Head back up???

[2 OLD PIRATES]

Something really weird happened on pump out yesterday. Pump out went as usual until we went into the head to finish the winterizing. WOW the head was filled to overflowing. The seacock was closed, so where did the water come from. The head was empty before I started to pump. Any ideas?

Cheers
2 Old Pirates

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

My GUESS: Your tank vent is blocked (which may mean that your tank may not be empty). Either there are two thru-hulls/seacocks in your system, only one was closed...or, one of them doesn't close tightly and/or you may also have a leaky y-valve in the toilet discharge line. The pumpout was powerful enough to pull in water through the open seacock in its quest for air to replace tank contents as they were being pulled out. If I'm right, you're lucky that the pumpout could find a source of air...'cuz if it couldn't, any pumpout that powerful would have imploded your tank.

And btw, if all you did to prep for winterizing was pump out--you didn't thoroughly flush out the tank and rinse out the system, you weren't ready to winterize. Winterizing instructions are a sticky post at the beginning of the Plumbing and Sanitation forum (where you should have posted this).

 

[2 OLD PIRATES]

Hi Head Mistress:
The Sea Cock was closed. We haven't done the winterizing yet . When pumping there is a rush of air at the end of the pumping. I cleaned out the air intake before doing the pump out. Could it be the joker valve?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

The Sea Cock was closed.
You titled this conversation "head backup"...but unless the water in the bowl was very dirty, it could not have been a backup. Water in the bowl had to come in from somewhere. If it was clean water, and if the toilet intake thru-hull is only possible source, your seacock can't be sealing completely..maybe not at all even if the handle moves. This is important maintenance that must be done now if the boat is to remain in the water...before it goes back into the water next spring if it's coming out for the winter.



When pumping there is a rush of air at the end of the pumping.
Rush of air where--the vent, or the deck pumpout fitting? INTO the tank or OUT of the tank?

I cleaned out the air intake before doing the pump out.
Apparently not, 'cuz there shouldn't be any "rush of air" anywhere in either direction after pumpout. That's a sure sign that no air was getting into the tank via the vent...the water in bowl confirms that the pump was pulling in air--and apparently water too!--from anywhere it could. It's also highly likely that your tank isn't empty.

You may have cleaned out the vent thru-hull--if there is one. Catalina used to run all tank vent lines into rail stanchions..the only source of air is a few little holes on the aft side of the stanchion that just dust and pollen can clog in a heartbeat...You may have cleaned out those little holes. Or...some owners have installed a thru-hull and redirected the vent line to it. but that's not the only place a vent blockage can occur. The other end of the vent line--both that end of the hose and the vent fitting on the tank can become blocked by wasting spilling into the vent when the boat heels. If there's a filter in the vent line, the charcoal in it will swell and create a blockage if it gets wet. Or there may be a sag in the vent line where waste or water has pooled...or a kink...or a spider.

Could it be the joker valve?
No. The joker valve is a one way valve in the toilet discharge fitting...it has nothing whatever to do with pumping out the tank or letting air into it or bringing water into the bowl. Search the Plumbing and Sanitation forum archives for the file "joker valve 101" to learn the function and purpose of a joker valve.