Macerator Pump by Raritan
Macerator pumps are the key to a number of important chores on a boat! The most important is to work when it is needed. While macerator pumps are generally used to empty holding tanks they can also be used to empty fish boxes. Raritan had two goals in mind when it set out to design a better macerator. The first is the run dry time because as most owners know when you flip the switch to begin emptying the tank you don’t always remember to turn it back off and the number one enemy of any macerator pump is running without liquid going thru it. Nothing destroys a pump faster than running dry.
Raritan developed a plastic housing and impeller combination that resists burnout longer than any macerator on the market today. To try and prevent these things from ruining a trip Raritan also designed the Smart Macerator Control which has several key design features. Probably the most relevant is the ability to shut the pump off as soon as it senses it is running dry. An all to common problem with macerators is the fact they sit for extended periods of time so the macerator control is also designed to “jog” the impeller once a week when power is on. This “jog” prevents the impeller from taking a shape and helps to ensure the pump will empty the tank when requested.
Another critical design feature was how to work on the pump when the inevitable happens and it requires maintenance or fixing. While a shutoff valve can easily be installed most take up space and that is one thing not always available. To solve that problem Raritan designed a gate valve as part of the intake connection. The gate valve allows the user to close the valve and safely remove the pump without leaving a mess in the work area. Normal connections allow the waste or stuff in the line to drain out where the gate valve keeps it in the line where it belongs.
Because of the location of the gate valve another key feature is that you do not need to disconnect the hose line that attaches to the pump on the intake side. Those two design features mean less mess and easier maintenance.
For those not interested in the gate valve there is a typical macerator pump also available and while removing it might mean a bit of spilled stuff it still offers all the other same design features as the pump with the gate valve. Both pumps can be connected to the Smart Macerator Control to prevent running dry and to help prevent the impeller from taking shape and not working when you need it most!