E32-3 Holding Tank Pumpout

[Kenneth K]

While my 85 E32 is on-the-hard I’ve replaced 2 frozen Marelon seacocks (though Ericson “seacocks” are ball valves attached to nut-backed thru-hull stems).

The head compartment has 3 thru-hulls: 1=seawater intake for head + sink drain, 2=direct pumpout of head, 3=pumpout of holding tank via a whale-gusher hand pump). The valve I replaced was #3 (Yes, as the posts always say..... wear gloves. Wish I had).

With the new valve in place, I attempted to pump out the holding tank into a plastic bucket. Never know what to expect in a situation like this, but the PO did a pretty good job of winterizing after last year, and the boat hasn’t been used since. I was hoping for mostly anti-freeze and water during the extraction.

After 50 or so strokes on the whale-gusher pump handle (it's mounted just below the sink), I couldn’t get any fluid out of the tank. I know there is at least 1 1/2 gal in there as I flushed a gallon+ of deodorizer and water down the head a month ago.

Any tricks to getting an old whale gusher (that may not have been used in 15 years) to pump. Does it need to be primed somehow before pumping?

Thanks,

Ken

 

[Christian Williams]

It's a diaphragm pump and should be self-priming. Check this thread, though.

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?8141-Whale-Gusher

 

[Shelman]

Kenneth,
If you use the pump regularly and cost is not a limiting factor I can recommend replacing it with an electric alternative. I have one made by whale and it empties the tank in two minutes with no pumping.

This is the whale gulper that I used as a replacement for the gusher ten that was the pump out item you are dealing with.

this is the whale titan that I used as a replacement for the gusher ten in the cockpit. It has different bolt pattern but a nice upgrade.

If you don't frequently use the pump or want to keep everything as simple as possible the original whale gusher is still available new, or as Christian stated you can buy rebuild kit if it is in good enough shape. another option is the Whale Titan which is the newer version and has many upgrades over the old one including being less prone to corrosion.

Here is some reading on my blog about the titan install. http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/entry.php?274-Manual-Bilge-Pump-Upgrade

 

[Rocinante33]

I replaced ours with a newer manual Whale diaphragm pump many years back.

When we were offshore, we had a tough time getting ours to pump out. We put the boat on a port tack (the tank is on the port side) and then we were able to empty it. When we got back, I found a partially clogged vent line.

 

[Christian Williams]

FWIW, I now have pretty much all diaphragm pumps, and they come with a caveat:

The bilge has to be kept clean, and there should be a strainer filter on the line. As we have all found, even small debris can disable them.

My problem has been kids. They love using the head. They, er, tend not to read placards. I ask that they just use the head, not pump it. At the end of the day, when I open the seat, it often opens my eyes (and nose). But at least I can retrieve a popsicle stick or gummy bear before the diaphragm pump does.