macerator pumps, Liberty Coach

[ken&ellen]

This post only after I have climbed under and in my waste water bay.
There is a MAC switch on the dash and a macerator spec sheet in my stack of manuals, BUT I can not find either the pump itself or the discharge valve. According to the literature the pump discharges through a 1" pipe, but I suspect that maybe it really discharges through the 3" main valve. Any Liberty owners that could shed some light? Thanks...Ken & Ellen

[Jon Wehrenberg]

My pump is located on top of the waste holding tank, about 12 to 18" back (when looking into the compartment). It discharges through a tube that is routed through the rear bulkhead of that compartment and is routed to the passenger side at the rear. It terminates with a male hose fitting that is capped.

YMMV

I have seen macerator pumps located right in front of the holding tank but they were not on a Liberty and they may have been owner installed.

[Jerry Winchester]

Our pump is located directly in front of the black water tank next to the dump valve for the tank. It discharges out a copper line that is plumbed thru the floor and terminates with a cap just under the bay even with the side of the coach. The hose screws on there.

I guess the good news is it is easily accessable. The bad news is I need to pull it off and unplug it after pumping the tank to the clean out at our house. Must have ingested something a little too new..

Wonder why Liberty would rig this up with that much suction head? There must be a reason, eh?

[ken&ellen]

Jon, It was just as you discribed. Thanks. Now for the hose type? According to the manual for the pump it would require a 1" hose. I am guessing a marine duty similar to those used to pump out a boat. Any preferences? Ken

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The tubing or hose can probably be almost anything. I have what looks like regular duty radiator hose (green stripe as I recall).

I really do not like how mine is set up, so if I were to have an opportunity to re-plumb the discharge hose from the macerator I would possibly hard plumb it with PVC tubing, and I would come out of the pump with a single flexible tube for ease of removal to service the pump, and go through the bulkhead into the hard PVC tubing. I would use a "Y" and route the tubing to both sides of the coach. For simplicity I would not try to go to the rear, but come out the side just forward of the drive axle on both sides. I would use a hose thread connection with a cap on each side.

I have never had a need for a macerator, but Mango proved to me the macerator provides backup for the regular dump valve so it has merit.

[Jeffery Raymond]

Anyway, if you haven't used your macerator for awhile, you may find that it spins but doesn't pump. The fix is to put water under pressure through a hose into the pump, turn on the pump and prime it.

Then, turn off the water pressure, take the hose to the dump area, and turn it on.

No need to try to siphon the hose by mouth.

Timing is everything.

[MangoMike]

My other black tank advice.

Do not let small excitable dogs to dance on the dash, close to the dump switch, while you're hooking up your 4" pipe.

Get the shotgun, dear.

MM

[Yankee802]

I know nobody has posted to this thread in a long time, but I have some questions regarding my macerator. I don't know if this thing works at all, it hasn't since I bought it. The guy I bought the coach from thought it had been disconected, and maybe it has, I don't know.

First, when I hit the switch for it, I get nothing, no sound or anything. If all it required was priming, wouldn't I get at least some noise from the mac? Assuming that it hasn't been electricly disconnected, how do I prime it? Can't I just open up the grey to the mac pump and hit the switch? I assume that gravity would prime it, not the case?

Bay 6 .jpg

All the way to the right under the water pumps is the outlet for the mac pump. I can just connect a garden hose and run it wherever.

And a closeup:

Macerator.jpg

[dalej]

My masorator pump quit working so I called the company and they said not to run it dry so I replaced the impeller (it was chewed up) and put a on/off switch right by the masorator pump that way when I open the black tank valve I can run the masorator pump and shut if off after the gray in empty.

The way mine was set up the switch was at the dash and when the pump was done pumping, I went to the dash and shut it off.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Geoff, did you get your pump issue resolved. Yours looks to be the same as mine, a Jabsco 18590.
The Mfgr's. brochure states that after a sustained period of disuse the impeller may become stuck in the pump housing.
They provide for the shaft to extend out of the motor with a screw driver slot in the end. Turn it a couple times in a clockwise direction when looking at the slotted end. Yours looks to be pointing out, so it should be easy for you. (good engineering and design Marathon)

My pump is at arms length in a tight space over my tank with the shaft pointing away from any access. (bad design and engineering on Liberty's part)

I have an idea for a tool that should be able to turn my pump, but I need a couple dimensions.

What is the diameter of the slotted shaft and how wide is the slot?

If anyone else can come up with the dimensions I would appreciate it!

Thanks, JIM