Overflow Leak When Healed?

[BungalowBill]

I have a 91 H28. My 'head issue' has to do with some type of overflow coming out of the holding tank. The fluid is first visible under the engine and then if we are healed at about 15 degrees it overflows onto the cabin floor. This only happens as the the holding tank gets over half full, maybe even 3/4 full (no gauge, just an estimate).I 'songed' up about a gallon from the floor and under the engine. On getting back to the harbor we immediately pumped the tank. Any thoughts on where this is coming from?I thought if the holding tank was full it would at least stay in the holding tank and maybe back up if we tried to flush more into it. Thanks in advance.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Your tank has to be leaking

'Cuz unless it is leaking, there are only two places for waste inside the tank to go: out the tank vent or back down the head discharge line to the toilet. Since it only happens when the tank is at least half full, the leak can't be at the bottom....it has to be near the top...either a tank fitting or an inspection port...or, if the tank is aluminum--which is highly likely on a '91, at a seam. If the tank IS metal, you're definitely gonna need a new tank...'cuz the first leak in any metal tank is ONLY the first one...repair is a waste of time and effort. Pump out and THOROUGHLY rinse out the tank...then fill about half full with clean water and good dose of red food coloring. Go sailing and sail on each tack long enough to keep you heeled long enough for the tank to leak. The red food coloring will let you know where it is. Once I know what's happening, I can tell you what to do to solve your problem.

 

[Buddy Richardson]

Holding Tank Overflow

My '92 Hunter 28 did have a problem with the holding tank contents filling the head bowl when heeled to starboard. The one way valve (not sure of correct terminology) at the head exit must have failed and allowed liquid to flow back into the bowl when the boat was heeled.I never had anything appear under the engine. The only way I can see that liquid could run down under the engine is if it tracked down the head intake seawater line which crosses the engine bilge.You probably need to rebuild the head or replace it with better one such as what Peggy reccommends. The Par head that came with my 28 gave out early on. I rebuilt mine but it's not cost effective to do it again.--Buddy Richardson"Cowardly Lion" H28

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

What??????

"The only way I can see that liquid could run down under the engine is if it tracked down the head intake seawater line which crosses the engine bilge." Please explain HOW you arrived at that? 'Cuz there's only one way that tank contents could get into the sea water intake line: it would have to first fill the bowl all the way to the rim, so that what's in the bowl would overflow into the rim, then run back into the pump from the bowl--which would be very hard to make happen without some suction...and THEN be forced out of the top of the pump to run into the sea water intake line. And THEN there'd have to be a leak in the head intake line!His toilet has nothing whatever to do with his problem ...his tank is leaking. How did tank contents end up in the bilge under his engine? A simple law of physics which dictates that liquids run downhill...If the tank is leaking into the bilge, the spill is gonna end up anywhere in the bilge that's downhill from the tank, even if it's only downhill from the tank when the boat is heeled...and at least a little of what gets there is gonna stay there.If you ever have any more problems with any part of your own sanitation system, PLEASE ask for trouble-shooting/cure advice before doing anything? 'Cuz rebuilding your toilet didn't do a thing to solve your runback problem...and a new joker valve didn't either...it only put a very temporary "bandaid" on it.

 

[BungalowBill]

Thanks

Thanks for the tips. The food coloring idea is great, I will try it soon. I did a quick visual of the tank but did not see any obvious leaks. I will try again with some 'test' water in the tank.