Recirculating Head Problem

[Alan Cosford]

Our boat has a Kracor recirculaing head system installed, that never worked from the time we purchased the boat. I recently rebuilt the Raritan pump and installed a new joker valve. The pump seems to work OK now, except when closing the valve at the top of the pump and trying to empty the bowl, there is a lot of back pressure and the bowl is never completely empty. I thought perhaps I had installed one of the valves backward. I also checked the discharge pipe for blockages but it is clear.Any suggestions?

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

Recirculating?

To my knowledge, Raritan has never made a recirculating toilet and Kracor has never made anything but tanks. If anyone else ever cobbled up some kind of recirculating system using a Raritan toilet and Kracor tank, it would have to have been more than 25 years ago...Are you certain that the toilet IS a Raritan? Are you sure it's not just a manual toilet that pumps in flush water via a below-waterline thru-hull and sends waste to a holding tank? Can you describe your whole system for me in detail...how it's plumbed, and how it apparently works....??Meanwhile, I'm gonna do some research into obsolete discontinued systems...just in case you do have something I've never heard of.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

I learn something new every day...

Apparently you DO have a recirculating (yuk!) system that includes a Raritan Compact toilet. I forwarded your question to Raritan...here is their reply:"You are absolutely correct - Raritan has never made a recirculating toilet - BUT - certain BUILDERS used to use our Compact head inconjunction with either our wrap-around portable tank or a small remotely-mounted tank (Kracor) as a recirculating system. We never approved of it or warranted it, but it was done. As memoryserves, it was done predominantly in the early '70's. That's what he's got, based on his description - a recirculating Compact head."All that being said, his Compact pump is working correctly. The Compact head had no provision for vacuum-release when dry-flushing it. So, when pumping it with the flip lever in the "up" position, there is a lot of resistance within the pump--the handle bounces back at you, and the bowl won't completely empty. That was the normal operating characteristic of it, and it is working OK." Yours is the first one I've ever heard of...so it couldn't have been done by very many builders, nor did very many of 'em survive past the mid '80s. The only question remaining is whether you want to keep this system or replace it (I'll find out whether it can be modified by changing the way it's plumbed) with one that doesn't leave you staring at waste sitting in the bowl.

 

[Alan Cosford]

You anticipated my next question

Well it's gratifying to know that I rebuilt the pump correctly. The response you got from Raritan exactly describes the pump action we are experiencing. My next question was going to be; is it possible re-plumb the existing tank/head combination to function in a more orthodox manner?I really appreciate your pursuit of a resolution to my problem.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

It can be done...

The toilet will need a VERY thorough cleaning to get rid of the waste that's gone through places waste was never intended to go. If it were mine, I'd replace it...it IS more than 25 years old! Then it's no different from installing a new system: Replace ALL the hoses. Install a 3/4" through-hull withseacock for the intake flush water.To have enough holding capacity to last you longer than overnight, you'll need a new larger holding tank--15-20 gallons. The new tank will have to be vented to the outside of the boat, which will require installing a thru-hull. And, unless one already exists, a deck pumpout fitting.