How to winterize VacuFlush system

Rocklobster

Rocklobster

New Member
Oct 11, 2006
40
Farifield County, CT
Boat Info
1997 330 Sundancer
Engines
V-Drive, Carb.
Can someone tell me how to winterize the vacuflush system and holding tank for a New England winter? It's the first time I'm winterizing the boat.

I emptied the holding tank to it's minimum level of about 2" high. I then put about 2 gallons of pink A/F down the toilet, which ended up in the holding tank. After the boat was out, I macerated the holding tank into a bucket held under the boat. Needless to say, it wasn't pink and it didn't smell great either! I can't imagine that I was doing it correctly!

How can I be assured that everything on the waste side of the toilet system (holding tank, vauum pump, macerator pump) is winterized.

Thanks, Joe
 
Until you see mostly (dirty)pink coming out, I would be concerned. Maybe you should empty the tank again, and add a few more gallons. Bascially repeat what you have done already.

I sit in the water so don't have the exposure you will have and if it is not 100% pink stuff I am still ok.

Did you run pink stuff thru the water lines and flush until it comes out in the head?
 
I just put 12 gals of pink into my fresh water holding tank, after having drained all water lines and water heater. I then flushed the head several times after the bowl was filling with pink. This weekend I'll pour another gal or so down the waste outlet (where we attach the pump out hose) to mix with what little liquid is left in the waste holding tank. One benefit of this approach is that you can still use the head occasionally if the need arises :smt001
 
What am I missing? Isn't it easier to buy an inexpensive air compressor and blow out all the fresh water thats in your boat....no water=no freezing. For what we pay in anti freeze each year the cost of a compressor will be made up in two or three years plus you have another tool to take up space in the garage.

I have been doing this for the past 5 years and have not had a problem. Am I just lucky? Even though the system needs to be sanitized in the spring, I hate the prospect of having to flush "pink stuff" out of the system.

If I am subjecting myself to some problems that I can't see. :huh:
 
If it works for you Frank, what's the worry. There are only 4 things that can freeze on a vacuflush. 1. The water line that flushes the bowl, 2. the sanitary line and pump to the waste holding tank, 3. the holding tank, 4. the discharge line to the macerator including the pump. Some boats don't have a macerator.

If you get pink in the fresh water system, you cover the first item. Pumping the waste tank reduces the volume to the extent that anything that freezes will have plenty of room to expand and not hurt anything. Once you are pumped out, fill the head with pink and flush. Now you have the sanitary line and pump winterized. If you have a macerator, pour enough pink into the head or pump out fitting to winterize that line. You have to run the macerator until you are satisfied with the color which should be mostly pink. Before you put your boat away keep flushing and pumping your holding tank until the water is clear. This makes the macerator step a lot more pleasant.
 
FWIW I used the macerator to pump that last 2 inches or so into the bucket. As mentioned, not pleasant, but I did this prior to putting the antifreeze in.

Once the pump had little to discharge, I filled the head with the pink stuff as SBW1 said, flushed about 1-2 gallons and then re-started the macerator again. Finally, enough pink discharged to make me confortable.

The fun part is emptying the bucket :smt101
 
I pump out the holding tank, then flush it out with fresh water by spraying fresh water in to the pump out hole and then pumping it out again.

Then, I flush about 1/2 a gallon of pink stuff down the toilet.

That's it.

I do not run the macerator at all.

No problems.
 
searaycruisn said:
I pump out the holding tank, then flush it out with fresh water by spraying fresh water in to the pump out hole and then pumping it out again.

Then, I flush about 1/2 a gallon of pink stuff down the toilet.

That's it.

I do not run the macerator at all.

No problems.
Click to expand...

I didn't know for sure that you can pump fresh water trough the pump out, but it can?

Peter
 
One word of caution after reading these postings. The pink you see come out of your macerator pump may be a diluted solution if there was still waste water in the bottom of the holding tank. As a result you still may not have adequate freeze protection for the macerator pump if the solution is diluted too much. If I was doing the winterizing for a northern winter, I would be pouring the -100 pink stuff down the toilet rather than the typical -50 stuff. The -100 stuff is the type you have to mix yourself and has a lot more freeze protection than the premixed -50 solution.
 
Dave S said:
One word of caution after reading these postings. The pink you see come out of your macerator pump may be a diluted solution if there was still waste water in the bottom of the holding tank. As a result you still may not have adequate freeze protection for the macerator pump if the solution is diluted too much. If I was doing the winterizing for a northern winter, I would be pouring the -100 pink stuff down the toilet rather than the typical -50 stuff. The -100 stuff is the type you have to mix yourself and has a lot more freeze protection than the premixed -50 solution.
Click to expand...

But to clean the most of it, is the possibility to flush it out with fresh water by spraying fresh water in to the pump out hole and then pumping it out again a option??

Peter
 
Running fresh water into the holding tank (using a garden hose) and then pumping it out, will effectively wash out the holding tank.
 
Good point about the freeze prtotection. The key is to get the tank really clean. We rinse and pump until the water being pumped out of the waste tank in completely clear. It looks "drinkable." :smt101 Once that task is done and the tank is as empty as you can get it by pumping, add enough pink so any stuff that makes it to the macerator should be ok. However, that water will be mixed with strong pink from the head which has its water line turned off or is completely winterized with pink. We overdo the pink when stored outside as it is cheap insurance. You can buy a tester to make sure the discharge from the macerator is properly protected.
 
sbw1 said:
Good point about the freeze prtotection. The key is to get the tank really clean. We rinse and pump until the water being pumped out of the waste tank in completely clear. It looks "drinkable." :smt101
Click to expand...

I agree, I probobly should have pumped it out 5 more times at the dock before pulling the boat out, but there were others waiting for the pump out...Anyway, I used the macerator to basically drain what was close to an empty tank. The pink that came out was dark enough for my comfort level, but I guess the -100 would'nt have really hurt for 1-2 gallons. They also make -60 stuff at west marine.
 
I ended up pumping what was left in the tank into a bucket via the macerator.

Then I added 3 more gallons of pink via the pumpout hole. Maceratated once again into the bucket. This time it was pink poo water. Looked good enough for me!

I made one observation while I was macerating into the bucket. When the macerator was turned on for the first time after sitting all week, it took a few seconds to get primed and start pumping. I believe that the fluid will drain out of the macerator pump due to gravity. I don't think it sits in there all winter with risk of freezing.

........Joe
 
Rocklobster said:
Maceratated once again into the bucket ... Looked good enough for me! ...
I made one observation while I was macerating into the bucket.
........Joe
Click to expand...

Joe, you really shouldn't share these kind of things here on the board ... :smt119 ... what you do at home is your business and fine with all of us, but a liiitle tooo much info for me ... :lol:
 
I rinsed and pumped until the water being pumped out of the waste tank was completely clear, than put -100 in.

thanks guys for the tips!

Peter
 
Rocklobster said:
I believe that the fluid will drain out of the macerator pump due to gravity. I don't think it sits in there all winter with risk of freezing.
........Joe
Click to expand...

Actually on my set up the hose that leaves the macerator pump and goes to the valve on the thru hull, has a large loop in it. I assume it functions as the trap. This area may have water in it if you don't pump water thru the macerator.

Mark
 
boatrboy said:
FWIW I used the macerator to pump that last 2 inches or so into the bucket. As mentioned, not pleasant, but I did this prior to putting the antifreeze in.

Once the pump had little to discharge, I filled the head with the pink stuff as SBW1 said, flushed about 1-2 gallons and then re-started the macerator again. Finally, enough pink discharged to make me confortable.

The fun part is emptying the bucket :smt101
Click to expand...

boatrboy,
If I don't use the macerator (always pump out on the station) do I need to worry about this part of line being frozen? I do the same what you described for flushing the pink in the tank via toilet, so I know that my lines and tank are good. But, I never touch that macerator (assuming it's just empty).

Thanks,
Alex.
 
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