Head

[wetpaint]

[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I have an electric head with holding tank and outboard discharge. I depress the electric button to allow salt water in to fill the bowl half way before doing business. I do my duty and I depress the other button to rid the bowl of waste. Question? Whether I direct the waste into my holding tank or direct it overboard, I always have a small amount of waste that comes back into the bowl. My heads are seawater supplied and not fresh water and it is not sea water coming back in. [/FONT]

 

[Sea Gull]

There was not really a question is in your statements, but it would help us to know the make and model if the head system. Without the positive bowl seal of a system like vacuflush, you are always going to have some back flow. The trick is to put clean water into the line as you are flushing so that what back flows is clean water instead of waste. Not sure if it's possible with your system, but even a squirt from the shower hose would work.

 

[JimT]

I had a boat with Jabsco heads. I used water from the shower/sink faucet to flush. Much less stink than seawater going into the holding tank.

 

[wetpaint]

Sorry…It was a question. This never happened until recently so there is a minor issue with it. Because salt water forms deposits, I have run vineger through to try to dissolve if there is any. I do this once a month so I don't think this is the issue. My other head which is the same set up does not do this. It is a Raritan and I am not on the boat so not sure of model

 

[sdarc]

I'll preface this with I don't have any experience with this type of system. What jumps out is your last line in the 1st post that it is not seawater coming back in. It is a seawater only system? If so where is the non (fresh?) water coming from? Sorry if I misread the problem.

 

[wetpaint]

The pump brings the seawater into the toilet bowl in lieu of it being fresh water from the holding tank.

 

[sdarc]

And that's what threw a red flag to me anyways. How and where is fresh water coming in?

 

[Sea Gull]

It's been years since I had anything to do with a Raritan head, so my memory is cloudy. If memory serves, I believe there is check valve below the bowl which can fail and/or get buildup causing backflow. Raritan has a good reputation for customer service. Why not give them a call?

 

[wetpaint]

I will call today…Was seeing if there was a quick fix over weekend…Thanks

 

[alnav]

Sounds like a bad joker valve (aka "duckbill" on vacuflush) but on the raritans I used to have there was only one big one. Assuming you have one of the models with a macerater at the base of the head, the joker valve should be accessible on the output side of the pump.