J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Head Plumbing

Recently purchased hull #503. The head had not been used in a while, and I had to re-build the pump, as all the innards had disintegrated. The pump now draws water, but when I flip the lever to pump dry, I get backpressue, and the bowl does not empty. The Y-valve is set to go to the holding tank, and the hoses look to be in good condition. Any ideas?

Maybe a clogged hose? Try taking the hose from the head to the Y valve off the valve and pump into a bucket. If that works fine you probably have a clog in the Y-valve or downstream plumbing. I just did this in between races on Thurday at Block Island Race Week and found a clog in the Y-valve.

Ed Austin
Chinook

It often is the vent line that is clogged - by mud daubers or other insects. Make sure the vent line from the holding tank is clear.

I have found that if I tighten the nut, the one the pump shaft goes through, to tight where the handle enters the pump that I get back pressure. Loosen the nut and see if it fixes your issue.

David

Thanks for the advice. I methodically went through every connection, vent, etc., only to find out that the Y-valve was set to go to the overboard discharge. The previous owner had removed and discarded the handle, telling me it was set for tank discharge. I bypassed the Y-valve with a 45-degree PVC coupling from Home Depot. However, it seems that the discharge should really go through the vented loop before going to the tank. Any thoughts?

I thought the vented loop you're talking about was only used for overboard discharge to prevent water outside the boat from siphoning back in. I believe the hose that fills the holding tank attaches at the top of the tank, so there's no way the tank can siphon back into the head.

A previous owner replaced the waste hose and bypassed the Y valve entirely on my boat, and plugged the overboard discharge. I'm pretty sure the head connects directly to the holding tank.