Vacuum Pump maintenance

WaterDoc

Member
Nov 14, 2007
37
Tennessee River
Boat Info
1997 Sea Ray 270 DA
Engines
454 Mercruiser w/ Bravo II Drives
I'm getting the boat ready for another season. Is it recommended to lubricate the piston cylinder on the vacuum waste pump? I was thinking maybe a small dab of some all purpose oil. I don't think this cylinder has been lubricated in years.
Any ideas anyone?:huh:
 
So....

The answer to your question is "no."

You have a vacuflush? You having issues with it working?
 
It creates the negative pressure fine. I just figure the cylinder housing should be somewhat lubricated. It just makes sense. I just don't know what > maybe some multipurpose oil. Besides, the pump cycles every 15-25 minutes to keep the pressure and I end up turning it off anyway. I've rewired the vacuum pump to come on when I turn on the macerator now so I don't have to hear the cycling of the vacuum pump. I'll never use the macerator on the Tenn River.
 
If it is coming on every 15-20 minutes then you have a leak. Most likely right there in your bowl. Hold the flush lever down and lubricate the seal in the bowl with vegetable oil and see if it goes away. Once pressure is "built up" with the pump, it should not cycle, ever, unless it is flushed. I have had vacu-flushes in a few boats I have owned and this was always the problem when it cycled. Once it's fixed, never cycled again without flushing.

My 2-cents.
 
Although the toilet bowl seal can leak and it's good to lubricate it occasionally with a little petroleum jelly, if the toilet is holding water, that's probably not it.

I note your boat is 12 years old. Have you ever changed the duckbill valves in it? When they begin to fail, they will allow the vacuum to escape out and the pump will cycle. When they totally fail, you won't get any vacuum... and you'll discover this after 3 people have gone #2.

The bellows pump you refer to does not need to be lubricated. If I were you, I would get a rebuild for the whole assembly and put in a new bellows and 4 new duckbills, put some lithium spray grease on the mechanical joints on the motor connected to the bellows and call it a day.

If you do want to lubricate the internals (because you *really* just want to), you can get some head lubricant stuff from West Marine (or your favorite marine store) that is made by Domitec and you can flush it down the toilet. I've never done that... but I always have someone putting things like toothpicks, pennies, dental floss, and juice box straw wrappers down my system so I periodically disassemble it anyway. (We have a ghost on the boat because NO ONE ever admits this stuff). Come to think of it... Dental floss in the duckbills has the symptom you describe...
 
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Although the toilet bowl seal can leak and it's good to lubricate it occasionally with a little petroleum jelly, if the toilet is holding water, that's probably not it.

I note your boat is 12 years old. Have you ever changed the duckbill valves in it? When they begin to fail, they will allow the vacuum to escape out and the pump will cycle. When they totally fail, you won't get any vacuum... and you'll discover this after 3 people have gone #2.

The bellows pump you refer to does not need to be lubricated. If I were you, I would get a rebuild for the whole assembly and put in a new bellows and 4 new duckbills, put some lithium spray grease on the mechanical joints on the motor connected to the bellows and call it a day.

If you do want to lubricate the internals (because you *really* just want to), you can get some head lubricant stuff from West Marine (or your favorite marine store) that is made by Domitec and you can flush it down the toilet. I've never done that... but I always have someone putting things like toothpicks, pennies, dental floss, and juice box straw wrappers down my system so I periodically disassemble it anyway. (We have a ghost on the boat because NO ONE ever admits this stuff). Come to think of it... Dental floss in the duckbills has the symptom you describe...



Yep, your right. Forgot about those pesky duckbill valves. Good point. Cheap insurance also. Always carry an extra ($10-$12 or so each and easy to replace). If you need to go get one, I believe they are called joker valves also. Depends on who you talk to. Either way, it should not cycle. You have a leak-down issue somewhere, and most likely, it is the bowl seal or joker valve.

I use the lube about 2-3 times a season and don't have any issues anymore......
 
I just called Sea Land Services. Really helpful folks on this. Based upon my year model they were able to tell me exactly what size duck bills to get. Newer models have larger duck bills (go figure).
I purchased the maintenance kit with 2 duck bills and new bowl seal. I'll post when I finish and let y'all know if this easy or not.
 
Mine has been recycling so I would just turn the "head" switch off when finished. I was in the rear bilge area yesterday re filling the trim tab pump and slightly bumped the top holding tank intake hose. The fitting/bushing came out of the tank. I purchased a tube of 3M 5200 and re attached this bushing into the orifice from which it came. There is a 1.25" thread by hose barb fitting that threads into this bushing that I will re-attach along with the 1,25" hose that feeds the tank. I am thinking that this connection may have been my vacuum loss/leak problem...we will see. I am allowing the 5200 to set for 24+ hours before I re-attach...stay tuned.
 
I just called Sea Land Services. Really helpful folks on this. Based upon my year model they were able to tell me exactly what size duck bills to get. Newer models have larger duck bills (go figure).


Have you noticed how fat Americans are becoming? Those duckbill have to change with the times.
 
This being my first VacuFlush I've gotten alot of suggestions on what I need to replace and spare parts to keep.
I called Northeast Sanitation http://www.northeastsanitation.com/ and their tech support was great to deal with. I was going to order a bellows kit along with a few other things to freshen it up(no pun intended) and ended up with a great deal on a new quieter motor that included the bellows kit.
 
This being my first VacuFlush I've gotten alot of suggestions on what I need to replace and spare parts to keep.
I called Northeast Sanitation http://www.northeastsanitation.com/ and their tech support was great to deal with. I was going to order a bellows kit along with a few other things to freshen it up(no pun intended) and ended up with a great deal on a new quieter motor that included the bellows kit.

In the category of FWIW, a lesson I learned the hard way. Always open the sea cock first and then run the pump from the switch that will be on your panel or near the pump. My micro switch on the sea cock was out of adjustment and started the pump without the valve being open. The pressure turned one of the duck bill valves inside out in about 5 seconds.
 
Replaced the duck bills yesterday. Fours Suns has a great 'how to!' The only thing I have to add to his instructions > you'll need a socket set to move the pump bellows. I forgot the socket set on my first trip. We'll see if this helps with the vacuum. BTW Sprink 56 > I rewired too this year. I can't use the macerator on inland waterways anyway > so that's how I temporarily solved the 'cycling issue.' Turn on/off when you use the head. We'll see if new the duck bills help.
 
Did the duck bill yesterday. Had to make 2 trips, needed the socket wrench set to move the bellows pump. We will see if this was it. Got the head seal and new ball, but gonna wait and see if the duck bills hold stop this leak.
 
Since we're on this filthy subject here goes - last season after repeated flushes and pump outs - with the mascerator outlet through hull closed of course, I got a bright idea!

Why not open the through hull and then pump out - thus flushing the mascerator and outlet hose with 'clean' lake water. (There is no room for a shut-off valve between the holding tank and the mascerator pump so the outlet hose is never clean!) You guessed it - the mascerator duck bills didn't like it and the inboard one turned inside out. Of course, while removing the pump about 2-3 gal. of filthy water flowed into my engine room. Not pretty. After repeated washing, I ended up using a dilute Detol sol'n to disinfect the area and get rid of the smell.

Moral: always have the seacock CLOSED when pumping out.

I know, you knew that. Anyway, reminders are free.
Cheers,
Warren
 
I've never had my hands in so much s..t in my whole life. Of course left the gloves at home. I pulled the vacuum tank(what a job that was!) out and put in a new bellow's kit, pump, rubber grommet's and duck bill valves. FYI, the new half clamps on the bellow's have ribs/nubs on them(old ones are smooth) and would not fit in the existing pump. Used the old ones and it works great. Now it's time to replace the clam shell and seal on the toilet. Want to thank Sea Ray ahead of time for not giving an extra 4 inches around the toilet to make this a little easier. Their installer must have toothpick's for arms. Also while I had it out, I took apart the vacuum/pressure switch, cleaned it and put a lube on the O Ring. It was a little sticky.
 
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I think we discussed some time ago having a special "club" for those of us that have had the pleasure of completing this work.. like a special icon next to our avatar like the sponsorship one...
 
I've never been so thankful that my boat has the old school manual head!!:wow:
 
I think we discussed some time ago having a special "club" for those of us that have had the pleasure of completing this work.
This is one of my favorite topics.


There should be a Platypus club. Members should recount in excruciating detail their travails from opening a sealed system full of human excrement.

Clearly others are experts in feces and human waste, but when my vacuflush system failed the first, second and third thing that came to MY mind was how to repair this without delving into that poo.

My system was repaired using a plunger. I worked the offending material back and forth, freeing and “cleaning” the obstruction.

It has worked fine for many years and I always carry a plunger aboard.

In the future, could members please also include pictures when performing the duckbill service to save multiple kilowords? Thank you.
 

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