Hello. I have a Mirage 25 1987 with a Brydon Manual head. this boat is new to me and the head has worked perfectly. just today though i went to flush it and the handle came up and refused to be pushed back down to start pumping. I fear that someone has tried to flush something that is not paper. I have so many questions as i have no experience with these things. i have a spare rebuild kit. does such a thing wreck the head? if i dismantle the pump part will the tank drain back? is it possible to get something stuck and fix it without needing the rebuild kit? Am I screwed? Thanks for any advice or insight.
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check the vent
I bet Peggy will weigh in on this but while you are waiting, check the vent on your holding tank. Take it apart and make SURE it is clear. The "stuck" valve is likely encountering pressure and the vent is supposed to relieve it.
I bet Peggy will weigh in on this but while you are waiting, check the vent on your holding tank. Take it apart and make SURE it is clear. The "stuck" valve is likely encountering pressure and the vent is supposed to relieve it.
Sounds like blocked tank vent to me
Tank vents--ALL vents, water, fuel, waste--have two primary functions: 1. to provide an escape for air displaced by incoming material. If air can't escape, the tank becomes pressurized, creating backpressure. The first clue that a waste tank vent is blocked is, the toilet becomes harder and harder to pump. For those who ignore that symptom, their first clue is usually an eruption when they remove the cap on the pumpout fitting. 2. to provide a source of air to replace material being pulled out. If no air can get in, the pumpout (fuel pump, water pump) pulls a vacuum that won't allow anything to be pulled out. The two most common places for a vent line blockage are the vent thru-hull and the connection to the tank. Scrape out the vent fitting--if there's a screen on it, knock it out. If that's the only place where there's a blockage, there may be a spew out the vent. If there is none, first loosen the cap on the pumpout fitting to relieve any pressure (have a hose at the ready)...then remove the vent line from the tank and scrape out the fitting and that end of the hose. If it's been a day or two since the head was used, no spew or other indication that the system is pressurized does NOT mean the vent isn't blocked...it only means that the air in the system has managed to escape through the toilet. The problem will recur when you start using the toilet again. So it's VERY important to make sure the tank vent stays completely open. In the future, you need to backflush the vent with water every time you pump out and/or wash the boat. You might want to check out the link below...it'll take you to a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" guide that will help you learn to maintain your system to prevent problems instead of having to solve 'em.
Tank vents--ALL vents, water, fuel, waste--have two primary functions: 1. to provide an escape for air displaced by incoming material. If air can't escape, the tank becomes pressurized, creating backpressure. The first clue that a waste tank vent is blocked is, the toilet becomes harder and harder to pump. For those who ignore that symptom, their first clue is usually an eruption when they remove the cap on the pumpout fitting. 2. to provide a source of air to replace material being pulled out. If no air can get in, the pumpout (fuel pump, water pump) pulls a vacuum that won't allow anything to be pulled out. The two most common places for a vent line blockage are the vent thru-hull and the connection to the tank. Scrape out the vent fitting--if there's a screen on it, knock it out. If that's the only place where there's a blockage, there may be a spew out the vent. If there is none, first loosen the cap on the pumpout fitting to relieve any pressure (have a hose at the ready)...then remove the vent line from the tank and scrape out the fitting and that end of the hose. If it's been a day or two since the head was used, no spew or other indication that the system is pressurized does NOT mean the vent isn't blocked...it only means that the air in the system has managed to escape through the toilet. The problem will recur when you start using the toilet again. So it's VERY important to make sure the tank vent stays completely open. In the future, you need to backflush the vent with water every time you pump out and/or wash the boat. You might want to check out the link below...it'll take you to a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" guide that will help you learn to maintain your system to prevent problems instead of having to solve 'em.
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