FWIW, since I've met Peggie, I can vouch for her feminine status, as
well as her expertise. As for WH, well, what can you say about a
troll. He seems threatened by Peggie somehow...

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:38:39 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:


wrote in message
oups.com...
Peggie

The head on our boat is a 3 year old Wilcox Headmate. Should there be
any recirculation of the bowl contents happening when one flushes this
head? Either I have just noticed it or the recirculation is getting
worse.

I'd be grateful for your comments before I open up the head.

Many thanks

Matt

As usual, Peggie tries to act like God Almighty and impress with her
usual line of bull but neglects to answer a simple question. Maybe she
can't read too well.

The answer to your question is NO. There should be no re-circulation of
the waste stream. But it can happen if the pump plunger seal is bad. The
same pump that draws in ambient water also pumps out the sewage. If the
plunger seal is bad there can be mixing of waste and ambient water in
the pump which will result in recirculation.

You need to install a pump rebuild kit. That should take care of your
problem.

Wilbur Hubbard

It can happen sometimes in still water if the inlet for the pump is
near the outlet.

Peter

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:59:48 +1000, Herodotus
wrote:

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:38:39 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:


wrote in message
roups.com...
Peggie

The head on our boat is a 3 year old Wilcox Headmate. Should there be
any recirculation of the bowl contents happening when one flushes this
head? Either I have just noticed it or the recirculation is getting
worse.

I'd be grateful for your comments before I open up the head.

Many thanks

Matt

As usual, Peggie tries to act like God Almighty and impress with her
usual line of bull but neglects to answer a simple question. Maybe she
can't read too well.

The answer to your question is NO. There should be no re-circulation of
the waste stream. But it can happen if the pump plunger seal is bad. The
same pump that draws in ambient water also pumps out the sewage. If the
plunger seal is bad there can be mixing of waste and ambient water in
the pump which will result in recirculation.

You need to install a pump rebuild kit. That should take care of your
problem.

Wilbur Hubbard

It can happen sometimes in still water if the inlet for the pump is
near the outlet.

Peter

Ahhhh Peter, these people are in the U.S.A. where you don't pump the
brown stuff overboard. You keep it.




Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom)

"Herodotus" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:38:39 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:


wrote in message
roups.com...
Peggie

The head on our boat is a 3 year old Wilcox Headmate. Should there
be
any recirculation of the bowl contents happening when one flushes
this
head? Either I have just noticed it or the recirculation is getting
worse.

I'd be grateful for your comments before I open up the head.

Many thanks

Matt

As usual, Peggie tries to act like God Almighty and impress with her
usual line of bull but neglects to answer a simple question. Maybe she
can't read too well.

The answer to your question is NO. There should be no re-circulation
of
the waste stream. But it can happen if the pump plunger seal is bad.
The
same pump that draws in ambient water also pumps out the sewage. If
the
plunger seal is bad there can be mixing of waste and ambient water in
the pump which will result in recirculation.

You need to install a pump rebuild kit. That should take care of your
problem.

Wilbur Hubbard

It can happen sometimes in still water if the inlet for the pump is
near the outlet.

Peter

A most excellent observation, Peter. Many poorly engineered yachts
place the thru-hulls for the head discharge and the head intake in close
proximity. Mixing can occur outside the hull and waste water can get
drawn back in.

This will NEVER occur with a proper head - i.e. an inexpensive, safe,
reliable and convenient cedar buck as advocated by the good Capt. Neal.
Some say such a thing is illegal. But, the fact remains that it's next
to impossible to get caught if the bucket is used discreetly and paper
products are placed in a plastic bag for disposal ashore.

Take my word for it, few things give satisfaction more than dumping a
heavily-laden bucket while thinking, "Take that you know-it-all
bureaucrats and environmental whackos who sit in your big houses ashore
connected to your huge municipal sewer systems that regularly break or
overflow and dump millions of gallons of raw sewage annually into the
waterways, not to mention all the chemical run-off from your
landscaping. There you sit trying to tell a handful of sailors what to
do, well just keep trying because you don't have the ability to enforce
your lame laws."

Wilbur Hubbard

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 15:37:56 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:


"Herodotus" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:38:39 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:


wrote in message
groups.com...
Peggie

The head on our boat is a 3 year old Wilcox Headmate. Should there
be
any recirculation of the bowl contents happening when one flushes
this
head? Either I have just noticed it or the recirculation is getting
worse.

I'd be grateful for your comments before I open up the head.

Many thanks

Matt

As usual, Peggie tries to act like God Almighty and impress with her
usual line of bull but neglects to answer a simple question. Maybe she
can't read too well.

The answer to your question is NO. There should be no re-circulation
of
the waste stream. But it can happen if the pump plunger seal is bad.
The
same pump that draws in ambient water also pumps out the sewage. If
the
plunger seal is bad there can be mixing of waste and ambient water in
the pump which will result in recirculation.

You need to install a pump rebuild kit. That should take care of your
problem.

Wilbur Hubbard

It can happen sometimes in still water if the inlet for the pump is
near the outlet.

Peter

A most excellent observation, Peter. Many poorly engineered yachts
place the thru-hulls for the head discharge and the head intake in close
proximity. Mixing can occur outside the hull and waste water can get
drawn back in.

This will NEVER occur with a proper head - i.e. an inexpensive, safe,
reliable and convenient cedar buck as advocated by the good Capt. Neal.
Some say such a thing is illegal. But, the fact remains that it's next
to impossible to get caught if the bucket is used discreetly and paper
products are placed in a plastic bag for disposal ashore.

Take my word for it, few things give satisfaction more than dumping a
heavily-laden bucket while thinking, "Take that you know-it-all
bureaucrats and environmental whackos who sit in your big houses ashore
connected to your huge municipal sewer systems that regularly break or
overflow and dump millions of gallons of raw sewage annually into the
waterways, not to mention all the chemical run-off from your
landscaping. There you sit trying to tell a handful of sailors what to
do, well just keep trying because you don't have the ability to enforce
your lame laws."

Wilbur Hubbard


There is something distinctly strange about someone who sees the act
of dumping a bucket full of sewage in the water as defiance of
authority. What a battle cry.

Sailors of the World, Unite. You have nothing to lose but your poop."



Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom)

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:17:16 -0700, wrote:

Peggie

The head on our boat is a 3 year old Wilcox Headmate. Should there be
any recirculation of the bowl contents happening when one flushes this
head? Either I have just noticed it or the recirculation is getting
worse.

I'd be grateful for your comments before I open up the head.

Many thanks

Matt

It can happen sometimes in still water if the inlet for the pump is
near the outlet.

Peter

Herodotus wrote:
On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:17:16 -0700, wrote:

Peggie

The head on our boat is a 3 year old Wilcox Headmate. Should there be
any recirculation of the bowl contents happening when one flushes this
head? Either I have just noticed it or the recirculation is getting
worse.

It can happen sometimes in still water if the inlet for the pump is
near the outlet.

Good point, Peter...but as Bruce noted, unlikely here unless the boat is
at sea beyond the "3 mile limit" where flushing directly overboard is
legal.

You also make the case for putting the toilet intake forward of the
discharge...'cuz if it's aft of the discharge, the toilet can recycle
the discharge even when the boat is underway.

It's a simple matter to determine whether a toilet is recirculating: if
it is, you'll see waste mixed with the flush water coming out the
holes in the rim of the bowl. If the flush water is clean, the toilet
isn't recirculating...the problem is downstream of the toilet, most
likely a blocked tank vent.

--
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://shop.sailboatowners.com/boat_odors/

On Aug 25, 1:10 pm, Peggie Hall wrote:
Herodotus wrote:
On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:17:16 -0700, wrote:

Peggie

The head on our boat is a 3 year old Wilcox Headmate. Should there be
any recirculation of the bowl contents happening when one flushes this
head? Either I have just noticed it or the recirculation is getting
worse.
It can happen sometimes in still water if the inlet for the pump is
near the outlet.

Good point, Peter...but as Bruce noted, unlikely here unless the boat is
at sea beyond the "3 mile limit" where flushing directly overboard is
legal.

You also make the case for putting the toilet intake forward of the
discharge...'cuz if it's aft of the discharge, the toilet can recycle
the discharge even when the boat is underway.

It's a simple matter to determine whether a toilet is recirculating: if
it is, you'll see waste mixed with the flush water coming out the
holes in the rim of the bowl. If the flush water is clean, the toilet
isn't recirculating...the problem is downstream of the toilet, most
likely a blocked tank vent.

--
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://shop.sailboatowners.com/boat_odors/

Peggie

Many thanks to you and the other constructive contributors.

Unfortunately neither hypothesis explains the issue I am seeing.

The boat is located in the great lakes and uses a holding tank and has
no means of flushing overboard.

Second, I can say without reservation that the vent is not clogged.
We have had a pump out in the last few days. I always flush the vent
with a hose and it was perfectl;y normal, i.e. lots of water going in
and no resistance.

Any other help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Matt