895 pump out issues

[goody24]

Recently got my boat back in the water.  I have not been able to pump out.  The pump runs but nothing comes out. 

I’ve tried two different pump out stations.  
I can flush with water in from the drainage fitting so it doesn’t seem blocked. 
The vent visually doesn’t looked blocked. 

not sure where to go with this next and in the middle of a four day trip. 

is there some type of valve that maybe got turned off during winterization that didn’t get reset during spring commissioning?

what am I missing?

[rene460]

Hi Goody, welcome to the forum.  I hope that you are finding lots of good information and interesting reading in the archives

However, not being able to pump out is definitely an emergency mid trip.

I don’t know about pumpout stations in your area, but the ones we use have a shore based vacuum pump.  The low pressure created by the pump allows atmospheric pressure in the tank (and maintained by air inflow through the vent) to push the tank contents up through the hose into the shore based facilities.  There is a fixed tube in your tank that reaches from to near the bottom of the holding tank that determines the lowest level you can pump out to.

These systems rely on an airtight seal between your deck fitting and the hose.  Ours use a Camlock coupling screwed into the deck, to which the hose locks on.  Just not overlooking the obvious, they also have a valve at the end of the hose which you must open before attempting to pump out.  And close when finished to prevent drips from the hose running out onto the deck.

I presume you have previously used these facilities, so your system worked on previous occasions.

I have found that if the threaded portion of the coupling, which you screw into your deck fitting, is not sealing, the air leakage means no sewage pumped out.  I use a generous coating of Vaseline on the threads to help the seal, and this has solved the problem.

Other things that have tripped me up, our shore facilities also have provision for emptying porta potties, or similar portable chemical toilets, and this means there is a changeover valve on the pump unit that must be switched to the correct pump out position.  Also, we have occasionally arrived at the pump station to find the shore facility faulty, though that should surely not affect two different ones.

Final thought, the connection inside your boat between the deck fitting and the top of the tank must also be air tight.  It is worth checking that the hose has not been damaged, or a hose fitting come loose.

I hope that you are able to quickly solve that one and get on with your trip.  Please come back and tell us how you go.

rene460

[goody24]

Thanks for the great info. Turns out the valve for the thru hull that allows it to drain overboard was opened during winterization and never closed during spring commissioning.  

Not super happy about that and I’ll leave this info hear in case anyone else has a similar issue in the future.