Head is leaking

[Harry]

Peggy, I winterized my head this weekend by disconnecting the raw water intake hose from the thru-hull, put the hose in a gallon of antifreeze and pumped the head till the gallon was empty. A small amount of antifreeze remaind in the bowl. I left the pump handle in the "up" position. When I went back to the boat the next day, some of antifreeze, (maybe 1/4 gallon) had leaked out. I couldn't see any obvious source of the leak. Sorry, I don't have the make & model with me. It's original equipment, manual pump, in a 1987 C&C, built in Canada. Given this scant amount of information, can you guide me in the possible sources of the leak? Thanks.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

Sounds like a hairline crack in the pump housing

A quarter of a gallon is a quart...that's a LOT of antifreeze to leave in the pump and/or the head intake line! All of it should have been pumped all the way through the system to the tank.I don't think that leaving the pump handle in the up position had anything to do with it, but I am surprised, though, that you haven't seen ANY signs that the pump was leaking water around the toilet before. Otoh, you may never have left that much liquid sitting in the pump before. I think if you check over the pump housing very carefully, you'll find a hairline crack in it. And since I suspect your toilet may be the Canadian version of a manual Jabsco that's been out of production/obsolete since about the time your boat was built...so no hardware parts are still available for it. Which means it's time for a new toilet.