Hunter Passage 42 forward head seawater hose clogged

[BBC16385]

So here is what I and everyone else missed: I forgot about the vented loop! This is a failure of the vented loop. My big summer trip starts this Saturday and will be working to access the vented loop and see if it needs replacing or if one of the wires fell off. There are a couple of good boatyards along the trip. Anyone know what the part number is for the vented loop? And the access to the loop is "almost" impossible, but it can be done. About 25 years ago the hose fell off of the pump out deck plate (Peggy was involved with that nightmare) and I had to get to the underside to put it back on. My memory is the vented loop is there too. You take out the wood in the cabinet at the forward end and then move the AC hose. The toilet works fine for No. 1, by pouring a bowl of fresh water in, but there will be no No. 2 until further notice.

 

[JamesG161]

I forgot about the vented loop! This is a failure of the vented loop.

From the Link in my post...
________________
"posted 09-12-2008 by Phil Herring

I have a problem with the forward head on my P42. When flushing the bowl will fill but not empty. Aft head works fine. Had the holding tank emptied
recently.

My P42 had a problem with the anti-siphon valve on the aft head. The barb on top of the U fitting was clogged with scale."

________________

Glad you found the issue.

Jim...

 

[BBC16385]

Yes, I found my issue but the toilet still does not work. I covered the air intakes on the solenoid and it still won't draw water into the toilet. The solenoid part is no longer available. I could switch out the electric vented loop for a passive one but I have no access to the hose clamps on the bottom of the loop. Surely some P42 owner has had this problem.

This thread describes the same issue but the poster, mbaker, does not provide the solution.

P42 head system solenoid

I need to replace the solenoid on my forward head system. After extensive searching I found it behind an access panel in the starboard, forward cabinet. The only ID on the part is 2-27106. I've contacted Hunter and am waiting on a reply. I cannot find the location for the aft head. Any advice...

forums.sailboatowners.com

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

37038-2012 is the part # for a jabsco toilet 12v solenoid valve with vented loop.
However, replacing the solenoid may not solve the problem. Sea water mineral buildup or possibly some animal or vegetable no-so-micro sea life may have been sucked into the intake line and is blocking it. Try removing the intake lin from the thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and sticking it into a bucket of water to find out if the toilet will bring in any water.

--Peggie

 

[BBC16385]

Peggie
Thanks for responding. The picture shows the solenoid in the upper right of the photo and the vented loop in the lower background. The solenoid is the not part number you mentioned. This one is no longer available. You can see the loop looks pretty corroded. I think there may be a leak or hole in it because I removed the vent hose from the solenoid and folded it over and taped it so that it would not allow air in. You can see that in the middle of the photo. Toilet still not pulling water in. Gate valve works, water flows with hose removed. I ran a plumbers snake to get clogs out. There were none. Brand new pump. I have replaced them before with no issues.

Eliminating the loop entirely or installing a passive vented loop would be the next step if there were access. But there is no access without cutting a hole.

Any ideas?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

It would really be helpful to know the make/model/approx age of your toilet. If you don't know, can you post a photo of it? Knowing that may help me find the solution to your problem.

On a slightly different note...I just looked at your photograph and saw that your hoses are corrugated hose. The corrugations are traps for everything that goes through them--sea water minerals, salt, bits of solid waste.... They should be replaced with smooth walled sanitation hoses (sanitation hoses have a helix in the walls that prevents collapsing).

--Peggie

 

[BBC16385]

The hoses you see are air vent hoses. Al the water hoses are what you would expect. Quality but old marine hoses. The Passage 42 was constructed in 1996 and the two toilets were Jabsco but not the kind they sell now. Ours have exposed bolts holding the toilet to the floor, not the concealed bolts in the base. I think the toilet goes by the same part number: 37010 . The is the third time I have replaced the pump motor assembly in 28 years. But the problem was fixed over this weekend. See my new post today.

 

[BBC16385]

My toilet problem fixed Saturday but it is hard to believe what I've been through. First of all, there was no clog in the intake line as I suspected after the first replacement pump was installed. And there was no failure of the solenoid on the vented loop. I spent a lot of time on those issues. The seven year old pump motor assembly failed on the forward toilet last fall. I ordered the replacement part on Amazon at a $100 great price. But I didn't install it until this spring. It would not pump water into the toilet. I took it apart to see what was wrong. Nothing. Put it back together and it wouldn't pump water. Then I tried to find a clog and then tried to find a new solenoid. Finally, I figured the new pump was defective in some way but it was too late to return. So I bought another from the same seller. What could go wrong? Installed it and it wouldn't pump water. So I returned it and got a full credit with no shipping costs. Then I bought a third pump from West Marine for $379! Installed it and it works perfectly.

I should have noticed that the first two pumps shipped in plain carboard boxes and not the nice Jabsco white and well marked box. But all three pumps looked exactly the same. I believe those first two pumps were counterfeit! I left a scathing review on the seller's Amazon site. There were other one star reviews stating the pumps don't work.

This has been a nightmare but now all my dreams are good.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and suggestions.