Peggie Hall wrote:

You have a whole bunch of problems, Steve...

Stephen Trapani wrote:

Your first problem:

When we use the head (a Groco Type K) and pump it out, the waste
comes out the holding tank vent line.

I meant when I pump the toilet...


This seems impossible to me. First of all, the tank itself is
empty...

It can't be. You may THINK it is because you've pumped out or dumped the
tank till nothing more comes out, but your tank has to be full to
overflowing for waste to be forced out the vent and fittings on the top
of the tank.

Okay, then I'm thinking logically, just going insane. Or I really do
have a magic head! ;-) It's a plastic tank, I can see it's empty. I can
move the tank around with one hand, it's light like it's empty (It's not
tied down). I'm not there atm, I'll triple check it again this weekend.
If it's full, I'll check in to the nearest psych ward.

It was totally full when I first bought the boat, I unscrewed the
fittings at the top of the tank, sucked it all out from there with a
power vac (because the boat was in dry dock and I had to move the tank
to do some work on the shaft), disconnected the tank completely and
pulled it out, rinsed it out, put it back in and reconnected everything
(possibly reversing the pump-out, which I connected to the fitting near
the bottom of the tank, and the line from the head, which I connected to
the fitting near the top of the tank; both of these are on one side of
the tank).

Since then we've used the head an entire weekend, with waste coming out
the vent line the whole time, I think. The vent can't be plugged, it's
functioning as the entire discharge for the system! I've been watching
the tank, it's right there in the starboard cockpit locker, never seen
it collect waste. I haven't checked any of the lines yet though.

The tank vent attached at the top of the tank *definitely* stops right
there at the top, it's connected with a hose clamp, I reconnected it
myself, there is nothing connecting the vent line to the bottom of the tank.

When I get time, um next on the list right after I try out my new sails,
I'll take everything apart like you said, but...

Once you've done that, if it were my boat, I'd pull out the the whole
system, rebuild the toilet while it's out of the boat, and reinstall
everything correctly...with all new hoses--including the vent line--a
new y-valve (or maybe not--nor any macerator to dump the tank
either--unless you're in coastal water that offer immediate access to
open sea at least 3 miles from the nearest point on the whole US
coastline...'cuz it's illegal flush directly overboard OR dump a tank in
ALL inland waters including the Great Lakes and any coastal waters
inside the "3 mile limit".)...reconnect it to the intake
thru-hull--which I suspect you've mistaken for a head discharge
thru-hull...I'll bet the PO "converted" it when he connected the intake
to the fresh water system.

.... could be, but the '79 Hunter 33' couldn't have been designed without
a head discharge thru-hull, could it? Maybe it Y'd into the sink
discharge? Should I try to run it to there?


The Hunter Owners Website at http://www.hunterowners.com/ is an
excellent resource for any information you need about anything on your
boat.

You're right. I recently saw an owners manual posted there for the '80
H33, I just couldn't figure out how to download the pdf file onto my
ibook, I just got a page with a picture of the manual.



Groco can supply you with a manual for your toilet that includes
directions for installing and plumbing it correctly. And I think you'll
find the link in my signature useful too.

Yes, once I get my elbows into this mess I think I'll have both of those.

If you still have questions, I'll be glad to answer 'em.

Thanks! hey what do I get if I manage to stump the head mistress? an in
person consultation?? ;-)

Stephen