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Waste dump

Discussion in 'Ocean Yacht' started by Tom Gleinser, Feb 25, 2019.

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  1. Tom Gleinser

    Tom Gleinser New Member

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    Dec 26, 2018
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    Location:
    Austin, Texas
    My New-to-me 2000 43' SS Convertible has the waste tank on the hull center forward.

    So, how does one dump at sea. Cannot find a switch anywhere to pump it out. I don't see any wiring to the tank that would power a pump. Only level-sensor wiring. If I switch the Y valve, it will just fill up the tanks with sea water since it is below the water line. What am I missing?
  2. Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    Hi Tom, I have a 2001 43. There should be a waste pump with through hull valve located at the forward side of the tank. The hatch to access this is between the master bed and the head door.
    hope this helps you out.
  3. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    You re not going to see wiring to the tank... the pump will be just outside the tank. look for hoses or dip tubes and follow the hose from the Y valve. Ain’t rocket science.

    Switching the Y valve should not allow water to fill the tank... there should be a syphon break.
    No manual, schematics, blueprint on board ?
  4. Capt Fred

    Capt Fred Senior Member

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    Long Beach CA
    HI Tom, on my 44 SS, the pump is located just where Trinimax indicated and the switch is located on the underside of the floorboard on the aft side of the hatch opening.
  5. Tom Gleinser

    Tom Gleinser New Member

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    Thanks a million to all. I think I know where to find it now.
  6. Prospective

    Prospective Senior Member

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    Just a head up...no pun intended... I have a Yr 2000 43' ocean. It was not equipped with a macerator or overboard discharge pump. Best you can do on my boat is throw a Y valve (located where Trinimax describes) to redirect waste from each head to the overboard discharge seacock rather than the holding tank. But if the waste is in the tank already then you can only "pump out" via the deck plate.
  7. Tom Gleinser

    Tom Gleinser New Member

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    Oy vey. That may be the case with mine also. I need to look. But aren't the heads close to being at sea level? Wouldn't the toilets receive sea water rather than draining it out? Someone said that there is a check valve to prevent backflow, but the toilet wouldn't drain either unless they are completely above sea level which I doubt. Can't tell for sure, but they are close to being at the level. There must be a pump or there would be no point in having the Y valve and through-hull penetration.
  8. Prospective

    Prospective Senior Member

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    I word of disclaimer... I have found the head plumbing on my 43' Ocean to be among the worst planned and executed things I've ever seen on a boat. I've had to re-plumb much of it. And trust me when I say it was not designed to EVER be serviced.

    That said, the heads are above the water line so moving the Y-valve to overboard discharge does cause the heads to backflow sea water. There may also be a check valve in the head. I am not sure about that. The heads (at least mine) are electric pumps with macerators so they will "force" the waste out the thru hull if the Y-valve is diverted in that direction. They don't depend on gravity to drain. And even if they did, Ocean put so many rises and falls in the head hose runs that there is waste always going against gravity and unfortunately "sitting" in the hose at all times.

    I had my guest head hose clog. Long story short... I had to cut open the floor in the guest head and use a come along to pull out the 8ft length of hose that was completely clogged with 18 years of concrete solid waste. The original hose ran down into the bilge, did a complete 360deg turn then went up over a stringer forward and into the Y valve, then up hill into the holding tank. There was no hope of ever re-running a new hose the same way nor would I want to. I ended up running a much shorter hose, all down hill and into the aft end of the holding tank into a new fitting I installed. So my guest head now only flows into the holding tank but at least it's a short run and all down hill so no waste sits in the hose. I can't begin to describe how unpleasant and difficult this job was. And my solution to install a new fitting into the holding tank would have only been possible because a couple years earlier I had to completely rip out my master SR berth and cut open the floor to access the top of the holding tank in order to repair a clean out on top of the tank that had broken and was otherwise totally inaccessible. Thankfully I put everything back with screws and installed an access panel to the top of the tank. So I could removed the berth again and gain access without needing a sawzall and crow bar.

    I love my Ocean but the head set up is a travesty of bad planning.
  9. Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    I guess I was lucky that one of my previous owners installed a macerator discharge pump for the holding tank before I bought the boat. I thought that something like that would have been standard. If there is one thing with Ocean, they do know how to surprise you ;)
  10. mwwhit1

    mwwhit1 Senior Member

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    Jersey City NJ\Boca Raton FL
    Several years ago, I started cleaning the plumbing lines with Sew Clean. Let it sit overnight. I do this once a year. Worth every $$. What bubbles up into the bowl... With your lines running all crazy, even more important to get rid of the uric acid hard scale. I'm sure there are other products out there too. Make it part of your maintenance routine.
  11. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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  12. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    what is Sew Clean? Is that a brand of something?
  13. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Just did the research. No reply necessary
  14. Rick Prince

    Rick Prince New Member

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    Location:
    Montauk, New York
    I have a 2000 43' ocean as well. Mine does not have a macerator or overboard discharge pump either. Y valve connected to holding tank or over board from toilet direct. Can't pump out tank. Can only empty from deck hatch.