350 Head Power?

Djoub · Nov 21, 2019

1998 350, just went to flush the head and nothing. Doesn’t seem to be getting any power to the macerator pump/motor. Checked main breakers but they seem fine. Anybody know where they bring in power for the head or if there is a fuse hiding somewhere in a cabinet? Thanks

Comodave · Nov 21, 2019

Are you sure you aren’t getting power to the head, have you checked it with a volt meter? Macerators can get hung up if they aren’t used regularly. Usually there is a shaft sticking out the back with a slot for a screw driver to turn the shaft manually. That may break it free if it is hung up.

Djoub · Nov 22, 2019

It is not locked up, I can turn the shaft and it moves freely. Just rebuilt the whole head less then a year ago and we live on the boat so it’s been getting regular work outs.
Time to get out the meter and trace the wires.

Djoub · Nov 23, 2019

Think I found the problem although I still don’t know where the fuse is.
Pulled the switch out and rats-nest of wires. With lights off, and toggling the switch I could see a spark. Looks like they used small bolts and nuts to secure wires together, then wrap it with tape. At least they used a lock washer.

Don’t think that meets any code. Now to find crimps that will work.

catalinajack · Nov 23, 2019

Djoub said:
Think I found the problem although I still don’t know where the fuse is.
Pulled the switch out and rats-nest of wires. With lights off, and toggling the switch I could see a spark. Looks like they used small bolts and nuts to secure wires together, then wrap it with tape. At least they used a lock washer.

Don’t think that meets any code. Now to find crimps that will work.

Retrofit with terminal strip seems in order.

Cartouche · Nov 23, 2019

Djoub said:
1998 350, just went to flush the head and nothing. Doesn’t seem to be getting any power to the macerator pump/motor. Checked main breakers but they seem fine. Anybody know where they bring in power for the head or if there is a fuse hiding somewhere in a cabinet? Thanks

We have a 390, there is no fuse between panel & macerator, This past summer ours stopped working, Shaft turned but nothing, it was the Motor had given up, in retrospect the head had sounded different this year I changed the complete pump assembly
https://www.marineoutfitters.ca/ind...0037|11218&product=51406185&code=671880032834 Plug and play and got us back up and working in an hour. I rebuilt the old one to keep as a spare.

Djoub · Nov 29, 2019

Cartouche said:
We have a 390, there is no fuse between panel & macerator, This past summer ours stopped working

So I thought this was a quick fix project. Replaced all the jumpers and pigtails with crimped connectors and a distribution strip. Turned breaker back on and I don’t have any + power to macerate but I do have it on breaker panel. Ran a jumper from +heavy wire on breaker to dist strip and it works fine so I know the grounds are connected.

It seems that the wire from breaker and the + on the strip are disconnected somewhere? Not sure why this wire is 8/10 awg, motor is 10 amps, seems over kill for the breaker and the motor, 20-30 foot run I’m guessing.
Any ideas short of running new wire?

johnma · Nov 29, 2019

ours is a 2003. I had a similar issue and it was the switch itself. replaced it and that solved the problem. However it did not look anything like yours. Mine is just a pushbutton attached to a double pole switch that operates the pump and macerator.
John

350 Head Power?

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