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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Head Problems

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4306 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/17/2009 : 19:22:38

I haven't used the head on my C25 in about a year. After reading that CG Reg's require your head to be in operating condition if you have one on-board I thought I'd better check mine. After opening the seacock I started pumping it but it wouldn't prime. I flipped the red lever on the top of the pump housing and I tried filling the bowl but that didn't get it to prime.

Any suggestions?

Association Member

GaryB
Andiamo
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 09/17/2009 : 21:38:24

Try opening the sea cock so that the sink drains to the head line. fill the sink and then open the drain plug, this should go to fill the bowl and then start pumping.

Edited by - on

Don B
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2009 : 05:19:18

It's also possible you may have an obstruction at the inlet...barnacles/growth happen fairly quickly in our area. Just dive over the side with a small screwdriver...insert the screwdriver several times in the inlet (thru hull). Also, if it's been awhile since you pumped the head, you might try adding a little mineral oil in the bowl and pump several times...this really seems to get the pump handle moving nice and easy.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2009 : 05:34:10

Sounds like the seals on the pump are shot... try olive oil every so often...

sten

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4306 Posts

Response Posted - 09/19/2009 : 06:19:54

I'll give these suggestions a try.

I have a feeling it's an obstruction in the inlet. I had the boat pulled last month so I could adjust the bunks on my trailer. When they first pulled it I noticed some growth around one of the thru hulls and I believe it was the one for the head. I was thinking about having them wash the bottom while the boat was out so I wasn't too concerned with it at the time but I told myself to make sure I at least cleaned that thru hull before putting the boat back in. One thing led to another and we ran out of time. Since the bottom wasn't too bad we just put the boat back in the water. Of course just about the time the bottom hit the water I remembered I hadn't cleaned that thru hull and since the guys were in a hurry to go home I just blew it off.

Obviously I'm kicking myself now. Is there any way to clean the inlet from the inside? Can I pull one of the hoses, open the seacock and run a coat hanger through from the inside?

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/19/2009 : 08:57:06

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 Is there any way to clean the inlet from the inside? Can I pull one of the hoses, open the seacock and run a coat hanger through from the inside?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">That's be an interesting exercise! ("Whoa--it's flowing now!!")

If your head is drawing from the same thru-hull as the sink is draining to, plug the sink drain tightly and then try the pump.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 09/19/2009 09:00:14

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4306 Posts

Response Posted - 09/19/2009 : 14:38:07

My logic is the hose going to the head pump is about 1/2 - 2/3 the size of the hole thru the hull for the depth finder/speed sensor. As reported in other areas of this forum it's possible to pull the transducer, put the plug in and only get a little water in the boat. I figured I could pull one of the hoses from seacock, insert the coat hanger part of the way, open the seacock and work the coat hanger around. As soon as I get water flowing yank the hanger out and shut the seacock.

Of course with my luck the coat hanger would get hung up in the seacock and I couldn't shut it.

I'd just go under the boat and do it from the outside as suggested but the water in the marina is not that great, I'm worried about stray electrical currents in the water, and I didn't have my mask and snorkel.

I didn't have time to get to this today anyway so I'll bring my mask next time and go after it. A quick shower after should get most of the pollutants off.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/19/2009 : 21:35:28

Did you try plugging the sink drain??

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4306 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2009 : 05:22:55

No, I didn't have time but the stopper was all the way in the drain. It may not have been tight enough tho.

I may be down at the boat Tuesday evening and if I am I'll make sure the stopper is in tight and I'll put water in the sink just to make sure. If that doesn't work I'll go over the side and check the intake for an obstruction.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4306 Posts

Response Posted - 09/29/2009 : 19:42:35

Finally got a chance to go to the boat yesterday. Tried filling the sink with water and pumping the head but had no luck getting it to prime. Tried with and without plugging the drain.

I was able to determine the seacock was not obstructed. The water in the sink would drain if I opened it.

Went to WM to get some advice and possibly a rebuild kit. They advised basically the same things that you above advised. Rebuild kit was $70.00 but I was not for sure how old my head was so I went back to the boat and determined my head was the original 1989 head. Tried pumping again and for some reason it started to prime. Pumped a little water into the bowl and I felt a fine mist on my leg each time I pumped it. About 5 or 6 strokes and it suddenly quit pumping and the pressure on the pump went to zero. At this point it would not pump water in or out.

Decided I wasn't going to mess with trying to rebuild a 20 year head. Went back to WM. They had a pump assembly for $140.00 or a complete new head for $158.00.

I'm now the proud owner of a new throne! Worked on the third stroke.

Bottom line, try the above steps and if nothing works, go buy a new one. It's not worth the effort to rebuild an old head and then have it fail in a few weeks or months. It took me 20 minutes to remove and replace and I get a 1 year warranty.

Thank you everyone. Your suggestions saved me a trip over the side into "marina" water.

Edited by - GaryB on 09/29/2009 19:43:38

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2009 : 10:55:35

remove the cap - six screws?, that holds the pump handle. Inside is a "flapper valve" which controls the flow of water into and out of the bowl. It's usually rubber with metal disks attached. These often corrode a little and stick closed. When stuck you can't change the pump function so that it sucks water into the bowl or forces water out of the bowl. This has happended to me twice in the 21 years I've owned my boat. Both times I lubed the disks with vaceline and it worked fine again.

Be careful when you re-attach the the pump cover. If you over-tighten the screws they will strip very easily. You then have a problem more difficult to solve.

Edited by - on

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