Vacuflush Problems

J

JAYROCK

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28607
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272
Posted - Nov 15 2011 : 07:27:33
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06 Monterey with a Sealand system. Problem is that the solids are not getting pumped from the vac tank to the holding tank. I have plenty of vac pressure to "pull"from the bowl and the water seems to be getting to the holding tank from vac tank. Which makes me think that the diaphirm pump is working. I am having to suck out the solids with a shop vac... this is a dirty job!! I need to get this handled pronto!! Thanks Jay
 
Sounds like there are some uphill runs between head, vac tank, pump and holding tank, especially if the pump is generating enough vacuum to stop and then suck when flushed.
 
What size sanitation hose from the head to the vac tank/pump?
Bill
 
The vacuum tank is up stream from the pump right? That being the case is there an uphill run from the vacuum chamber to the pump? We have two vacuflush heads and the pumps are mounted under the vacuum chambers facilitating a complete drain of the chamber into the pump.
 
Boatbum the vac tank is on top of the holding tank. Could it be the duckbill valves? They have never been replaced. Could it be the 2 ply paper? We use plenty of water when flushing(8-10 sec) of flow.

BillyyIII I assume it is the the standard size. 1 1/2 is what it looks like.
 
Start out by replacing the duckbills. It is very easy and you might be pleasently surprised.
 
The inlet to the vacuum tank is at the center of one of the ends on ours. The other end has the vacuum switch. The waste exits the vacuum tank via a tube into the side of the vacuum tank near the end with the switch. The exhaust tube points straight down. Presumably your vacuum tank is mounted level (as it can be on a boat anyway)? If not it could be pooling away from the discharge. The pump is between the vacuum tank and holding tank right?
If none of that pans out, and you have vacuum and the pump is not running a long time, perhaps the valves are the cause but I'd try to figure out where it was backing up first. If you are going in, you may as well pull the vacuum tank switch and have a look in the end.

Here's a shot of what I am talking about. The exhaust of the tube comes straight down to the pump and the pump pushes the waste to the T which is backwards. The waste goes up from the T. The other pump's waste travels along behind the battery and comes up to the T. They both then continue up about a foot where they then head down to the tank. You can see where the switch is mounted on the other tank for the aft head. The second vacuum tank is aft of this one and facing the other way.

DSC03216.jpg
 
I would guess that you don't have the type of vac tank which boatbum mention since yours is a recent boat with factory install. They usually use the compact vac tank and pump, not the round tank with remote pump

If the duckbills are 5 years old they should be replaced. Cheap and easy so start there but if the pump builds vacuum and doesn't cycle, the DBs should still be ok

Solids get reduced by the century effect at the base of the head when flushing so they shouldn't accumulate in the vac tank

How do you know this is an issue, what are the symptoms?
 
Pascal you are correct in that my system is not like the pics. It is the 18gal with the vacuum pump mounted on top od the vacuum tank.
The way I understand is that the vacuum tank(and pump) build vacuum pressure. I flush the toilet. The water and solids are pulled into the vacuum tank and then pushed into the holding tank.

Symptoms and Notes:
The vac tank(and Pump) dont cycle.
There is enough vac PULL from the toilet to suck down a small mammal!
We stand on the petal for 5 to 10 secs per flush. That should be plent of water to wet the paper.
We use the Campichem treatment.

The Problem: The vac tank is full of paper and solids. I have removed them with a shop vac and started fresh and empty! It will work good until the solids build up again in a few weeks. If will pick up the fluids and move them to the holding tank with no problem.
I have removed the hose(from the toilet) and added water to try and "break" up the paper and solids. This does nothing! Shop vac is the only way to remove the solids...... This is a dirty job!
 
OH I forgot.....How do I know there is an issue?..... The toilet wont flush. It is full of solids at the vac tank.
 
First, fill the bowl with some water before use. What you add later may not moisten it enough.

Other than that, I wonder if there is a loose connection internal to the vacuum generator. Like maybe a pipe froze inside so it doesn't pick up from the bottom of the tank. On page 13 of this manual, they describe two different vacuum generators you could have. Is it the high profile generator?

http://www.dometic.com/47dc839e-0c3a-476d-8b91-b83b27b06884.fodoc
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatbum

I wonder if there is a loose connection internal to the vacuum generator. Like maybe a pipe froze inside so it doesn't pick up from the bottom of the tank.

Click to expand...


I agree sounds like a broken pickup tube in the vacuum generator.
 
I used to fill my head with boiling water that would help clean out the solids.
I agree with Pascal change the duckbills.
Then I got a real "head" and removed the VF system!
Bill
 
Checked the pick up pipe from the vac tank( a short pipe with a bend in it, that has a angle cut in it at the base)this was not clogged! It is possible that it WAS clogged, but since I sucked all the buiild up out with a shop vac, I mave have dislodged something in there. I didnt want to work on this thing full of.....well you know!
The duck bills didnt look too bad, one def needs replacing. The other 3 are fine. I will replace them as soon as they get here.

No danger of anything freezing. Too far south and the cabin heat was on 75 and I have a bilge heater.

Will update after the weekend repairs and using it.

Thanks for the help!!!
 
Do you leave the boat for extended periods? In other words do you use it (and the head of course) for a weekend and then come back two weeks later and find it jammed? I am wondering if a thorough flushing at the end of a stay would help as well. Since this is the high profile version that requires some lift I'll say duck bills also now given the plumbing looks ok otherwise. Since ours have no lift requirements ours work well enough and the vacuum does all the lifting not the pump as is the case in your rig.
Good luck with the muck!
 
The problems you are describing were very similar to mine. However it sounds like your worked fine at one time. Mine was self installed then I had the system certified by a local VacuFlush installer. My VF system would never pass what I will call a hard pile of golf balls from day one. I personally never had an issue with any solids coming out of "medically normal" peoples bowels'. I had to make one person happy the Admiral (my wife). It got to the point she didn't want to go to the boat because she hated me having to clear the mess which sometimes included cleaning out the vacuum tank. I could make it work by boiling a gallon of water on the stove and dumping about 1/3 a gallon and let it sit then flush following up with the balance of the scalding water to hopefully clear the all in one tank/pump VF system. I finally replaced the unit with a Raritan Marine Elegance and it has been 3 seasons with none of the above mentioned problems. Just last weekend I did have to tighten up the black rubber hose and replace the head's discharge hose on my ME but that was installation related the hose had chaffed and had a pin hole in it. Tightening up the xclamps I consider as normal maintenence for any 3 season old head.
Bill
 
boatbum, We are on the boat at least 6 days/nites a month min. The head does get used alot! The Admiral is great about policing the RULES of the head and the NO NOs!! We did have record temps a few short months ago. 63 days OVER 100degs. We had a week of 110degs. That that with 2 V-8s and the genny running and WOW! That is some extreme bilge temps! That may be a factor in the build up of any solids over time.

Billy, Mine could suck a puppy down the head! So I am ruling out the diapham pump and gonna replace the DB valves today and put her through her paces this weekend!
There is the possiblity that the "pick up" was cloged since the last time I shop vac-ed out the solids. I may not have been as aggressive the first time......I WAS THIS TIME!! I wanted to make sure it was EMPTY!!!I did pull the pick up and check it this time and it was clear! No blockage.... While I am there Ill replace the DB valves and we shall see.......

THANK YOU ALL for the help with this DIRTY JOB!!
JAY
 
Mine could as well Jay. It wasn't about the Vacuum pressure I even bought and still own the SVC vacuum gauge. I also have about 4 sets of duckbills including the entire system in a few boxes the marina is storing for me. I actually loved the head however it would not work for my wife and I
 
Mine could as well Jay. It wasn't about the Vacuum pressure I even bought and still own the SVC vacuum gauge. I also have about 4 sets of duckbills including the entire system in a few boxes the marina is storing for me. I actually loved the head however it would not work for my wife and I would flush it for her towards the end. Let me try and put it this way because my wife reads the board you couldn't cut her golf balls with a hacksaw unless you added boiling water, let it sit and stirred them into a sh*tty slurry.
Bill
 
Sounds like you have a model like mine

I had a intermittent issue like you state when we first got the boat -the PO used 2 ply-TP
After taking one VacGen unit apart I found a ball of TP about the size of an softball inside - I had to break it up into pieces to get it out. – I guess every so often it floated/shifted to the pickup and stoped everything

My setup(two units side-by-side

IMG00003.jpg


this is a diagram of a similar model
vacGEN.jpg
 
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