Clogged Sewer System

[Mothers Day]

Me again:

Macerator not kicking anything overboard and the tank is full "bubbling in the toilet".
What's worse is the pump out station struggled to get anything out also.

Sound like a clogged "vent" to you guys??
Or do I just have a ton of clogged gear?

Yeah I know, using "Charmin" TP wasn't the brightest of ideas...

2800 SCR 2000

[mmwjr]

Sounds clogged by the TP, stinky job to clear.

[mrt214]

Stop putting paper in toilet and put waste basket in head for paper.

[Phillbo]

If it did not pass through your body it does not belong in the head.

[dronthelake]

We spend a lot a time aboard and the toilet gets used often. We use Scott's single ply and haven't had any issues.

[oldno7]

Originally Posted by dronthelake

We spend a lot a time aboard and the toilet gets used often. We use Scott's single ply and haven't had any issues.

Ditto, except not sure of brand single ply.

[Calguy]

Fresh cut loads should be no problem for macerators. They have stainless steel choppers that will turn feces into liquid very easily. If the impeller on your macerator has gone bad it will not pump the feces into the holding tank or over board for that matter. Check the condition of the impeller on your macerator as this is vital for the elimination of fecal matter from your head. The Charmin should not be a issue if the macerator is properly functioning.

[shrew]

If the pumpout deck can't remove it AND the macerator won't remove it, then I would be more apt to suspect the vent. It's one thing if the valves or main sanitation line get clogged, but both discharge lines getting clogged seems a bit unplausible. I wouldn't expect the pump out or macerator to be where clogs occur because of household toilet paper. I would expect it to occur upstream of the holding tank.

I'd pull the vent line from the through hull fitting and see if that make a difference. Make sure to keep it held HIGH up.

[Kevlar7r]

Calguy, if the macerator is between the head and tank, then you are correct. A lot of these boats, there is no macerator between the head and tank. The macerator is after the tank for pumping waste overboard.... Which can only be done out to sea!



You may have an empty tank, and the clog is between the head and the tank.



If your head is a manual pump, pull the handle all the way up, and you can use a normal plunger to try to push it to the tank. Add some septic tank bacteria and wait a couple days, and you might be able to break down that charmin and get it pumping.



If your using the blue liquid for waste tank chemical, this may not work, as that stuff stops bacteria and prevents breakdown. Terrible stuff. Causes more problems than it solves. Always use a microbial based holding tank treatment.

[Mothers Day]

o.k. glad to hear the simple answer is NOT - stop using toilet paper and use a trash bag. I'd never use the toilet again if I had to haul crap paper my whole life.

Plumbing runs from the toilet direct to the tank inlet. Then from tank discharge to the "Y" valve - where it can either be directed to the macerater or to the pump out line.

the simple fact that I'm not getting sewage out of either location tells me the stoppage is between the Y valve and the tank.

I REALLY DON'T WANT TO TAKE THIS APART!!
So I will try to use chemicals to break it down first.
I've even tried pulling the hose into the head and sucking from the toilet itself with no affect.

[Kevlar7r]

Microbes, not chemicals....



And there is nothing wrong with using paper, as long as you use the right kind. Get RV paper. Even 1 ply septic safe paper is a bit risky. Never use the standard RV treatments, only microbe based treatments, and you will be fine.



The best microbes are RTB780. From www.microbialogic.com.



If you already have the blue stuff in there, it will take several flushings and pumpouts to clear that from the tank before the microbes would do any good.

[Mothers Day]

Roger that: Thx for the help. I'll use the microbes going forward.

[oldno7]

On a related note--We are on an inland lake and macerators are illegal.(and should be)
When I pump out, after the initial emptying of the tank, I fill it 2 more times and pump completely out.
My 3rd time pumping, the water is mostly clear.
I firmly believe this helps keep a clean system and no clogs from leftover debris.

[shrew]

Originally Posted by Kevlar7r

Microbes, not chemicals....

And there is nothing wrong with using paper, as long as you use the right kind. Get RV paper.

I agree. Nobody ever said stop using TP. However, it has been suggested to stop using residential TP. I strongly suggest you move over to a Marine/RV TP as well.

Also, in many setups, the macerator is directly off of the holding tank (mine is). There is no Y valve. The safety is I have to press and hold 2 switches simultaneously to discharge the tank overboard. The requirement to lock the Y valve is technically when the Y discharge to the holding tank or overboard, more like your setup.

You're going to need to open the system whether you like it or not.