Vacuflush Quit

P

PJS

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Cleaned the boat last weekend to prepare for winter haulout. Vacuflush head wouldn't flush. No suction and no sound. What should I look for first?
 
I just recently had this happen after a rather large load. I cleared mine by holding the pedal down letting water flow by gravity for about 30 seconds and it hasn't failed since. This was after I checked to male sure the breaker hadn't popped. Good luck. Regards Bill
 
well, if the pump is not running, adding water isnt' going to help. sometimes flushing a lot of water indeed helps clear stuff stuck in the DBs

if you dont' hear anything and the pump is not running, check switches, breakers, etc... check to power at the pump. check the vac switch too, maybe a wire is unscrewed there.
 
Where'd the water go when you flushed it if there was no vacuum? Sounds like you have a clogged line, probably close to the toilet. If so, rather than pushing it through try to bring it back up.
 
you cant' really clog the line on a VF because the smallest opening is at the bottom of the head. anything that makes it thru there gets chopped up in the venturi effect when it's suddenly sucked in by the vac build up. the only place were something get get stuck and clog is the duckbill at the pump inlet (on a single head/single pump system)
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

you cant' really clog the line on a VF because the smallest opening is at the bottom of the head. anything that makes it thru there gets chopped up in the venturi effect when it's suddenly sucked in by the vac build up. the only place were something get get stuck and clog is the duckbill at the pump inlet (on a single head/single pump system)

Click to expand...


You're wrong Pascal.
 
well, let me rephrase this then... in 6 years with a single head vacuflush, and now in 4 years with 3 Vacuflush, I have NEVER gotten a clog that was not either at the bottom of the head (in the venturi) or at the duck bill... let see : 4 years x 3 heads thats 12 head-years + 6... 18 head-years :-)

seriously it's all physics... the venturi at the bottom of the head is 60% of the size of the sanitation hose... if something passes thru the venturi, it will make it to the DB.
 
Well if we're keeping score on vacuflush head years I have nearly 8 times the head years you have. Instead I'll just repeat my earlier post since it applies most often with his type of vacuflush problem.

"Sounds like you have a clogged line, probably close to the toilet. If so, rather than pushing it through try to bring it back up."
 
good for you... but maybe you want to explain your post since it defies logic. the nice thing about these forums is that we all learn something, but short "you're wrong" post serve no purpose...

once something is past the venturi, chances are you can't bring it back up... it's not going to make it thru due to the shape of the base...

now if by "close to the head" you mean before the base, then yes... dont' force it thru.
 
I answered his question Pascal and made it very clear, that's I all intended to do. You're usually pretty reasonable and helpful but sometimes you seem to want to disagree for the sake of an argument, it's not worth it.
 
just trying to understand how something can make it thru a 1" hole and then get stuck in a straight 1 1/2" line... that's all. but you're rigth, this is silly...
 
I had a clog like this and called a tech. He bypassed the upper control limit switch and ran the pump after it had reached its shut off point. I watched the water in the bowl and nothing was happening at first. He was about to give up out of concern for damaging the accumulator tank when all of the sudden....woosh!! Problem solved. He mentioned something like, "You are one lucky dude." Actually, I think he was the lucky one. Too much paper can clog these things, but that's the only issue we've had in many years. It's a pretty good mousetrap.
 
I really don't know what happened but I went to flush the toilet a 2nd time after a large load to make sure the hoses were washed and nothing happened, no pump running the water just slowly exited the toilet, there was no vacuum. Once it re-filled I stepped on the pedal held it down about 20 seconds and the pump just started running. It has worked fine ever since well about 50 flushes so far. I checked the pressure switch, wiring at the vacuum pump and the circuit breaker at the panel everything is solid. I can't explain it other than that is what worked for me. I have the newer version where the vacuum pump and tank are one assembly. Take care. Bill
 
In a case like that sometimes letting it sit will allow the toilet paper to disolve and it will start working on its' own. A simple clog.
 
the pressure switched do fail but for a time they will seem to recover.
 
This reminds me of the story about the monkey swallowing the cue ball. Pascal is right on.
 
Actually, it depends on the setup. A few years ago our fwd head pumped excessively. To make a long, ugly story short: the accumulator, which is located about 1/3 of the way down the line for the fwd head had to be removed and banged on the dock. All kinds of foreign items were dislodged, including cotton-tailed mice, q-tips and handy wipes.

Over time, calcification/"crystalization" built up within the tank and the hoses and it acted like barbs that caught things on their way back that may have otherwise traveled further. (not that that would've been a good thing, considering the nature of the items)

So now I have a regular routine dosing the system with vinegar to battle build-up, and no matter how awkward, guests get a detailed lesson on MSD usage.
 
OK, thanks for the help. I'll be moving the boat to be hauled later today so I'll start checking for clogs at the toilet and if needed check the wiring (not easy to get to!).
 
It was clogged with toilet paper at the venturi in the base of the toilet. Not a pleasant task but an easy fix. Thanks for telling me where to look.
 
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