Vent Loop on Head

[Blue Stocking]

Those little valves you describe are necessary in some installation, just for their limited efficiency.
My Groco EB moves the inlet water to the bowl thru cast-in channel in the bowl. There is no pump-to-bowl hose in which to fit the vent device.
With the large diaphram pump in this toilet, there is no problem overcoming the inlet of air when flushing.

[WrenchBender]

Maybe I read the OP wrong but my question would be. How can your head draw water in, which creates a vacuum, if you have a vented loop between the seacock and the pump. When I installed my raritan I installed the vent between the pump and bowl which works great. Am I missing something?

[bchaps]

The vented loop for the mascerator pump is in the corner of our clothes closet. If someone claims I smell like sxxx, they aren't far from the truth. I have disassembled the air valve to be sure the flapper is closing properly, but per my Plumber, it allows some odor to escape.

So given the choice of smelling like sxxx or sinking the boat, what would you choose?

Bill

[minaret]

Originally Posted by bchaps

The vented loop for the mascerator pump is in the corner of our clothes closet. If someone claims I smell like sxxx, they aren't far from the truth. I have disassembled the air valve to be sure the flapper is closing properly, but per my Plumber, it allows some odor to escape.

So given the choice of smelling like sxxx or sinking the boat, what would you choose?

Bill

Attach a piece of 1/4" hose to the vent and run it to a hull fitting. That's gross.

[Nicholson58]

THE OP question was, "can I clean it"? The answer is yes and you should also look around your boat for the others on various lines. As PEGHALL noted in #4, it is a siphon breaker. It is designed to prevent a through-hull from permitting water to siphon back into and sink your boat or damage your engine. We have probably about 20 of different sizes and make scattered around the boat. No problem in the Great Lakes but notorious in salt water. Keep them and any attached vent line clear. it generally only takes a few moments to service one and many require no tools.

[sartorst]

My last weekend was spent helping a friend save his boat from sinking whose head did not have a vented loop and has not had in 25 years . The water was just about to enter the air intake on the Yanmar!!!!!

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by sartorst

My last weekend was spent helping a friend save his boat from sinking whose head did not have a vented loop and has not had in 25 years . The water was just about to enter the air intake on the Yanmar!!!!!

So what failed after 25 years. I have no vented loops. Seacocks are closed unless head is in use.

[sartorst]

Seacock was left open by a guest

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by sartorst

Seacock was left open by a guest

Oops, that sucks.

There is only one other person on my crew who gets to finish closing up below besides me.

Batteries left on, hatches left open, bilge pump off, seacocks open, etc...

[HopCar]

Blue Stocking brings up an interesting point. Many toilets such as the Groco EB, Groco K and Wilcox Skipper don't have a hose connection between the pump and the bowl making it impossible to install a vented loop there. These toilets generally have more robust pumps than the type that have the pumps mounted beside the bowl. You can probably get away with putting the vent on the suction side with just a small loss of pumping capacity. The other option is to just mount the toilet higher than the waterline.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

So what failed after 25 years. I have no vented loops. Seacocks are closed unless head is in use.

At last another who doesn't have the vented loop!
I too shall come of the closet (WC??) and declare I am vented loop free. I prefer to maintain the seacocks and be quite religious in keeping them closed!

If I fail and someday sink the boat, I will politely listen to your collective admonishment.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Wotname

At last another who doesn't have the vented loop!
I too shall come of the closet (WC??) and declare I am vented loop free. I prefer to maintain the seacocks and be quite religious in keeping them closed!

If I fail and someday sink the boat, I will politely listen to your collective admonishment.

We don't have vented loops either The boat is 23 years old, should it have sunk by now then ?

However, like Ex-Calif we close the seacocks when we leave. Also whilst we don't have vented loops then loops we do have go all the way up to deck level before coming down again to the heads which is probably just above sea level.

[HopCar]

If your toilets are above the waterline all the time, you don't need vented loops. If you never forget to close the seacocks you don't need a vented loop. If you ever take apart a toilet pump and look at the valves inside, you wouldn't trust them to keep your boat afloat.
Pete7, there is no point in having loops unless you put a vent at the high point. Without a vent a siphon can get started and overflow the toilet unless the rim of the bowl is above the waterline. If as you say the head is above the waterline, you won't have a problem.

[CSY Man]

Good discussion...

Does anybody have a vented loop on the head intake side.?
I got one and seem to remember that it is not necesarry, but for some reason previous owner of factory installed it..

Just about to remove the loop but just want to make sure it is not required for insurance purpose or for not getting dinged when selling and surveying the boat..

[Cheechako]

I've had them before. They dont work as well as between the pump and the toilet bowl. But better than nothing.