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Head Holding tank Vent Line

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/21/2011 : 04:06:30

Decided to replace the vent line and fitting Sunday. Got up to the boat Saturday night and just dropped asleep after doing a 66 mile bike ride. I was surprised how much that affected my ability to get around on the boat but it was a gruntfest. Easy job that just goes on forever. 3 trips to 3 stores. New vent, new socket to fit the old vent, vent was not centered in the hole when installed. Grommit to get the vent fixture up off the deck so water does not roll in. Battery operated dremmel tool to drill out around the old nut so the socket would fit over the nut. Adapters so the line size could change. West Marine, Auto Zone, and Home Depo...

Thank Goodness I was doing the work alone, no one else would have believed such a small job could take all day. But hey.. Another rusty nut off the boat!

Ray in Atlanta, Ga.
"Lee Key" '84 Catalina 25
Standard Rig / Fin Keel

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2011 : 06:01:07

Ya gotta love spending more time traveling to inconveniently located stores than actually working on the boat, but it does seem to be the rule.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2011 : 19:57:38

Sounds like me replacing a ceiling fan at home yesterday. I've replaced numerous ceiling fans in the past but it's never taken me 7 hours like it did yesterday. Home Depot and Lowes 3 times total.

When I got done I turned on the switch and nothing happened. If I hadn't been on vacation for the past week I would have had a hole in the wall about the size of my fist. Instead I just casually walked into the garage and got my multimeter to start trouble-shooting. Turns out you have to have the light kit plugged in for it to work!

Edited by - on

NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 05:40:16

Do you need the factory vent? I don't know why it's run outside or with a screen that small bugs could crawl through?

I removed the hose and put a valve cover breather filter on top of the tank:

Edited by - NautiC25 on 03/22/2011 05:41:34

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 06:35:35

Left is old vent, right new. I've gotta make a better gasket.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 07:01:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by NautiC25
 Do you need the factory vent? I don't know why it's run outside or with a screen that small bugs could crawl through?

I removed the hose and put a valve cover breather filter on top of the tank:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The line is run to the outside so methane gas and possible noxious odors are not vented to the inside.

Edited by - dlucier on 03/22/2011 07:02:10

NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 07:39:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by NautiC25
 Do you need the factory vent? I don't know why it's run outside or with a screen that small bugs could crawl through?

I removed the hose and put a valve cover breather filter on top of the tank:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The line is run to the outside so methane gas and possible noxious odors are not vented to the inside.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
We're talking about the water holding tank aren't we?

Woops, just re-read the title of the thread.

Edited by - NautiC25 on 03/22/2011 07:41:28

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 09:14:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by NautiC25
 We're talking about the water holding tank aren't we?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Is there a check valve on your fresh water tank breather/filter? I'm envisioning the tank emptying out while the boat is heeling a bit. The cap on my fresh water tank has a tiny vent hole in the center of it presumably as a breather. I sealed this hole after discovering water was dribbling out of it.

Edited by - on

Downbucket
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 10:15:10

Hi Ray:

Your story reminded me of my close encounter with the vent hose on Wingapo. During the summer of 2009 I noticed a nasty odor everytime the head was flushed. Thinking that the K.O. might have gone bad, I purchased another bottle, pumped out the holding tank and added the proper amount of K.O. Things seemed to be okay until the end of boating season when the nasty odor surfaced again. Since there was so little time left for sailing I decided to wait until spring, 2011. (After all, why do something today when you can put it off until later.) Lest you ask, I pumped out the holding tank before haul out.

O.K. it's now spring, 2010, Wingapo is in the water and I remembered the "smell" so, I decided it was time to investigate. My first thought was maybe the vent hose was clogged so I disconnected the end attached to the fitting leading to the outside deck and proceeded to take a huge, deep lung air breath and blew into the hose to see if it was plugged. It was! Two seconds after blowing, my air, accompanied by some nasty liquid raced back up the hose splattering onto my face. Yuk! After wiping the liquid off and applying liberal amounts of sanitizer, I brilliantly concluded that there was blockage. I then disconnected the other end and blew, gently, until I dislodged some nasty looking "stuff."

Someday I'll tell the story of replacing the decayed rubber bladder holding tank filled with . . .

Will

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 11:08:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Downbucket
 My first thought was maybe the vent hose was clogged so I disconnected the end attached to the fitting leading to the outside deck and proceeded to take a huge, deep lung air breath and blew into the hose to see if it was plugged. It was! Two seconds after blowing, my air, accompanied by some nasty liquid raced back up the hose splattering onto my face. Yuk! After wiping the liquid off and applying liberal amounts of sanitizer, I brilliantly concluded that there was blockage.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That is too funny! Made me giggle.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2011 : 11:18:55

One time late in the season while on a starboard tack in a breeze, I was alerted that I needed a pumpout by the river of blue colored sewage that was emanating from my vent and running down the sidedeck to the scupper.

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2011 : 22:01:41

I have used a clear vent line for my portapotty holding tank for years. The main prevention for a blocked hose is slope. Allow no low bend to hold waste that can ferment and grow creatures. The line can vent unwanted gases and pressures. The check of the vent fitting has to be each season as a flying beetle or wasp can make a plug of mud for setting up house keeping. Blowing on the line is one of the best methods to check, just don't suck and stay out of the line of fire.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2011 : 09:15:58

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sweetcraft ...and stay out of the line of fire.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I guess we all learned about that--right here. (I'm gonna have the picture in my head for the rest of the day.

)

A vent line on a bladder-type holding tank would seem problematic, since the tank end is likely to come in contact with the contents any/all of the time, and then internal pressure would tend to push the "stuff" into the line. I wonder if you could put something like a toilet plunger over the deck vent from time to time, push down, and blow out the line...

I guess the non-skid could keep that from working... Maybe a smaller tube you could put over the vent fitting and blow into?

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2011 : 10:03:47

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sweetcraft
 I have used a clear vent line for my portapotty holding tank for years...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I've always heard/read only to use the white, $11/foot hose for anything having to do with the head. Sarge's builder did.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2011 : 03:59:12

<< The main prevention for a blocked hose is slope. >>

Hey Jim, thanks for mentioning that. My previous line ( a temp solution with a check valve ) was clear and you could see buildup/residue where the line dipped. I'll go back and tighten up the run on the new white sanitary line to attempt to prevent any dip in the line.

Ain't it funny, ya don't know what ya don't know....

Edited by - redeye on 03/28/2011 04:00:38

JAB
1st Mate

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USA
38 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2011 : 15:04:33

In the middle of doing the same vent-line and deck-fitting job. Coupla findings:

Removing old fitting...need a special "Plumbers' Wrench," as standard 1-in.-dia deep socket a.) isn't deep enough to get to the nut and b.) has a wall thickness too wide to fit into the access hole in the ceiling. If you've never seen a Plumber's Wrench (and I hadn't), it looks like a 4-in.-long pipe with a hexagon formed in the end. A 1/4-in.-dia rod goes through two through-holes in the other end of the pipe to provide torque.

Removing old fitting, part two...conclude that the new wrench you just bought ain't gonna dislodge the rusted nut from the vent fitting, so go on deck with a Dremel cutoff wheel and decapitate the old fitting. Take solace in the fact that your new Wrench will nicely snug down the nut on the replacement unit.

Replacing vent hose ... as you carry the old, clear-plastic hose to the dumpster and get a whiff of it, contemplate why the Previous Owner didn't use white sanitation-grade hose. No, the clear hose couldn't possibly be original, could it? Catalina wouldn't do that to us.

Installing the new vent deck fitting ... stick a finger into the deck hole and notice the plywood sandwiched between the fiberglass skins is moist. Scheme how to dig out the wet wood core (bent nail chucked in drill as per Don Casey or Dremel milling cutter orbited inside core as per 'Maine Sail') before epoxying and redrilling hole for the vent.

Ah, yes, as Redeye said at the beginning of this post, "such a small job."

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 03/30/2011 : 11:01:38

Thanks Joe.. had to use an adapter cause the elbow out of the tank was 3/4 and needed to go the the vent fitting of 5/8.

Damned Frustrating..

Still don't know the size fitting for the threaded elbow that goes into the tank. Looking for an elbow with a 5/8 barbed fitting.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 03/30/2011 : 11:17:56

I believe I used a 3/4 male thread ( and that would be my tank fitting size ) to a 3/4 male barbed fitting.

So.. I guess I'm looking for a 3/4 male threaded to a 5/8 male barb...

Anybody seen one of these critters?

Edited by - on

Happy D
Admiral

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921 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2011 : 13:59:23

Here ya go Ray,

http://fittingsandadapters.com/malpiptap.html

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Happy D
Admiral

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921 Posts

Response Posted - 04/03/2011 : 16:30:51

Vents are a giant pain in the neck. On my '77, Catalina vented the waist tank our the deck in front of the chain plate on port. I drilled a hole on stbd to match so I could vent the water tank outside. Turns out the deck is too thick for the vents. Even the one Catalina supplied was too short and the nut was on by 1/2 a thread. Looked high and low and could not find a vent that would work.

So I made my own. Bought a piece of 304 SS and machined them on the lathe. Lots of threads. 1" longer than what I could buy. I haven't finished the one on the right but you get the idea.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 04/04/2011 : 04:16:14

<< Turns out the deck is too thick for the vents >>

yepper.. I've had to drill out the deck from the underside to get it thinner for the vent ... the battery operated dremmel has been a blessing.

Thanks for the link Happy and also glad to hear you are Happier D!

Nice vents, and that again makes me smile....Ah Yes...

"Such a Small Job".

Edited by - on

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