1986 Sea Ray Sedan Bridge- How does TDX system work?

[Kerri]

First time boat owner. I can't find a manual for 1986. Closest I can find is 1984 which references a button at the helm to push when the "do not flush" indicator lights up in the head. There's no button on a 1986. How in the world do I get the masticator to do it's thing to move waste from head to collection tank and beyond? Is it automatic?

 

[kszczeck]

I recently purchased a 1984 SR Sedanbridge with the vacuflush system that looks similar to the pics that you posted. I'm new to this boat as well but my understanding is that when the "do not flush" light comes on the holding tank (pictured in your photo) is full so I'm guessing you won't be able to flush the head b/c there's no where for it to go. The biggest issue I ran in to is that on these older boats there is no factory waste pump out. The little bit of research I've done so far on this system looks like waste goes from the toilet, through the vacuflush system, through the macerator, in to the holding tank. My system has a switch on the panel with 2 options: 1) treat & hold or 2) treat & discharge. Treat & discharge is the only way to empty the tank and that only discharges waste over board through a thru-hull below the water line (not an allowable way to empty a waste holding tank in the water ways of NJ where I am).

My waste tank was full when the boat came out of the water for the winter and my marina couldn't pump it out since there is no deck fitting. I plan on installing a deck fitting and a y-valve in to the discharge plumbing this winter to fix this for next year.

To empty the tank so that I didn't risk it freezing and cracking this winter I opened that cap on the top of the tank (pictured in your photo) and used a 1 inch transfer pump to pump out that waste holding tank in to buckets and disposed of the contents that way.

Not sure if this is helpful or not for your situation but it got me squared away for winter storage.

Good luck

 

[ranger58sb]

How in the world do I get the masticator to do it's thing to move waste from head to collection tank and beyond? Is it automatic?

Looks like a VacuFlush toilet system. No macerator; a vacuum generator builds vacuum, then when you activate the foot pedal, the system just "sucks" waste from the toilet and then pumps it to the holding tank.

Search for the VacuFlush manual online.

If you have a deck fitting for pump out, that's how you empty the holding tank. Take the boat to a pump-out station, suck waste out.

Or if you can get 3 miles offshore, you may have a macerator pump that will pump waste overboard.

My system has a switch on the panel with 2 options: 1) treat & hold or 2) treat & discharge.

That would maybe be one of the Raritan Type I treatment systems. ElectroScan, LectraSan, Purasan... Manuals on line.

-Chris