Waste water level indicator

[bcassedy]

We got a nasty surprise on our 41' Marquis last night. I've been working on different systems on the boat and spent a good amount of time cleaning up. After a great evening on the back deck, we headed inside. The Admiral commented that the rear berth had an "off" odor. Upon opening the door to the rear berth, we were quite literally hit with a very strong, very unpleasant yucky smell. Opening the head's lid gave us the explanation. The holding tank was full and the rear berth's head, being lower than the forward head, had risen to close to the rim.

The holding tank "Full" indicator, mounted on a panel in the galley (placed on the side of the galley upper cabinets, as you use the stairs from the salon to/from the galley, had NOT tripped to "Tank Full" status. We've had the boat for a couple of years but have used it sparingly, have kept an eye on the tank level alert indicator and hadn't noticed it ever tripping. It appeared the PO hadn't been honest in his assertion that the holding tank had been pumped out prior to the sale of the boat.

So, we're fairly comfortable in the assumption that the tank's full and the level indicator is 'kaput'.

There's a pump out station at a nearby marina so we can address that fairly quickly.
Question to the forum....
(Thinking the indicator could be the original from 1988...)
- Has anyone serviced the waste system where the indicator was found to be faulty?
(tank is plastic, line leading to tank is PVC, rubber hoses connecting rigid pipe to tank.)
- visibility to much of tank impeded by starboard water tank, where is/what type of waste level indicator might be there?
- Have you ever replaced the level indicator system and how?

Thanks!
Bill C.

PS.... Hope readership gets back to earlier levels. There's so much on this site that's extraordinarily useful!!

[GB49]

I just serviced a unit from 2011 that had failed partially. I found the wire harness from the sending unit has corroded butt connectors. After replacing 6? (2 wires for each level indicator) butts I found the floats were not working due to "fecal crystallization", pulling the floats down. Had to remove the sending unit (unscrew it from plastic tank), remove the rubber floats and hammer them to bust off the crystallization. Note about the floats, they must go back on the same orientation they came off and also they are held on by plastic Jesus clips.
You may not have the same tank indicator but its going to be a $hitty job no matter what. Also CLR did nothing to dissolve the buildup on the floats.

Good luck,
Karl

[bcassedy]

Thanks Karl! (Belated reply - sorry...)
Going to go with Scad Monitoring System

https://www.sailorssolutions.com/?page= ... em=TM1#top

Put this on 32' and worked well. An independent look (big body, not so big area to crawl in) into wine cellar verified:
- wherever the original sensor is, it wasn't placed by tank makers to be easy to get to (aka - somehow remove starboard water tank)
- leave old sensor in place
- there is room enough to clean outside of tank well with alcohol
to allow fixing aluminum sensor tape for scad system!
- routing of wires easy enough to do.

[GB49]

I have never seen that monitoring system. Very slick!!!

[bcassedy]

Bit of aww snit... PO's "yes, all systems work...
Have been down in wine celer and there appeared to be some oddities... UNDERSTATEMENT
Took boat down to local marina with pump out. Bit of a time constraint as the owner of our marina was throwing a party qhich we very much wanted to attend. A very good non-BigM buddy was with us. I wasn't sure of the procedure for pump out but the instructions at the station were clear enough. Buddy was watching for possibly too much suction in tank causing implosion (very bad thing). As 1st time attempt to pump out I thought (bad thing!!) that things were going well. Nah, baby, noh... When we thought the tank was empty (buddy shining flash lights on tank trying to determine waste level), I tried flushing tank out. Immediate alert from buddy that there was water coming into the wine cellar area! I determined that the pump out hose was totally disconnected from the tank and the only thing we'd been sucking out was air! . Figured out what needs to bee done. PO (or PPO) had installed a diverter valve AND macerator pump BUT hadn't hooked up pump out line. And the electrics need to be sorted out.

Have order a SCAD tank monitoring system and will install that, fix the disconnected hose and get macerator pump (with switch) connected.

I love boating!!!
It's the jerk PO's I dislike!!!!

Bill

[Fastjeff]

Everyday I'm glad I've become a kayaker!

Sorry, but it's the truth.

Jeff

[bcassedy]

Jeff
Kayaker now, true. Former owner - priceless!!!
I've got copies of your past 'How to's' listing's saved. They are so worth having. And for you're having posted them, I, and others, thank you!
Hope you still have the "go fast dinghy" you built and are getting use from it!

Bill
Bill

[Fastjeff]

No, that's gone too. When I reached 80 everything started slowing down...

Still love Marinettes, though, and I see one now and then.

Old Jeff