Head questions galore
 

I just bought a new boat (to me) and have some head questions.

First some info:

Boat - Hunter 34, 1983

Head - Jabsco manual head

Now my problems and questions:

1. My toilet is filling up with water after it is pumped dry. I am
assuming this is fresh water (lake inlet) but am not usre

2. My holding tank seems to be filling up a lot faster than it should.
I have about a 20 gallon holding tank and it is full after a day sail
with light use. Keep in mind this includes a week's worth of sitting
without use.

3. I'm not familar with one part of the unit...Right next to the head
there is a manual pump. A hose comes in through a thru-hull and does a
loop that wraps back through the pump and to the holding tank. Is this
to pump out of the tank to the lake or the opposite?

Any help would be appreciated.

Head questions galore
 

Your first mistake was buying a Hunter. sorry.
G
wrote in message
oups.com...
I just bought a new boat (to me) and have some head questions.

First some info:

Boat - Hunter 34, 1983

Head - Jabsco manual head

Now my problems and questions:

1. My toilet is filling up with water after it is pumped dry. I am
assuming this is fresh water (lake inlet) but am not usre

2. My holding tank seems to be filling up a lot faster than it should.
I have about a 20 gallon holding tank and it is full after a day sail
with light use. Keep in mind this includes a week's worth of sitting
without use.

3. I'm not familar with one part of the unit...Right next to the head
there is a manual pump. A hose comes in through a thru-hull and does a
loop that wraps back through the pump and to the holding tank. Is this
to pump out of the tank to the lake or the opposite?

Any help would be appreciated.

Head questions galore
 

Head questions galore
 

wrote:

I just bought a new boat (to me) and have some head questions.

Hoooboy...:)
Head - Jabsco manual head

Now my problems and questions:

1. My toilet is filling up with water after it is pumped dry.

Most likely that's because the toilet is below the waterline, there is
no vented loop in the head intake, and you're leaving the pump in the
"wet" mode. See (download and print) the installation instructions and
operation manual for your toilet he
http://www.jabsco.com/prodInfo/overv...10-0000_ds.pdf


2. My holding tank seems to be filling up a lot faster than it should.
I have about a 20 gallon holding tank and it is full after a day sail
with light use. Keep in mind this includes a week's worth of sitting
without use.

Always flushing only in the "wet" mode and leaving the head intake
seacock open will do that.

3. I'm not familar with one part of the unit...Right next to the head
there is a manual pump. A hose comes in through a thru-hull and does a
loop that wraps back through the pump and to the holding tank. Is this
to pump out of the tank to the lake or the opposite?

I'm not sure from your description of it. Can you email me a photo or a
sketch of the installation? peg(dot)hall(at)sbcglobal(dot)net.

Any help would be appreciated.

Start by reading what passes for a manual at the link I gave you. I'll
be glad to answer any more questions after you've read it (and I'm 99%
sure your first will be "what's a vented loop?")

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Head questions galore
 

That's not a very nice answer. It's still a sailboat.

If working properly, the manual pump will pump whatever is in the bowl out,
and can also pump seawater into the bowl if desired. My experience is w/ a
newer Jabsco, but should be the same.

Sounds like your pump needs a rebuild kit, also a vented loop in the hose
between the top of the pump and the top of the bowl. I think the lake is
slowly filling your tank all the time.

"G&G" wrote in message
. ..
Your first mistake was buying a Hunter. sorry.
G
wrote in message
oups.com...
I just bought a new boat (to me) and have some head questions.

First some info:

Boat - Hunter 34, 1983

Head - Jabsco manual head

Now my problems and questions:

1. My toilet is filling up with water after it is pumped dry. I am
assuming this is fresh water (lake inlet) but am not usre

2. My holding tank seems to be filling up a lot faster than it should.
I have about a 20 gallon holding tank and it is full after a day sail
with light use. Keep in mind this includes a week's worth of sitting
without use.

3. I'm not familar with one part of the unit...Right next to the head
there is a manual pump. A hose comes in through a thru-hull and does a
loop that wraps back through the pump and to the holding tank. Is this
to pump out of the tank to the lake or the opposite?

Any help would be appreciated.

Head questions galore
 

On 27 Nov 2005 17:13:17 -0800, wrote:

I just bought a new boat (to me) and have some head questions.

First some info:

Boat - Hunter 34, 1983

Head - Jabsco manual head

Now my problems and questions:

1. My toilet is filling up with water after it is pumped dry. I am
assuming this is fresh water (lake inlet) but am not usre

On most sailboats, the bottom of the head is below the waterline, so
the outside water is likely to flow (or seep) through the pump into
the bowl. If it looks like the water will overflow the bowl while
sailing, it may be necessary to keep the intake seacock closed except
while flushing the head.

2. My holding tank seems to be filling up a lot faster than it should.
I have about a 20 gallon holding tank and it is full after a day sail
with light use. Keep in mind this includes a week's worth of sitting
without use.

3. I'm not familar with one part of the unit...Right next to the head
there is a manual pump. A hose comes in through a thru-hull and does a
loop that wraps back through the pump and to the holding tank. Is this
to pump out of the tank to the lake or the opposite?

There should be a pump immediately to the right of the head bowl, and
mounted on the same pipe that supports the bowl. This pump has two
parts, and will pump outside water into the bowl for flushing, as well
as pumping waste from the bowl to the holding tank. Do you have a
second pump there?

I would think that the only thing that can get into the holding tank
is what you pump there while flushing the head.

If you are on the Great Lakes (or probably most lakes), you should not
have any direct connection from the holding tank to the outside water
- the only way to empty the tank should be via a deck fitting to
shore.

However, if the boat came from a coastal area (particularly in
Canada), there may be provision to pump out to the sea (or lake) -
this could possibly provide an alternate route for water to enter the
holding tank.


Any help would be appreciated.

--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI
peterbb4 (at) interchange.ubc.ca
new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca

Head questions galore
 

Sounds like your pump needs a rebuild kit, also a vented loop in the hose
between the top of the pump and the top of the bowl. I think the lake is
slowly filling your tank all the time.

I agree with your diagnosis, but only part of your recommended
cure....neither rebuilding nor replacing the joker valve can solve every
problem...in fact, actually doesn't solve 99.999% of problems.

Rebuilding the toilet (replacing all the rubber parts in the pump) will
not prevent water from flooding the bowl via an open through-hull if the
pump in left in the "wet" mode. In the absense of a vented loop, a
failed wet/dry valve (VERY common in Jabsco toilets unfortunately) could
allow water to flood the bowl even if the lever is in the dry mode...but
rebuilding the toilet won't cure that because the necessary replacement
part isn't in the rebuild kit. So as long the toilet is bringing in
flush water and pushing bowl contents out, rebuilding ANY toilet
(rebuilding a Jabsco for any reason is just throwing good money after
bad) would be a waste of time, energy and money.
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Head questions galore
 

I figured the rubber valve at top of the pump could leak and bypass water.
And you are certainly right about the possibility of the lever being left in
the wet position. My old boat csme with no vented loop, and if someone was
careless, the water would nearly fill the bowl.

"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
. net...
Sounds like your pump needs a rebuild kit, also a vented loop in the hose
between the top of the pump and the top of the bowl. I think the lake is
slowly filling your tank all the time.

I agree with your diagnosis, but only part of your recommended
cure....neither rebuilding nor replacing the joker valve can solve every
problem...in fact, actually doesn't solve 99.999% of problems.

Rebuilding the toilet (replacing all the rubber parts in the pump) will
not prevent water from flooding the bowl via an open through-hull if the
pump in left in the "wet" mode. In the absense of a vented loop, a failed
wet/dry valve (VERY common in Jabsco toilets unfortunately) could allow
water to flood the bowl even if the lever is in the dry mode...but
rebuilding the toilet won't cure that because the necessary replacement
part isn't in the rebuild kit. So as long the toilet is bringing in flush
water and pushing bowl contents out, rebuilding ANY toilet (rebuilding a
Jabsco for any reason is just throwing good money after bad) would be a
waste of time, energy and money.
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Head questions galore
 

Peter Bennett wrote:
On most sailboats, the bottom of the head is below the waterline, so
the outside water is likely to flow (or seep) through the pump into
the bowl. If it looks like the water will overflow the bowl while
sailing, it may be necessary to keep the intake seacock closed except
while flushing the head.

Productions boat builders put intake seacocks in locations that can make
that so impractical as to be impossible. My guess (till I hear more from
him) is that a) he doesn't know what the wet/dry lever is for...he's
been leaving it in the wet mode all the time...b) there is no vented
loop in the head intake (which should be between the pump and bowl,
btw...not between the thru-hull and the pump)...and c) he doesn't know
that all thru-hulls should be closed when leaving the boat.
There should be a pump immediately to the right of the head bowl, and
mounted on the same pipe that supports the bowl. This pump has two
parts, and will pump outside water into the bowl for flushing, as well
as pumping waste from the bowl to the holding tank. Do you have a
second pump there?

A Jabsco toilet--which is what he has--has only one dual action pump. In
the "wet" mode, it brings in flush water AND pushes bowl contents
out...in the "dry" mode, it pushes bowl contents out without bringing in
any flush water.

I would think that the only thing that can get into the holding tank
is what you pump there while flushing the head.

Since he's indicated that his bowl is filling with clean water, it's
unlikely that his holding tank is filling to overflowing and running
back toward into the bowl.

Nor is it likely that a fouled joker valve has any bearing on it.
Whizzit that everyone wants to blame the joked valve for ANY toilet
problem, even flush water intake issues???
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Head questions galore
 

Garland Gray II wrote:

I figured the rubber valve at top of the pump could leak and bypass water.
And you are certainly right about the possibility of the lever being left in
the wet position. My old boat csme with no vented loop, and if someone was
careless, the water would nearly fill the bowl.

So it's safe to assume that you DID install a vented loop? Which, btw,
should NOT be installed in the intake line between the thru-hull and the
pump..it has to go between the pump and the bowl...to replace the short
piece of hose the mfr uses to connect 'em. There are
exceptions...electric macerating toilets--in which case it's necessary
to add an electric solenoid valve--and some very high end manual toilets
that have dual pumps and don't have that short piece of hose.
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304