water in head

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T

tarracott

I have a 32s5. When I pump the bowl of the head dry, the bowl fills with about 3 - 6 inches of waste water. Is this normal?
 
C

Chris

No..

Not sure how old your boat is or when you replaced the Joker valve, but it sounds like that valve might need replacing. Kind of a crappy job, but better than your bowl filling up! Maybe someone else has a better idea........
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,498
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
check vent

Usually the only reason the holding tank will back up into the head is from pressurization due to a clogged vent. Even a bad joker valve would likely preclude backflow unless there was some pressure pushing against it.
 
M

Mike

Joker valve

It's your joker valve. They build up deposits on the inside of the flaps which allows water/waste to backflow into the bowl. If you can, have the holding tank emptied prior to doing the job. It's not the end of the world if you don't it just more insurance against it becoming a nastier job than it has to be. Either way pump an adequate amount of water through the bowl. Enough so that your sure there's no waste in the hose between the toilet and tank. Close the thru hull and pump as much water out of the bowl as possible. Use surgical gloves if you've got them and crack the fitting loose. Allow what water is in the hose to leak out slowly so it doesn't spray all over the head and you. Even thought you've flushed lots of water through the bowl and hose you'll still get calcium deposits come out with the water. Once the bulk of the water has stopped flowing, finish taking the fitting apart. Replace the joker valve and make sure you have the new valve seated properly, it'll leak if you don't. When putting it back together tighten the fitting down a little on each side at a time so you don't torque the base of the valve. Reopen the thru hull and pump some water into the bowl and then into the tank. Wait a few minutes to see if it leaks. If it does you'll have to take the valve back out and reseat it. Once I'm sure it's holding water then I start my clean up. Lots of paper towels and disinfectant. If you think ahead and have your tools lined up it shouldn't be too bad of a job. Why they call it a "Joker" valve I don't know I've never found it funny :) Good luck
 
T

Tarracott

where is the Joker valve

Thank you for your recommendations. Let me show my ignorance. Where is the Joker valve?
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,498
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
quote from Peggie Hall

Once gain, before you start playing with the joker valve, start with the obvious and simple and most likely cause as described below by Peggie in a recent response to a similar problem on another forum: "When the vent is blocked, air in the tank displaced by incoming waste has nowher to go, so pumping the toilet pressurizes the tank, pushing waste back toward the toilet. Ignored long enough, it can pressurize the tank enough to burst it. All of the above assumes that what's filling your bowl IS waste water backflow. If it's clean water, it's coming in via the head intake. If it's happening when the toilet is in the dry mode, the wet/dry valve has failed. If there's no vented loop in the head intake, it's allowing water to rise in bowl to the boat's waterline. To fix that, you need to install a vented loop in the intake (it goes between the pump and the bowl, btw), and either replace the wet/dry cam assembly, or better yet, the whole toilet."
 
M

Mike

Joker valve location

If you have the typical toilet that Beneteau installs there's a hose that exits from the bottom rear of the pump assembly. The assembly the hose attaches to houses the joker valve. There will be two screws holding it together. They're the ones you should loosen part way then wiggle the hose so the seal seperates, you'll get water start to leak. It's less messy to do it slowly rather than all at once. Once the bulk of the water is out then remove the 2 screws and seperate the assembly. You'll see the joker valve seating inside of the hose side. Follow my previous instructions and you should be fine. Also there are other replies and suggestions on the topic and they're all valid. With the joker valve problem the leak is so minor that it won't allow solids to pass through, just liquids. It also doesn't matter if your pump is in the dry bowl mode. The joker valve is easy and cheap to replace and if it fails to fix the problem then you can work from there. I wouldn't start redesigning a system that's worked well up to now. Just fix what's broken. Good luck.
 
T

tarracott

thank you

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I think I will start with the Joker valve. The system has worked until 2 months ago. It is a slow leak and only liquid fills the bowl (even in the dry bowl mode.
 
May 18, 2004
385
Catalina 320 perry lake
In Addition

I assume it is a Jabsco toilet. All of the previous posts are good but I would also suggest that as long as you're playing plumber; get a complete rebuild kit and replace valves and gaskets in the pump too. The kits, which contain a new joker valve, are not real expensive and the rehab is quite easy. Although the kit has instructions, the most important thing is to pay attention to how things are situated when you take them apart.
 
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