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seawoof · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Portsmouth, VA

My newly purchased 1981 Endeavour 43 is a wonderful boat, but has its share of problems to be solved...the prior owner's deferred maintenance, you might say. Of them all the most pressing and perplexing is getting the toilets to flush.

After replacing the pumps (one I rebuilt, the other is new) onthe Raritan PEII toilets, I expected one problem to be solved. But NO! Neither pumps the bowl clean, which is rather disgusting. I had someone come out to pump out the holding tanks but they said they were empty because nothing came out. Granted, this could be a worse problem, although a thump test on the aft tank reveals that it is empty or nearly so.

Given that fact, it would seem the aft head would pump dry or at least pump without back pressure. This led me to look for the Y-valve to be certain it was set for the holding tank, not overboard. And that is the reason for this message.

When I removed the panel on the port side beneath the bed, I found the holding tank and lots of hoses, but no Y-valve. There is, however, a gate valve, the purpose of which I haven't discovered. Looking under the deck panel just outside the aft head, I found valves connected to thru-hulls that are apparently for engine cooling water based on the warning tags cautioning not to operate the engine without them being open. There was one other thru-hull that seemed to be connected via a seacock to a sanitation hose, but it looked like it was in the open position.

Anyone who can enlighten me as to where to find the Y-valves and any related thru-hulls and seacocks will have my eternal gratitude. Any other suggestions are also welcome.

Thanks,
Jimmy

Scruplese43 · Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 3 Location: New Bern, NC

Both fwd and aft head should be plumbed directly to the holding tank. From the holding tank there should be a "Y" valve to direct the outflow to either the deck clean out or the macerator pump. The macerator pump should additionally have a thru hull valve that would normally be closed.

I suspect that the old dried up sanitation hoses that are connected to all the responsible parts have collapsed and need replacement. It is not an impossible job but you have to disassemble a fair amount of the related cabin (fwd or aft) inorder to access all the parts.

Let me know if you need some more specific details.

I have a 1981 E43 Ketch and I have been through the drill.

Bob
Scruples

seawoof · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Portsmouth, VA

Hi Bob,
My E43 ketch has two holding tanks, one beneath the portside of the aft berth, the other beneath the forward berth (which I haven't been able to access due to many items stored there by the PO). I haven't located a macerator pump for the aft holding tank, but the deck pumpout is on the starboard side deck, just about directly across from the holding tank.

Where the large sanitation hose goes from the toilet aft to the holding tank is a large gate valve with a turning handle that looks like a large garden hose turnoff. If this is the Y-valve, it is like none I've ever seen, either in person, in catalogs or on-line. For example, there is no provision for locking the valve in the holding tank position, as CG regs require.

The same pretty much goes for what I think is the seacock on the thru-hull for pumping waste directly overboard. It is located under a teak deck plate immediate outside the aft head. Instead of the typical lever of vinyl-covered stainless, this has a thin, fairly short handle. Currently, it is in the upright position, pretty much in-line with the sanitation hose. Normally this would mean it is open.

So far I haven't been able to locate a holding tank vent. If there is one and it's clogged, that would account for the back pressure, as would the absence of a vent.

The trouble I'm having is not really knowing what I'm looking at because of significant differences on my E43 than other boats I've seen. For example, I've completely replumbed my Columbia 30, including installing a water heater, a holding tank and replacing all water hoses. I even replaced the toilet and head & galley faucets.

It's just that my Endeavor is, well, different. And BIG!

Details and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks, Jimmy

bsoulier · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: E43 Holding Tank

Hi Jimmy,

Check the other side of the wall directly behind the toilet. The "output" of the toilet goes through the way and my E43 has a 3-way valve right on the other side of that wall. It's not even in the same compartment as the holding tank. Follow the hoses from the toilet (if you can).

I agree with Bob that the macerator and holding tanks should be setup as he says. But, my E43 was not setup that way when I bought her. I've replaced / upgraded the forward holding tank from 10 gal to 28 gal and installed a macerator pump on the "output" side of the tank.

Let me know if this helps.
_________________
Bill Soulier
s/v Second Wind

RTIME · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Pasadena, Maryland

I SURE CAN Relate...I just finished replacing that gate valve in the aft head holding tank area - what a POS...I deferred doing it for some time since the forward head was working fine and we just never had a need for 2 heads.
Had more pressing maintenance issues to deal with.
RTime
Bob

RTIME · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Pasadena, Maryland

BTW...If you really want to know how those gate-valve set ups are supposed to work drop me a line, but you dont want to know.. every book i've read says never to use a gate valve - I replaced mmine with a Y-valve that works great.
RTIME

bobfnbw · Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 75

On my E40 the heads were in bad shape, and the holding tanks leaked, and stunk.
I ripped out the aft toilet and tank, threw them away. the setup was toilet to y valve, then to holding tank, or overboard d/c or pumpout. There was a anti syphon up high as well.

The foreward toilet is needing rebuild. The 15 gal holding tank stinks.
I plan to replace boath with lavac toilets, and custom build ronco holding tanks, toilets to use fresh water to flush, from toilet to tank, then macerator pump to obd or deck pumpout. I though of using a airhead composting toi8let for one of them but in the end went against it.
but at this time it is a lower priority for me.

RTIME · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Pasadena, Maryland

Jimmy,

On my 43 both the vents for the holding tank are located on the starboard side - small vents about the diameter of a nickel.

I just replaced the forward one with a stainless steel screened gas line vent. worked great.

The 1st place to look for venting - is look at your holding tanks - there are or should be 3 hoses - 2 larger diameter one for discharge and one for intake, the 3rd smaller hose -- on mine centered between the other 2 hoses is the vent hose.

The foward holding tank vent is run up above the intake and discharge hoses behind the corner panel. - very hard to get your hand up there to replace - I know, just did it.

The aft vent - why they did it is run all the way over to the starboard side opposite of the holding tank - How to access and service or replace ( which is on my list ) without removing headliner and panels I have no idea yet. luckily the vent is not blocked, just the end cap on the outside hull is knocked off - PO got a bit close to a piling?.

Good luck

Bob
R'Time

bobfnbw · Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 75

On my E40, the hos es go up behind the head cabinet, there is a access panel there with maybe 8 screws, removed then and you will have access to what you need, the vented loop, the vent and the deck fill. Also on our aft head is access to the foreward end of the propane locker.
Not hard at all.