Toilet

[robinjdyer]

Have recently purchased a 1983 34" Hunter. How does toilet work? Does it pump overboard or only to the holding tank? I contacted a Hunter representative who merely sent me a plumbing diagram, one of which I already have!!

Thank you!
Ms. Robin

 

[navigator97]

Robin,

My guess is that it goes from the toilet to a "Y" valve that lets you select either Holding Tank or Overboard Discharge. There would probably bet the word "FLOW" showing opposite the hose. follow that hose to see if it goes to the tank or to the overboard sea cock. Thats what my 1990 H-33.5 has.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Robin...

If you have acquired an H34 with the original head set-up, there should be a "Y" valve below and to the right, facing the "toilet". This valve determines whether the effluent is pumped overboard or into the holding tank when the head is flushed, depending on it's setting and if the exit thru-hull is open.

Not knowing what make you have, most heads operate the same way. There is a "wet" setting on a valve near the pump handle that uses "raw water" (the water the boat is floating in) to flush the bowl. Then the valve is turned to the dry setting to to continue to empty the bowl into the holding tank or overboard. Keep the valve in the dry setting to prevent any back flow.

There is also a thru-hull valve that allows "raw" water from the outside to be draughn in to flush the toilet. Both these valves are located under the forward dinette seat on the hull side, under the small hatch plate. It is recommended to keep both of these closed until you need to use the head.

As it is now illegal to pump "stuff" overboard in most areas, many of us have removed such an arangement and pump directly into the holding tank and use pump-out stations at marinas for the removal. If you are in a coastal area, it may still be possible to go far enough off-shore to be able to still use the overboard set-up.

 

[Jackdaw]

Robin,

Send some pix of all the plumbing, hoses, and tanks. Someone here I'm sure will walk you thru it all. But it's hard without pictures.

 

[Don Lucas]

For any 1983 boat I wouldn't believe anything people post saying how it is plumbed. It could have been changed lots off times.

You need to trace the system out to know how your boat is.

 

[robinjdyer]

Thank you everyone! I have recently completed "Leelas" maiden voyage from Marathon FL to Anna Maria Island FL, 240 nautical miles! It was amazing. I am rested up and ready to tackle the head. Thank you for the suggestions and I will keep you abreast of what I find out! I will also post pics soon.!

 

[robinjdyer]

After several attempts here are the pics of head/plumbing! Thanks everyone and Happy Holidays!

 

[robinjdyer]

I have uploaded pics below. Any advise would be appreciated!

 

[kloudie1]

H-34 Head Plumbing

Robin You have the original plumbing as mine still is.. Head flushes directly to the holding tank always, no Y valve.. The hand pump pumps up through a vented loop to the thru-hull and overboard; it empties the holding tank. As Dan says, the valves for the head intake water and the overboard outlet of the holding tank are in the locker under the settee.. attached is a picture of my plumbing.. The elbow on the left line (my red rubber line) goes to the deck pump out fitting. The toilet you have is an old Jabsco.. not known for reliability but with care, it can be serviceable.
EDIT: You'd empty the holding tank by opening the big thru hill under the settee and pumping the diaphragm pump if three miles offshore.. In port, you;d simply open the deck fitting and use a normal dockside pump out. The vent line is prone to plugging so make sure that is open.. it is the small line that comes off the top outboard side of the holding tank. The tank is prone to getting "kidney stones" too.. They will accumulate in the upper valve of the hand pump and render it in-op.. Suggest ya fill the tank with dockside water and pump out using hand pump a coupla-three times then open the diaphragm pump and clean/replace the valves. Open the hoses too and replace any showing signs of clogging . Use Peggie's vinegar addition advice when you leave to help stop the calcium accumulation inside the tank and hoses..

 

[Jim D]

Very similar to my H34. Except no y valve. At the pump on the head I see a waste line (black hose) it flows into the bulkhead. What you are not seeking is the holding tank located under the kitchen seat. It flows direct to the tank. From the tank I see the hose with the t connection. One directional flow is up to the manual hand pump. From the pump it moves up and over back down into the thru hull. This is the anti siphon loop. The other choice from the t looks like it flows to the pump out on the deck.
jim

 

[kloudie1]

C-34 holding tank

Here is the other picture

 

[Jim D]

Here is my setup. very similiar. I need to work on my system also. worn out. considering electric options.
j

 

[heritage]

picture of your plumbing

 

[kloudie1]

Perfect, Heritage.. Probably the best .. label her plumbing.. Further.. The small "clear" braded hose is probably the tank vent line and the little white corrugated one is the shower sump discharge line..

 

[Dan Johnson]

Well, well...

From Claude and Jim's post, it's evident that a PO had replaced the Whale diaphram pump, which would appear to be the original set-up, with a "Y" valve. The head itself is a Groco "K".

Instead of raw water, I put a Todd 3 gallon tank in the starboard v-berth cubby and feed the head from that (or pour water directly from a gallon jug if I'm too lazy to have filled the tank! The black-topped object to the right is a one gallon garden sprayer for rinsing out the bowl as needed). The white vertical hose leads to the deck pump-out (the smaller one is the vent hose).

Pix below...

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

From Claude and Jim's post, it's evident that a PO had replaced the Whale diaphram pump, which would appear to be the original set-up, with a "Y" valve. The head itself is a Groco "K"..

Whatever gave you THAT idea??? The Groco K is an all bronze "throne" Groco Model K instructions that doesn't even come close to resembling the toilet in her photo...which, if you'd read the label on the top of pump in her photo, you'd have seen is a PAR--a very old version of a Jabsco. No parts, not even a service kit, are still available for it. But even if there were, that toilet has to be so worn out by now that nothing short of a new pump would do much for it.

Instead of raw water, I put a Todd 3 gallon tank in the starboard v-berth cubby and feed the head from that (or pour water directly from a gallon jug if I'm too lazy to have filled the tank! The black-topped object to the right is a one gallon garden sprayer for rinsing out the bowl as needed). The white vertical hose leads to the deck pump-out (the smaller one is the vent hose).Pix below...

You do like to do things the hard way! Teeing the head intake line (no other plumbing needed) into the head sink drain line provides a safe source of fresh water to rinse all the sea water out of the system before the boat sits--or even provides a safe source of fresh water for flushing all the time if you think you have to (rarely necessary)...and all ya gotta do to use it is close the sink drain thru-hull and run clean water down the sink.

A whole BUNCH of discussion in the Head Mistress forum about this and also lots of info about how to install, operate and maintain marine toilets and holding tanks. And if THAT's not enough info, check out the link in my signature.

 

[kloudie1]

Hunter 34 Plumbing

Reference note . This from the original owners manual showing the hose sizes and how things are hooked up..
I use the handheld head shower to get fresh water in the bowl if that is needed. Right there above the toilet in Dan's picture.

 

[robinjdyer]

Thank you for the comments everyone! Here is what I have determined: The toilet works! Also, upon removing the cover of the hole marked "waste" on my deck, and using the manual pump, the waste gets dumped up there on deck! This was a great but also suprising discovery! So I assume I have to buy a fitting and hose to get the waste OFF the deck??? For some reason I thought the waste would be pumped out under the water?
The only thing that appears to have a problem is the pump itself. It has a minor leak, upon purchase of the boat I found a new pump. I will install that, but while doing that I will take my time and go through each of the hoses to make sure they are free of clogs.

 

[heritage]

I believe that a faultly joker valve in the pump is causing waste to be pumped up to the deck fitting. After you replace the pump, you will not be able to move the pump handle until you open the "at sea" overboard thru-hull.

You need to follow the large 1 1/2" hose that runs vertically out of the pump. It should terminate at the overboard thru-hull valve.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Peggy...

Two points:
The Groco "K" is in the pic of the head in my boat, not the Par unit in the pic on her boat.

On the H34, the vanity sink and its drain are on the other side of the hull from the head and it's plumbing. The v-berth tank is less than 3 feet from the head on the same side. Whole lot simpler to have rigged the tank than to try to fish plumbing hoses under the cabin sole and fit a "T" off the sink drain thru-hull, which is in very tight quarters within the vanity cabinet. We have very brackish water by mid-summer on the upper Chesapeake Bay, hence the use of fresh water to minimize the organic growth and odor in the holding tank. The set-up is really quite simple.