Marine Head and Hoses, all Models [Master Thread]

[RonB.]

35-3… ripped out everything related to the head and holding tank. It’s a substantial amount of crap, haha. Put in an AirHead. Problem solved. Actually, several problems solved and some storage space is gained.

 

[Jim Picerno]

I've enclosed some photos of my head and sanitation hoses. There is a 3-way valve connecting the head, the black water tank, and the "overboard" hose. There isn't a macerator or whale gusher pump. The "overboard" hose line is a vented loop rising about 8 inches then down to a thru-hull. I'm going off shore in a couple of weeks, and I'll be needing to pump waste overboard (outside the 3 mile line of course). And I'll need to use the pump on the Raritan head to pump waste overboard. Anyone with a similar setup? Did it work offshore? I guess I'll find out if the Raritan head pump has enough power to move waste up the 8 inch rise of the overboard hose as I don't have time to make notifications. Finally has anyone with a similar setup converted their offshore system to use an electric macerator as a pump, or added a whale gusher pump? Reading through the various threads, it looks like most boats of my vintage had a whale gusher installed at the factory. And looking at that teak cover plate next to my head, maybe mine had one installed originally as well.

 

[peaman]

The "overboard" hose line is a vented loop rising about 8 inches then down to a thru-hull.

I have the same head pump and I have little concern that it can easily pump overboard in your rig. But the 8" rise seems awfully low, especially when the boat is heeled with the head to lee. It may be advisable to keep the overboard through hull closed when not pumping. I wonder how you empty the holding tank. In my 1987 32-3, all waste goes to the holding tank and the Whale pump empties tank to overboard. There is no option (without modification of factory arrangement) to pump from head directly to overboard.

 

[Loren Beach]

The EY factory head plumbing layout in our boat (and other same era Ericson's) has the waste hose from the head go to a Y valve where it can be routed to a holding tank or to another Y valve. That second valve exists to either direct the waste onwards to the 1.5" thru hull for discharge, or to accept waste from another hose that connects to the Whale hand pump in the head compartment. That way the holding tank can be emptied by hand pumping the waste overboard - presumably "legally" out at sea.
Note that the hand pump was fed by another hose from the bottom of the holding tank.
This provides choices, but at the cost of more hoses, valves, and tank connections. When I overhauled our head plumbing, I installed a new larger holding tank and specified that all connections be from the top, with the deck pumpout connection and the one leading to the hand pump being drop tubes to the tank bottom. As another owner noted here at the time, he also did not want possible leaks "in the abyss."

Note B: some EY boats may have had different head discharge setups, installed upon delivery.
Note C: our head plumbing system had/has no vented loops. Never did. We do keep all those thru hulls closed when off the boat.

 

[Christian Williams]

offshore system to use an electric macerator as a pump

A macerator is pretty simple. Pumps waste with flick of a switch, empties holding tank in moments. Installs in hose to offshore outflow.

E381 - Macerator and Accumulator Replacement

Ericson 38 sailboat head plumbing macerator replacement Christian Williams Thelonious II

ericsonyachts.org