace the macerater pump. Mike Rowe/dirty jobs has nothing on me! It was not a job that I want to do again..
My main point was to alert 67vettal about the importance of telling his guests :smt018not to put tampons in the toilet...(You would think that you wouldnt have to tell people that, but you live and you learn)
My main point was to alert 67vettal about the importance of telling his guests :smt018not to put tampons in the toilet...(You would think that you wouldnt have to tell people that, but you live and you learn)
rondds
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- Oct 3, 2006
- 8,859
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- 2001 380DA
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- Merc 8.1s (2008)...Hurth ZF 63 V-drives...WB 7.0 BCGD (2013), Garmin 8208 & 740 MFDs, GMR 24xHD dome
During Courtesy Examinations, the Auxiliary Member will usually ask to see that your Y-valve or seacock is, at the very least, closed. Sometimes they want to see that it has some sort of security harness that would have to be cut or broken to turn the valve to the open position. I do NOT have such a harness but my discharge pump is controlled from the head with a key. Insert key, turn to the right and pump engages. You have to hold the key in the on position for as long as you want to run the pump. Release it and it returns to the OFF position. Usually the Coasties are satisfied that there's a key control - ie: some dumbass guest cant accidentally press a button and dump the fruit of your bowels into the deep blue something.
I've never used it but I tuned the key for a split second to see if the pump would run - it did. I was TEMPTED on the way down to Atlantic City but with a boat this old and the pump likely never used, I figured it'd be best to just leave well enough alone.
Come on Gary, you know you flipped that valve open when you got 3 miles out last summer ;-)
I've never used it but I tuned the key for a split second to see if the pump would run - it did. I was TEMPTED on the way down to Atlantic City but with a boat this old and the pump likely never used, I figured it'd be best to just leave well enough alone.
Come on Gary, you know you flipped that valve open when you got 3 miles out last summer ;-)
I did... and I do... I always use the discharge pump when I'm out in the ocean. Beats the heck out of doing a pump out.
- Aug 25, 2008
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Often we would do trips that involved some ocean time and would have friends following us on Jet skis. It was was always fun to call them over to the boat just when the pump started discharging and then see their face when they realized what the smell was. :wow: :grin::smt043... It always made for a good laugh..
So does every late model SeaRay come withe the capability to discharge overboard whether with or without a macerator?
My boat was purchased in the Great Lakes, so pumping overboard isn't an option up there, but down here taking runs to the Bahamas, 3 miles will be easy to achieve...
-Tim
My boat was purchased in the Great Lakes, so pumping overboard isn't an option up there, but down here taking runs to the Bahamas, 3 miles will be easy to achieve...
-Tim
rondds
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- Oct 3, 2006
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- 2001 380DA
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- Merc 8.1s (2008)...Hurth ZF 63 V-drives...WB 7.0 BCGD (2013), Garmin 8208 & 740 MFDs, GMR 24xHD dome
67vette
Does your pump look like the one here with the blue label? You can see that the pump has a hose coming off a T on the white holding tank. the other side of the pump has a discharge hose leading to a through hull fitting with a seacock (which you cant see in this pic). Open the cock, turn the key and pump out. I'm not sure if this pump has macerating capabilities - I suppose the Vacuuflush pump takes care of the "floaters" as they shoot through. I'll have to read that blue label on the pump next time I'm down there. I THINK this boat also has a San-X system to treat the sewage before it goes overboard with chemical that is kept in a reservoir. Not sure but you got me thinking about it now.
Does your pump look like the one here with the blue label? You can see that the pump has a hose coming off a T on the white holding tank. the other side of the pump has a discharge hose leading to a through hull fitting with a seacock (which you cant see in this pic). Open the cock, turn the key and pump out. I'm not sure if this pump has macerating capabilities - I suppose the Vacuuflush pump takes care of the "floaters" as they shoot through. I'll have to read that blue label on the pump next time I'm down there. I THINK this boat also has a San-X system to treat the sewage before it goes overboard with chemical that is kept in a reservoir. Not sure but you got me thinking about it now.
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