Sewerage Macerator Bypass

[JPMcG]

I got very tired of worrying that my macerator pump would fail and leave me with a full black water tank –with all the foul ramifications associated with it.
In my Winnebago ERA 170 there is no gravity drain so I decided to make some modifications. I inserted a 1'1/2" sanitary Tee in the line and capped ithe outlet branch with a 1-1/2 NPT fitting.
If need be I can close the slide valves ‘carefully open the cap --expecting a rush of some very foul water” inset a 1-1/2 hose barb and sewer hose to the proper dump site and then drain the tank with gravity. The usual cussing and swearing and hosing and showering of course omitted from this discussion.

http://www.classbforum.com/forums/im...attach/jpg.gif

I did consider a valve on the drain outlet. The plastic valves are so hard to turn I was afraid of breaking the connection and then I'd really be in a world of

[booster]

Several members here have built full dual dumping systems of various types, including us in our Roadtrek 190 Chevy. Some have used a similar system to what you have built, with a manual cap and hose hookup, and others have added an extra gate valve and gravity dump hose connection for a very easy and non messy switchover to gravity dumping if the pump fails.


You can search for posts about "dual dump" systems on this forum to find quite a lot of information that might be an interesting read for you.


Here is a link to the one we put in a number of years ago,


http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f8...up-3279-2.html

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Several members here have built full dual dumping systems of various types, including us in our Roadtrek 190 Chevy. Some have used a similar system to what you have built, with a manual cap and hose hookup, and others have added an extra gate valve and gravity dump hose connection for a very easy and non messy switchover to gravity dumping if the pump fails.


You can search for posts about "dual dump" systems on this forum to find quite a lot of information that might be an interesting read for you.


Here is a link to the one we put in a number of years ago,


http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f8...up-3279-2.html

Is there a significant incidence of macerator failure that doesn't involve owner negligence or abuse?

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

Is there a significant incidence of macerator failure that doesn't involve owner negligence or abuse?

Hard to tell for sure, and I do think the failure rate we hear about lately is less than it used to be. It is possible, though, that people have heard enough about the failures to kind of expect them to happen so we don't hear about them as much. Over the same period, it appears the failure rate hasn't changed noticeably on marine applications, at least from the little bit of looking I have done on the boat forums about it.


Some people have repeated failures and some essentially none, so user style certainly appears to be part of it.


Another part of it could be that a lot of the failures were on the Chevy Roadtreks, and IMO, the installation could be part of the problem. Chevy Roadtrek sales are way down so less units to fail. The pump on the Chevies, and maybe some other Roadtreks, is mounted upside down, which can cause a couple of issues. It puts the inlet of the pump at a higher point in the feed pipe so the area doesn't get pumped out completely, in the upside down position the "weep" hole in the chamber between the pump and motor is pointed up instead of down, so a minor liquid lead will fill the chamber and go into the motor, and also the Roadtrek added rod to the end of the motor so you can turn it to free up a stuck pump removes a solid plug in the motor so water can now get in and destroy the motor. There is a thread with pix on the forum showing it all and how to fix at least some of the issues.


The good thing about having a dual dumping system is that it is invisible when not needed, requires very little attention and maintenance, and the removing of worry about a pump failure is gone completely.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Hard to tell for sure, and I do think the failure rate we hear about lately is less than it used to be. It is possible, though, that people have heard enough about the failures to kind of expect them to happen so we don't hear about them as much. Over the same period, it appears the failure rate hasn't changed noticeably on marine applications, at least from the little bit of looking I have done on the boat forums about it.


Some people have repeated failures and some essentially none, so user style certainly appears to be part of it.


Another part of it could be that a lot of the failures were on the Chevy Roadtreks, and IMO, the installation could be part of the problem. Chevy Roadtrek sales are way down so less units to fail. The pump on the Chevies, and maybe some other Roadtreks, is mounted upside down, which can cause a couple of issues. It puts the inlet of the pump at a higher point in the feed pipe so the area doesn't get pumped out completely, in the upside down position the "weep" hole in the chamber between the pump and motor is pointed up instead of down, so a minor liquid lead will fill the chamber and go into the motor, and also the Roadtrek added rod to the end of the motor so you can turn it to free up a stuck pump removes a solid plug in the motor so water can now get in and destroy the motor. There is a thread with pix on the forum showing it all and how to fix at least some of the issues.


The good thing about having a dual dumping system is that it is invisible when not needed, requires very little attention and maintenance, and the removing of worry about a pump failure is gone completely.

I believe The Avion Azur and some LTV models incorporate the macerator into the toilet itself. Does this arrangement make addressing a macerator problem easier or harder than the typical outboarded arrangement?