Replacing the head hoses, holding tank, and vent
line!
June 2002....Don't try this alone!
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After talking to Tom
at the factory, he outlined all the lengths of hose needed. 5' head to
siphon vent; 10' siphon vent to overboard Y valve; 3' Y valve to holding
tank; 12' holding tank to deck pump out; 12' for vent line. That is a
total of 30' of 1 1/2 min. and 12' of 1" vent. I ordered 35' of SeaLand odor safe hose from Simon Lock's recommended deal in TX. AER
Supply, P.O.Box 349, Seabrook, TX 77586 phone 800-767-7606. I paid
$5.25/ft. |
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We also ordered a
new PHII head and a Jabsco 12 volt diaphragm pump, West Marine #285835. |
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Add to the list a
new holding tank from Island Packet and we were ready to go! |
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Hire the best
Island Packet Installer on the planet, Rob Glebe of Chestertown, MD, and
the job will go smoothly. Rob does not do this kind of work, he only took
on this job because I had commissioned him to do the entire boat. Rob prefers
to do refrigeration, air conditioning, autopilots and electronics. NOT
SEWER WORK!
What a great friend Rob is to help me with this job. |
| The Goal:
To add a pump out system that uses the existing thru-hull and to replace all
plumbing along the way. |
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First a lesson in
Apollo ball valves. My crew member, Freddie, is a
professional plumber and he taught me this: Valves have a common side called
the AB. The other two sides are the various outlets called A or B. In this
photo the AB side would be to the left, that is the common side. Side A
could be the top and side B could be the bottom. The handle is in the A
position as noted by the flow arrows.
This valve will be added to the existing thru-hull in
order to allow for 2 inlets to the overboard discharge. A will be in from
the head and B will be in from the 12 volt waste pump. The AB side will
join the existing thru-hull. |
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Da plan....Here
is my rough sketch of the installation. With this sketch you can study the
AB / A / B sides of the valves and the flow. The goal is achieved to pump out through the existing fitting. Two new valves were added to
reach this goal. |
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The first valve is
installed with the AB common threaded to the AB common of the existing
thru-hull fitting. This gave me two inlets to the overboard thru-hull. One
inlet will service the head inflow, the other will service the waste pump.
The waste pump can empty the holding tank, if needed. |
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THE BIG DECISION...I
decided to create a new access hole to these hidden head hoses! OUCH! If
you are not aware of this, Island Packet built this plumbing with the
countertop OFF. The plumbing includes a vented loop that is SCREWED in
place just under the countertop. The countertop was then permanently
fasten down with 3M 5200 marine adhesive! To compound the issue the cabinet door was
installed from the back with no easy way of removing the door. So, I made
the decision to create an access panel to this area. This cutout in the
cabinet will be trimmed to look like another door. This was radical but it
allowed us to access the plumbing now and service this easily in the
future. This photo shows the old plumbing and the access hole. |
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With the access
hole opened, we could work on enlarging the holes in the base of this
cabinet. These hoses were pinching the lines between the hull and the deck mold. The
hose in this picture comes from the head, then makes a 90 degree turn
upwards towards the countertop where the siphon vent is mounted.
You can see how we drilled out the base of this cabinet
to relieve the hose. This made the installation of the new hose a lot
easier. DANGER...be careful when drilling into this base. The hull
is right under the cabinet! |
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WHY DO THIS JOB?
This photo is the reason we needed to do this job. This is the hose that
runs from the head to the siphon valve. This hose will always have sewage
or water trapped in this section due to the system design. The build up on
the hose walls is what is created when saltwater and urine mix. |
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The siphon vent had
the same problem. This is the vent that is mounted just under the
countertop. |
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The 12' section
from the siphon vent to the thru-hull is removed. |
| All old
plumbing has been removed! DAY 1 |
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We expanded the hole
for the new hose making it easier to pull through. |
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The old vent line
was kinked where it made a 90 degree bend heading aft. |
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The new toilet and
new hoses along with the new siphon vent are installed.
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The rough in of the
valves and new hoses w/labels. |
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Another angle
showing the pump. |
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Completed
installation with lines labeled. Pump board needs to be painted.
A view looking aft into the port side center settee compartment. |
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The port settee
lockers and the installation location. |
| Here are
some extra photos... |
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We all need to know
these parts inside and out! |
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The job in progress, one day before we are leaving for
our first big trip!
Honestly, with another person's help the job went
better than expected. Especially if you are lucky enough to have Rob on your
side. The real issue is getting to the old vent loop and removing the old hoses. That is
the worst part of the job. Allow 2 full days, and lots of trips to West
Marine, to complete this job with 2 people. |
