where is the vacuflush fuse?

[Pelikan]

'hello all,
I am scratching my head here. i have a 2007 290 SLX twin engine (gas) sea ray. Last season the vacuflush system generated vacuum and worked well this season i can not get it to flush. the switch to the fresh water is on and i hear that pump run for a few seconds. the vacuum switch was replaced already with new one. the motor on the vacuflush unit does not run to generate vacuum therefor no flushing action. I cannot find a switch or breaker marked "head system" and I do not seem to have power coming from the connector that the vacuflush system motor is plugged into.

common sense tells me breaker or fuse,,, put where do i find that in this boat??

thanks

 

[jmcdboater]

Hi, welcome to the club. Some systems will have that pump controlled with the ‘Water System’ breaker. Have you tried tracing the wiring from the pump to a breaker?

 

[Fill Ess]

Do you have the macerator option? If so is the head breaker on the same panel where you activate the macerator?

If not -- do you have a Head System breaker on the main 12V DC panel?

 

[Lazy Daze]

I thought there was a breaker directly above the key switch (the key switch that turns the vac system on)?

 

[Pelikan]

Thanks jmcdboater,
I have traced the wires back to the main wire bundle running down the starboard side and then it gets lost in the main bundle. I turn the water switch on and I hear it turn on for a few seconds and prime water lines. I get water to the bowl but I do not hear the vacuflush pump run to exercise the bellows to build the vacuum and I know the vacuflush tank is without vacuum as i have had it open to atmosphere meaning it needs to build vacuum first thing. so with water switch on still not building vacuum in the vacuflush system with its motor and bellows. even more frustrating I can not get my multimeter into the water proof connector that brings the power to the vacuflush motor to try and read if i have 12 v DC tot he connector

 

[Pelikan]

Phil and lay days,
I do have the macerator option and the single key in the bathroom. being on fresh water lake in NC i cannot run the macerator and discharge over board. When I had it working last year the key was in the off position and not needed to be on to run the vacuflush system. i did turn that key on however, to try the vacuflush and I hear the macerator pump run and the panel light up but the vacuflush motor still did not turn on to create vacuum needed. do you think the vacuflush breaker is still in that macerator control panel even though the key does not need to be turned on, both macerator pump and head vacuflush pump breaker in that panel even though the key only controls the macerator pump?
on the main DC panel located on the port side of the boat above the two ignition keys there is not fuse or breaker labeled "head" so i do not see one there and none of those breakers on that panel are tripped either. the breaker panel in the engine area on the port sid ehas no breaker labeled "head" nor the breaker panel under the helm where you feet go has "head" breaker label

i have no key switch to turn on the vacuflush the only key is on the Macerator control panel to turn on the macerator pump. I will try and get pics...

I will also pull the macerator pump panel out and see if i see some breakers there

 

[Lazy Daze]

The key should turn one position to "on" to activate the vac pump. You would then have to turn it further (and hold) to activiate the mac pump. Is that different than you're experiencing?

FYI, they will sound the same as each other (assuming you have the OEM macerator).

You should have a breaker for both the head and the mac on the panel, right?

 

[jmcdboater]

Do you have a 12V power source you can attach to the vacu-flush pump directly? That would at least eliminate one huge unknown…is pump working correctly. If it starts up and runs correctly, enabling the vacu-flush system to work correctly, I’d run a new 12V line from the nearest power source, maybe you can find a fuse block with an open fuse that you could use. If not, install an in-line fuse in new line, and get back to enjoying the water!

 

[Pelikan]

yes that is my next step, to bring on board another battery and connect it to the pump leads and see if the pump actuates...like you said it eliminates 70% of the possible issues.
Seems like it should be simpler like a darn breaker labeled "head" on the main DC breaker panel. thanks for confirming my next thought!! other thought is check the wiring to the vacuum switch itself and be sure I wired it to the correct posts but I wanted to at least confirm i had power to the darn motor

 

[Pelikan]

Lazy daze.,

you have me thinking know. I have owned the boat for 3 years now and ever since owning it I never turned that key on and the vacuflush worked but I admit we don’t use it that often. I did turn it one position and the panel lit up tank showed empty and I believe the MAC motor activated and then turned off. I do not recall the vacu flush motor activating and building pressure but I wonder if I been not turning that key on burned out the motor to the vacuflush? I gonna try it again this weekend, the owners manual does not help much in this area.

 

[gerryb]

check the key. It might have been turned off inadvertently. Also bring a multimeter with you and check for voltage going into the key assembly with the breaker turned ON at the panel of course. Might be a flaky key assembly. You should be able to jump the wires behind it to have the system receive voltage and work with the key assembly completely bypassed.

 

[Lazy Daze]

I did turn it one position and the panel lit up tank showed empty and I believe the MAC motor activated and then turned off.

The macerator won't turn back off by itself. As I mentioned above, they both sound the same. From you've written, it still sounds like you're activating the vac pump. In other words, normal operation.

 

[km1125]

Is this the waste control panel you have?

 

[Bill Curtis]

Some systems have a a lockout switch on the "Y" valve so macerator / overboard discharge are deactivated unless the "Y" valve is switched over to overboard

 

[Lazy Daze]

Some systems have a a lockout switch on the "Y" valve so macerator / overboard discharge are deactivated unless the "Y" valve is switched over to overboard

And/or the seacock handle. If it's all original, I don't believe his boat uses a Y-valve... just plumbed direct to the macerator.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Pelikan... look in your manual, there should be a picture and description of what I've been talking about. If you have something different than stock, we'll need better descriptions or pictures.

 

[Pelikan]

hey all!!! wanted to say thank you to all. you guys nailed it!! although I feel a little silly but the key to the waste water system panel needs to be turned one position to power the vacuflush pump... that's what I get for not using the bathroom that much. Anyway thanks again,,, I think it is fantastic that the Sea Ray community put this forum together and that you can post your problems here and the community comes together to help a fellow Sea Ray owner.... makes me only want to buy Sea Ray only for any future boats

 

[Pelikan]

KM, yes sir, that the panel... flipping the key to on powered the vacuflush motor and I got the 12 v DC to the motor to activate the vacuum build up. I assume if a turn the key to discharge or second click and hold it the macerator pump will kick on

 

[PeteL]

While on the topic of electricity to the vacuflush, i need to verify that there is only the switch in the 12v panel, and the breakers in the head itself. There is no othe r fuse in the system? I have power to the panel in the head, and I can run the overboard discharge pump, but the vacuum generator motor is not running. I am replacing the vacuum switch next, but want to be sure that there is no other switch or fuse in the system.

 

[TheWolfTC]

While on the topic of electricity to the vacuflush, i need to verify that there is only the switch in the 12v panel, and the breakers in the head itself. There is no othe r fuse in the system? I have power to the panel in the head, and I can run the overboard discharge pump, but the vacuum generator motor is not running. I am replacing the vacuum switch next, but want to be sure that there is no other switch or fuse in the system.

I have worked on or replaced these systems many times and have never seen an inline fuse to the pump motor. Only breaker is the switch at the 12vdc panel.