Holding Tank Filling Up

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by edbulmer

All hoses from macerator overboard pump have been removed and capped. So there is no way for any water to be pumped in from that. The tank is being emptied because you can hear the water coming out and then you can hear the water filling it back up. There is air coming out of the vent when it is being emptied so the vent is not blocked or plugged. Very strange.

I agree with the other comments. If you have air going out of the vent during pumpout something really, really strange is going on. Sure air is going out and not coming in?

If the overboard lines are capped off then the only other place water can come in is the line that feeds flushing water to the head. Any chance that the pumpout is sucking water through the head to the holding tank?

And are you sure it's water in the holding tank and not just your sewage recirculating back into the tank from the pumpout hose? Is the water clear or brown? May be a problem with the pumpout. Do you always pump out at the same place or does it happen the same way at different pumpout locations?

[edbulmer]

Yes I can hear the air being sucked in the vent during the pumpout, so I can't see the vent being plugged. And it is a 3/4 inch hose, quite large. Also it is seawater being sucked in. It happens right away as soon as the pump out is finsished. I have a light that comes on and off for the tank, so it turns off when we do the pump out but then in 15 minutes it fills up and comes back on. I can see the holding tank and I dentified all but one hose that goes in. No idea where that one hose goes to. I'm trying to call Viking to find out.

[deblen]

Suggest all seacocks & valves be left open in freezing climates.
Easier to "possibly" clean a bug nest out than replace a split fitting.
/Len

[edbulmer]

That's my fear a seacock was left closed and it is one that is in a line to the holding tank. Hope the marina here owns up to it. I wasn't here when the boat was taken out for the winter..

[hamburking]

When I pump my waste tank, the suction is great enough that it sucks all the water out of the toilet bowl. I use that to my advantage by pouring several buckets of water down, to rinse the whole system.

Maybe the water is coming from the heads?

An easy check would be to dye the water in the head. You can use food colouring, or plumber dye...its a tool plumbers use to help find a leak or trace a pipe...which is what you are doing.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by edbulmer

Also it is seawater being sucked in. It happens right away as soon as the pump out is finsished. I have a light that comes on and off for the tank, so it turns off when we do the pump out but then in 15 minutes it fills up and comes back on. I can see the holding tank and I identified all but one hose that goes in. No idea where that one hose goes to. I'm trying to call Viking to find out.

Ah. There's also perhaps a Vikings owners club/group somewhere out there?

Is your head raw water or freshwater flush?

-Chris

[Scout 30]

Here's an easy way to solve the problem: C-Head portable composting toilets

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Here's an easy way to solve the problem: C-Head portable composting toilets

I couldn't agree more....IMHO the head is just for show. If I'm at the dock, we go to shore heads. Away from the dock, pee over the side. In a bucket if you are bashful. As for #2 over the side...thats why they teach yoga, right?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by edbulmer

Yes I can hear the air being sucked in the vent during the pumpout, so I can't see the vent being plugged. And it is a 3/4 inch hose, quite large. Also it is seawater being sucked in. It happens right away as soon as the pump out is finsished. I have a light that comes on and off for the tank, so it turns off when we do the pump out but then in 15 minutes it fills up and comes back on. I can see the holding tank and I dentified all but one hose that goes in. No idea where that one hose goes to. I'm trying to call Viking to find out.

Now that is a good clue. It takes 15 minutes to fill up with water after you pump out the tank? I'm guessing you don't hear air sucking through the vent the whole time the holding tank is filling with water.

This sounds like it could be siphoning from the flushing water intake to the head to the tank. Have you checked the anti siphon valve/loop on the hoses to the holding tank?

Last idea, can you see the tank? Can you tell what hose on the tank is bringing in the water?

[Greenhand]

How do you know it is seawater? Can you actually tell that there is anything at all in the tank, or is the monitoring light your only evidence? The sensors themselves often get gooped up and don't work properly.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by skipmac

This sounds like it could be siphoning from the flushing water intake to the head to the tank. Have you checked the anti siphon valve/loop on the hoses to the holding tank?

Once the head bowl empties, where would any water be coming from?

Is this a manual toilet / head?

[SeaSloth]

I had this problem and it was the deck plate gasket. During heavy rain with the right winds water was piled on top of the plate and leaked into tank.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[GrahamHO]

Are you sure you are emptying the holding tank and not simply recirculating the contents. I've been known to do that for a few seconds before realising the various cocks were in the wrong positions. However I pump out at sea and don't sail in a lake. Also I would check out those sea cocks which were not drained in the winter. You don't want them to sink your boat. I have experienced winter in Toronto!!

[transmitterdan]

Ed,

From your more descriptive words it sounds like the tank is filling via siphoning from some yet unidentified thru hull. This may be a serious concern because once the tank fills then it may try to flow back into the heads themselves. It all depends on where the siphon breaks are located.

So my new guess is that you have a thru hull somewhere not yet found below the waterline and the tank is also below the waterline. The hose from the thru hull to the tank either has no siphon break or the siphon break is clogged with head "gunk". The hose you don't know about should be traced and if it is connected to a thru hull try to close it. But be aware that a thru hull that hasn't been closed in years may be difficult or impossible to close. Don't put too much force on the handle and break something.

Also, if you find a siphon break in that hose way up above the water line it is probably plugged up with gunk. You can try to clean the siphon break. As soon as you remove the cap from the siphon break it will probably immediately stop the siphoning action. But if the siphon break is below the water line it will probably just leak water into the boat.

[Var Korall]

I had a similar problem. Vent line was plugged by mud dauber as others suggested. Got better but not solved. Neither pump out nor (check the grammar "nor" ) macerator overboard pump out seemed to work. Finally gave up and pulled the top stainless steel plate of the tank, through which the drains from both heads, the macerator line, the pump out line, and the vent were connected to the fiberglass tank. The lid, fittings and plumbing into tank were all stainless. Everything looked great from the outside, but the tubes within the tank were full of holes. Pump out would only suck out until uppermost hole in any pipe was exposed, and then vent air entered, and any fluid/residue below that level would not be pumped out. Replaced with plastic lid and plumbing. And all is well. Not really as messy a job as I had feared. I was supplied with parts by local South Florida company, 'Marine Plumbing Co' (855) 352-2628.
Enjoy.