Sea Toilet doesn't suck water in?

[Guest]

Sea Toilet doesn\'t suck water in?

I have recently acquired my first yacht and it has a sea toilet. Unfortunately I do not know the make, but it has a small lever that points to open and close and a plunger. The toilet pumps out ok, but it doesn't suck in water to aid the pumping out. I don't know where to start or where to start dismantling. Can anyone please suggest what I should do?

 

[Guest]

Re: Sea Toilet doesn\'t suck water in?

Most toilets have a control lever that shuts off the water intake to allow you to pump out without water coming in. This lever usually works by disabling one of the rubber valves in the inlet pump so it sucks air in the outlet instead of water in the inlet.

I assume you have tried the control in both positions and it doesn't work. They are notoriously unreliable so you may have to remove the cover and clean the rubber valve. Often, the cam on the end of the control lever shaft will become disconnected and hold the valve open.

You also need to check that the through-hull inlet valve is open and that the inlet has not been blocked. This can be checked by removing the raw water inlet from the toilet pump and opening the through hull valve and making sure that water rushes in unimpeded (with the end below the water line in a bucket!).

The O ring(s) and seals on the pump(s) are also a source of trouble. Depending on how old it is, you may need to get a replacement valves/Oring/Pistonring set and refurbish the pump(s).

When you finally get it working, periodically put an ounce of vegetable oil in the bowl and pump it through to lubricate the pump and keep it working.

tech@yandina.com

 

[Guest]

Re: Sea Toilet doesn\'t suck water in?

I might be stating the obvious but you are lowering the toilet seat and lid when trying to get water in aren't you?

 

[Guest]

Re: Sea Toilet doesn\'t suck water in?

It sounds like an RN69 of which I've had three. If it is, you don't need to lower the seat to flush. They generally work reasonably well but can be a little tempremental. My last one never wanted to flush at low tide (and no, it wasn't because we were sitting in mud!)

The good news is that you can easily get service kits to replace the internal valves, and the even better news is that, although it isn't a job I'd look forward to completing, it really is very easy. I'm a mechanical moron, but have successfully service mine on several occasions. All you need are a couple of screwdrivers (one long, one short handled) to get at the screws and then just unscrew everything on the valve mechanism being careful to note which way round the rubber valves are positioned. Replace the valves and seals and rebuild in reverse order. Shouldn't take more than an hour and it isn't nearly as disgusting a job as you would imagine, although I would recommend rubber gloves.

Good luck.