Rust or leak spots around base of head

[bigbrotherjohn]

I am looking at a used boat I'm considering purchasing.while doing an inspection I saw some rust or maybe leaking at the base of the toilets, see attached pictures.
Im wondering if this is a common issue on older boats and also what is the likely cause?
Does this indicate that water is leaking from the toilet? Would fixing this likely require work with the fiberglass, or just installing new plumbing and cleaning everything?

Thanks for the help!

[NYSail]

Condensation dripping, leaking hose, men with bad aim….. is there shower facilities in the bathroom that would get the toilet wet…. All not uncommon. Clean, change hoses and all good.

[RaymondR]

Looks like the toilet arrangement on an Island Packet.

The rust is not a problem it's probably from a SS fitting somewhere in the toilet.

[bigbrotherjohn]

Thank you for the replies!

Yes there is a shower, so I'm sure the base of the head gets wet regularly.

RaymondR, good eye, this is on an Island Packet IP38.

That makes sense about being able to clean it up and change the hardware, my main concern is if this indicates rotting of the fiberglass underneath and would require more extensive work.

[Tetepare]

Try wiggling the toilet. If it moves, the bedding may be shot. I suspect it’s just rust on the bolts.

[peghall]

My best guess: the gasket between the bowl and the base is shot. Replacing it should solve the problem. Be careful not to OVERtighten the bolts when you replace the bowl...over-tightening will create a pucker in the gasket, creating leaks. So start by replacing all four bolts just hand tight...check for leaking. If you see any, tighten each bolt just a quarter turn...check again. Repeat till no more leaking.


And btw...this also applies to replacing joker valves and pump assemblies.



--Peggie

[OldChris]

I had that exact head several years ago. The plastic base, which connects the toilet bowl and the pumphousing can stress crack. YOU CANNOT SEE THE CRACK! It will continue to leak, albeit very slowly. I troubleshot the thing for about a year before completely removing it, diassemblying and realizing that if you put tension or twisted it, a very small crack would open up and weep. Good luck!

[basenay]

Had similar problem with main head on my Island Packet for years. Nothing eliminated the rust from recurring. When switched out to a composting head, I found hairline crack in bottom of porcelain bowl only visible from below. Easy enough to pull bowl to have a look.