The bowl in the head has just started filling with water. There isn't a odor and appears to be just plain fresh water. I think that this process is somehow filling my holding tank as well with fresh water because I'm having to emty the holding tank alot more often than before. I know when its full because it will blow out the stantion post vent. The head itself is just alittle over a year old. How do I determain what is wrong and where before spending a bunch of money (I don't have) replacing what's not broke. In advance, thank you so much to all of you that reply with your thoughts and advice. Howard R. Whitaker Misty Blue Nashville,TN.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
I'll bet you've been leaving the head intake
seacock open all the time, relying on the "dry/flush" valve to keep water from coming into the bowl. Well...now you know why that's a VERY bad idea: that valve has failed, allowing water to get into the bowl even though you've left it on "dry." You're lucky...'cuz open toilet intake seacocks have sunk a lot of boats in their slips. And yes, it's prob'ly filling up your holding tank too...seeping out of the bowl past the joker valve. That MAY the only reason your boat hasn't sunk! First, close the seacock (and any others you've left open)! Then call Jabsco for a replacement dry/flush valve (they're not expensive) and from now on, keep your head intake seacock closed except when the head is actually in use. And btw...allowing your tank to overflow out the vent isn't good either. Catalina's approach to venting through a slit in a stanchion makes it highly vulnerable to a blockage...and a blocked vent can have all kinds of nasty consequences, the worst of which is a cracked tank.
seacock open all the time, relying on the "dry/flush" valve to keep water from coming into the bowl. Well...now you know why that's a VERY bad idea: that valve has failed, allowing water to get into the bowl even though you've left it on "dry." You're lucky...'cuz open toilet intake seacocks have sunk a lot of boats in their slips. And yes, it's prob'ly filling up your holding tank too...seeping out of the bowl past the joker valve. That MAY the only reason your boat hasn't sunk! First, close the seacock (and any others you've left open)! Then call Jabsco for a replacement dry/flush valve (they're not expensive) and from now on, keep your head intake seacock closed except when the head is actually in use. And btw...allowing your tank to overflow out the vent isn't good either. Catalina's approach to venting through a slit in a stanchion makes it highly vulnerable to a blockage...and a blocked vent can have all kinds of nasty consequences, the worst of which is a cracked tank.
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Herman Miron
Y-Valve leak
If you have a y-valve and you have left your overboard seacock open, you may have a leak in your y-valve. Try shutting your overbaord seacock off. I know someone who always pumps overboard. After several years their brand new holding tank split open. They never inttended to use the holding tank.
If you have a y-valve and you have left your overboard seacock open, you may have a leak in your y-valve. Try shutting your overbaord seacock off. I know someone who always pumps overboard. After several years their brand new holding tank split open. They never inttended to use the holding tank.
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Howard R.
Peggie
Your right I do leave the seacock open all the time. I have started in the last day or two closing it and it has stopped the water from filling the bowl. I really appreciate your help and I promise (even though I live aboard) from now on in the future, close the seacock except when the head is in use. Have a merry x-mas. Howard R. Misty Blue Nashville,TN.
Your right I do leave the seacock open all the time. I have started in the last day or two closing it and it has stopped the water from filling the bowl. I really appreciate your help and I promise (even though I live aboard) from now on in the future, close the seacock except when the head is in use. Have a merry x-mas. Howard R. Misty Blue Nashville,TN.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Howard, you really need to replace the valve
'Cuz when the dry/flush valve fails, sooner or later it's also gonna hang up...you won't be able to flush the toilet. It's not an expensive part. And because it's all too easy--especially since it's not ingrained in your brain as a habit yet--to forget to close the seacock, I strongly recommend that you also install vented loop in the head intake. It goes between the pump and the bowl, and should be at least a foot above the waterline at any angle of heel. That will allow you to leave the seacock open when you're in the slip or at anchor, but not when you're underway. Although a vented loop breaks a siphon, it can't stop an effect known as "ram water" (water forced up the hose by the pressure of the water against the hull by the motion of the boat going through it). It only takes about 20 minutes on the "right" tack at hull speed for that to overflow a toilet bowl...I've been aboard more than one boat when it happened. It's not likely to sink the boat, but it can certainly make a mess. And btw...while you have to the pump apart to replace the dry/flush valve, take advantage of the opportunity to give the pump a good lube job...slather the inside of it liberally with SuperLube--the same thick teflon grease used by toilet mfrs. Unlike anything you pour down the toilet, it lasts at least a year. A tube of it is about $2, available from any decent boat store.
'Cuz when the dry/flush valve fails, sooner or later it's also gonna hang up...you won't be able to flush the toilet. It's not an expensive part. And because it's all too easy--especially since it's not ingrained in your brain as a habit yet--to forget to close the seacock, I strongly recommend that you also install vented loop in the head intake. It goes between the pump and the bowl, and should be at least a foot above the waterline at any angle of heel. That will allow you to leave the seacock open when you're in the slip or at anchor, but not when you're underway. Although a vented loop breaks a siphon, it can't stop an effect known as "ram water" (water forced up the hose by the pressure of the water against the hull by the motion of the boat going through it). It only takes about 20 minutes on the "right" tack at hull speed for that to overflow a toilet bowl...I've been aboard more than one boat when it happened. It's not likely to sink the boat, but it can certainly make a mess. And btw...while you have to the pump apart to replace the dry/flush valve, take advantage of the opportunity to give the pump a good lube job...slather the inside of it liberally with SuperLube--the same thick teflon grease used by toilet mfrs. Unlike anything you pour down the toilet, it lasts at least a year. A tube of it is about $2, available from any decent boat store.
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Howard R.
Peggie, thanks...
Peggie, thank you so very much for taking the time out to help me, I really do appreciate it. I'm going to fix my propblem this weekend and I will take your advise on the lube. Merry Christmas to you and your family I wish you the very best, and should you ever come through Nashville remember, you have a sailing friend here that would love to take you sailing. Wishing you the best, Howard R. Misty Blue Nashville,TN.
Peggie, thank you so very much for taking the time out to help me, I really do appreciate it. I'm going to fix my propblem this weekend and I will take your advise on the lube. Merry Christmas to you and your family I wish you the very best, and should you ever come through Nashville remember, you have a sailing friend here that would love to take you sailing. Wishing you the best, Howard R. Misty Blue Nashville,TN.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Glad to help, Howard...that's why I'm here
And I just might take you up on that offer once of these days. Nashville isn't that far from Little Rock. Merry Christmas to you and yours too!
And I just might take you up on that offer once of these days. Nashville isn't that far from Little Rock. Merry Christmas to you and yours too!
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