Ranger 29CB Macerator Issue

[cstooks]

All,

New owner here, I am having an issue with the macerator in my 2017 29CB. When I turn the switch on the macerator runs (can easily hear it going) but nothing gets pumped overboard. The toilet is working great and I recently pumped out and rinsed twice in hopes that it would clear any clog. I also could not detect any blockage from the thru hull on the outside. Any ideas? Was working great for the past month, but now nothing. I am assuming if the macerator went bad, there would be no sound when the switch was turned on.

Chris

 

[dexmot74]

Did you flip the seacock under the bed? Otherwise it's not open for overboard discharge...

 

[cstooks]

I did not know that, but have not touched it since I purchased the boat (its located on Vancouver Island) and it was working fine until last week.

 

[dexmot74]

The lever should be in closed/locked position unless macerator is being used. Its law in the USA to have it zipped tied in locked position. Eventually Canada will do the same I'm guessing.

 

[RichBirk]

If the overboard valve is open, try back flushing with water. The macerater may have lost its prime. That fixed it for me.

 

[cstooks]

Dumb question, how do I back flush it with water? I pumped out , then filled with water and pumped again, then filled with water and pumped again. I have flushed the treatment bottle along with 2 Q of water but still won’t pump overboard.

 

[scross]

This thread is very, very confusing.
First, if you have an electric toilet, which most current FM boats do have, you should have TWO macerators. The first is built into the toilet itself and grinds up the stuff before it goes into the black water tank. The second discharge macerator, typically controlled by a switch at the helm, is ONLY to be used where legal to do so which in Canada is well offshore.
Normally, you pump out the black water tank using a vacuum hose at a marina. This vacuum pumpout does not involve the macerator. There is a metal cap (labeled WASTE) on the gunwale of the cockpit where you attach the vacuum hose. Putting fresh water down the vacuum pump out opening is typically how you clean out the black water tank with multiple vacuum, fill, vacuum, fill, vacuum cycles.
When you are in a legal area off shore you can use the macerator to pump out the black water tank. There is a 90 degree handle, typically near the macerator pump, that can be turned from closed (normal position for vacuum dump) to open which allows the macerator, when turned on with the helm switch, to pump the black content out a lower discharge port low on the side of the hull.
When not using the macerator, the handle mentioned above must be secured in the closed position.
There are a few exceptions to all of this - like on older FM boats where the discharge macerator was an optional feature and may not be present.
Given all this, could you please take another try explaining the problem you are having using the macerator in a legal off shore dump area.

 

[RichBirk]

Dumb question, how do I back flush it with water? I pumped out , then filled with water and pumped again, then filled with water and pumped again. I have flushed the treatment bottle along with 2 Q of water but still won’t pump overboard.

On our boat there are 3 discharge holes below the window at the helm station. The first (front) is for the sink in the head. Second is the shower sump. The third (most rearward) is the macerater discharge.

In my case I simply pressed a water hose against the macerater outlet and turned the water on for a few seconds.

We use our discharge macerater very seldom. We also trailer our boat and keep it stored on the trailer in the dry. Both factors can contribute to the impeller drying out and not able to pick up and prime itself without a little help. My theory but it worked for me.