installing new head

[dhisl0]

I have a 86 jamestowner house boat and the head dumps overboard. I am installing new head and holding tank. I am going to replumb everything but not sure were to mount the macerator pump before or after the holding tank.Any diagrams on this install would be helpfull.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: installing new head

I have a 86 jamestowner house boat and the head dumps overboard.

errrr- you have to be at least 3 miles offshore to pump raw sewage overboard.

do you have an ocean going houseboat??
zero in freshwater and there are tons more rules & guidelines than I can tell you.

good for you to correct this issue- good luck

half people I know ,including me, have pump out heads and if you have ready access to a approved pump out station/or service.
others swear buy potable toilets

 

[littlebookworm]

Re: installing new head

My understanding, based on the recommendations I was given related to laws in New York when I added a holding tank to the system in a boat I used to have, is that you must remove the macerator since than is only used when you are "chopping up" sewage to dump overboard. With a holding tank, a hose and pump-out fitting are needed. A Y-valve and macerator are forbidden unless the valve is locked and wired in the pump-out position. Dump the macerator. Hy

 

[seabob4]

Re: installing new head

As long as you have a Y-valve that diverts you sewage flow from overboard to dockside pumpout, and is able to be "locked out", there is no reason you can't have one onboard and functional.

The discharge hose from the holding tank will go to the valve. The macerator pump will be located downstream from the valve.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: installing new head

on the other hand if you aren't going 20 miles off shore in the ocean or pumping your own into a septic or sewer system there is no reason to buy the valve and keep the thru hull in service....
Unless you have a legal reason to have it why not just remove it while refitting... less to fail

 

[sr280da]

Re: installing new head

On the chance the OP is not familiar with current MSDs.

Dhisl0,

Are you planning to keep the existing toilet unit? Given the age of the boat I assume it is a manual pump type thing.

You can look on the SeaLand/Dometic website. They have lots of info on installing fully functional head systems. Obviously it is all geared at their products, but you will get a good idea of what needs to be done.

A macerator pump is usually used to empty the holding tank over the side. And as many people have told you, you can only do that 3 miles offshore (not sure about Great Lakes). Pump out facilities use what amounts to a large stinky wetvac (no you can not use a wet vac from home to do this) to suck the stuff out of the holding tank. So you probably won't need a macerator pump.

If your head is equipped with a pump, run a line from your existing pump outlet into the holding tank. Then add a line from the holding tank to a holding tank deck fitting. These are standardized to match pump out systems, so buy a fitting specifically for a pump out. You will also need to add a vent with in line charcoal filter. The vent lets the air out of the holding tank when you 'flush' and the filter kills the stink. Trust me it stinks. Also buy hose that is also made specifically for on board head systems. Industrial hose, or regular water hose will allow the stink to permeate through the rubber.

The down side with doing this is that you are really going to have to do a lot of pumping to keep the plumbing clean. And your present head pulls in water from outside. As a result the head is not very water conserving. No big deal when what you pump in gets pumped back out. But it is a problem when it gets pumped to a tank. Water weighs 8.3 ish pounds per gallon and the weight adds up quick. Also the faster you fill up the holding tank, the faster you get to go to the pump out station.

One system to look at is the Dometic VacuFlush system. This came on our Sea Ray. It is very similar to toilets found on airplanes. There is a vacuum generator that sits between the VauFlush throne and the holding tank. It builds a vacuum. When it is flushed the vacuum sucks the stuff out and whooshes it to the holding tank. The upside is that it uses very little water.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: installing new head

others swear buy potable toilets

That's an awesome typo

 

[dhisl0]

installing new head

I am not using this houseboat on the ocean. I am inland on a freshwater lake. I am installing a water saver Thetford Aqua Plus. I presently have a maceator on my old head and pull water from the lake. I need to replumb after installing the head to hook up the holding tank. Anything special I should be looking for? What about the pump to pump out? Any certain size motor? Is it true I do not need a maceator since I am using a holding tank? I can see that it might not be needed since I am using chemicals. What about a vapor release value for the holding tank? Something to keep the vapors/pressure from building up.

 

[JoLin]

Re: installing new head

I am not using this houseboat on the ocean. I am inland on a freshwater lake. I am installing a water saver Thetford Aqua Plus. I presently have a maceator on my old head and pull water from the lake. I need to replumb after installing the head to hook up the holding tank. Anything special I should be looking for? What about the pump to pump out? Any certain size motor? Is it true I do not need a maceator since I am using a holding tank? I can see that it might not be needed since I am using chemicals. What about a vapor release value for the holding tank? Something to keep the vapors/pressure from building up.

If you're going to a pump-out station, it has a shop-vac-like apparatus that sucks the stuff out of the holding tank. You wouldn't put a pump-out pump on the boat.

 

[themaniam1]

Re: installing new head

I have and electric flush on my head and it has a built in macerator but was never plumbed for side discharge but straight to the holding tank. Before the electric flush I had the hand pump type and both draw from lake water. I like having the macerator before the tank because it chops the waste up very fine which allows the tank chemicals to work faster and most importantly it pumps (suctions) out quick and clean. No chance of the hoses getting clogged either coming or leaving the tank because everything is already small enough to easily pass through the plumbing. I also think it will extend the life of your joker valve (back flow valve) because smaller material is passing through it.

I would plug the current exit port so there is no confusion to anyone that it is disabled and not even have a Y valve, you can always add one if you are going to be out to sea but the local authorities will like the fact that it is plugged and no Y valve. Put the macerator right after the head and before the tank. Tank should have a vent hose and a suction discharge hose with a pump out suction fitting at the top of your gunwale. If your lake has a pump out station then your are all set, just pump out as needed, remember it is really sucking it out and not pumping it out. That is what I do. Good luck.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: installing new head

you will need a vent line.... it isn't only to release vapor but also for allowing air in during pump out.....