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gchabs · 29-05-2012, 09:30

We have a Morgan Out Island with two Raritan PHII heads. The boat was built in 1982, and while I have replaced hoses and periodically changed joker valves, no other servicing has been done. Each head is connected to its own holding tank, or can be switched to directly discharge overboard. When we use the tanks, we do not draw water from outside, but will flush with fresh water from the head sink, by simply pouring water from the faucet into a cup, then into the head. This has helped keep the bathrooms smelling ok.

Recently, when pumping the handle to flush the aft head, what looks like fecal matter comes streaming into the bowl from around and under the rim of the bowl. This happens whether the valve handle is in the closed or open position. Even though I pour water into the bowl to flush the waste, as I continue to pump more fecal matter streams in. It's not a big stream, but enough to be noticed. From what I can tell, it appears that the pumping is drawing the fecal matter from the holding tank or the discharge hose, but I am not sure. Any thoughts please. Thanks. gchabs

**sneuman** · 29-05-2012, 09:48

Is the holding tank full?

gchabs · 29-05-2012, 09:52

Sorry, I should have mentioned this in my original post. The tank is probably 1/4 full. gchabs

**sneuman** · 29-05-2012, 10:25

Hmmm. The only time I've ever experienced that is when the holding tank is full.

btrayfors · 29-05-2012, 10:34

Pouring a cup or two of water into the bowl is not adequate for flushing.

The PHII is built to obtain it's water for flushing from an inlet pipe. Water passes thru this pipe, then enters the bowl from around the rim, thus flushing the holes around the top of the rim.

I'd change your flushing procedure, either to use seawater or to draw from a freshwater tank (not a drinking tank).

BTW, a minimum of 8-10 pumps are needed for fully clearing urine from the discharge pipe; more for fecal matter. The occasional addition of a little Chlorox and, less frequently, vinegar helps keep the system clean and functional.

BTW2, never put paper or anything else in the toilet. Instead, use all the paper you like, but put it in a plastic-lined small trash can nearby.

Bill
(lived with PHII's for almost 30 years)

rtbates · 29-05-2012, 11:01

I'd image that right past the pump is a load of crap...

Hannah on 'Rita T' · 29-05-2012, 11:43

The crap you see is probably algae that grew in the sea water left in the inlet hose. Since we store our boat half the year we have seen some prodigious growths in the head from the water that remained.

sck5 · 29-05-2012, 13:44

what rita said. growth in the inlet hose can look ugly when you flush it out. Try flushing it repeatedly and see if it goes away. Also, you can sniff and see if it smells like s**t or like a salt marsh

Noname · 29-05-2012, 14:20

Its stuff leaking in from the seawater flush hose. I use freshwater flush from my holding tank but now there is some seepage from the seawater line (which smell like S***) but is really organisms from the sea, river or whatever. The solution would be to disconnect the seawater flush hose, but leave it accessable for future use if needed.

Samantha ann · 29-05-2012, 14:22

Try pulling the intake hose off thru hall mix up a bleach & water sol. Then pump thru system. +1 on alge build up

cal40john · 29-05-2012, 14:41

The seal on the piston could be bad. One side of the piston is clean water the other water from the bowl. When you try to push the waste out of the cylinder some can go past the piston onto the clean water side. I would imagine that it would be smaller particles and/or liquid getting past, not big chunks if this is the case.

John

**sailorchic34** · 29-05-2012, 20:23

I'll second the piston seal ring as the issue, if it really is stuff coming out of the rim of the head. Going to need the full rebuild kit for that one...