Nigel Calder's  "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electical Manual" has a good 
section on recommended head plumbing arrangements.  Agree it sounds like joker 
valve is one of the problems but addition of a vented discharge loop would 
solve the unending supply of blackwater siphoning back through the joker.  My 
head discharge has a non-vented loop that goes up to the underside of the deck 
near the rail then drops down (about 16") to a top holding tank inlet and has 
never caused a problem (even with rail buried for extended periods).  Would 
have to have about 10 in. of the deck at the beam buried for it to be lower 
than water level.  I did have siphoning from the intake and a vented loop under 
the lav cabinet (all the plumbing is there) about 6 " above the top of the bowl 
solved that so I never have to worry if someone leaves the flush valve/lever in 
the open or "fill" position.  Have a Groco HF head with 13 gal tank 
above/behind the head.

Andy Weaver
C&C 30 Mk I - '77
Wilmington, NC


---- Helen Abbott <[email protected]> wrote: 
> Gary:
> It's been a long day, and maybe, the effects an adult beverage has 
> provided me with an induced state of brilliance, so after reading your 
> description of your on board 'plumbing system', to avoid unweIcomed 
> effluent backup in the head, I  completely understand.....quite 
> brilliant really!
> 
> Bob Abbott
> AZURA
> C&C 32 - 84
> Halifax.N.S.
> 
> 
> On 2012/09/13 5:13 PM, Gary Russell wrote:
> > There is another possibility to consider.  In the case of my boat 
> > there were times when the level of the effluent in the tank was above 
> > the bowl in the tank.  In my case the tank is transverse in the boat 
> > (head on the port side) and when on starboard tack the fitting on the 
> > port side of the tank is submerged and the effluent pressure goes back 
> > to the joker valve.  The joker valves are never perfect and they will 
> > leak some.  What I did is run a pipe through the tank from the head 
> > fitting in the tank to the opposite side of the tank, so the fitting 
> > is on the port side but the pickup is on the starboard side.  Then 
> > when on starboard tack the effluent sloshes to port and the pickup is 
> > out of the effluent.  When on port tack, the pickup is submerged, but 
> > is below the level of the head so it doesn't matter.  That solved the 
> > problem for me.  Does that description make any sense to anybody?
> >
> > Gary
> >  S/V Expresso
> > '75 C&C 35 Mk II
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 13, 2012 at 11:25 AM, Wally Bryant <[email protected] 
> > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> >
> >     Yup, it's not just salt, but an extraordinary amount of excess
> >     minerals are excreted through the kidneys (think about kidney
> >     stones,) and can build up in the hoses and the tank as well.  For
> >     the last couple of years I have done an annual job of flushing a
> >     bunch of fresh water through the system, and then pouring about
> >     four gallons of cheap white vinegar down the head.  I make sure
> >     some is in the bowl, and that the hoses are full of it.  I let it
> >     sit for a day or two, then flush the whole system with fresh
> >     water.  After that job I need to disassemble the pump and
> >     lubricate the O-rings with silicone grease.
> >
> >     This particular problem sounds like a bad joker valve, though.
> >
> >     Wal
> >
> >
> >     you wrote:
> >
> >         Salt from urine crystallizes on your joker valve
> >         and the joker valve leaks back. Ideally we are supposed to
> >         flush clean
> >         water thru but it never happens on the Great Lakes when you
> >         are trying
> >         to conserve holding tank space.
> >
> >
> >
> >     -- 
> >     s/v Stella Blue
> >     www.wbryant.com <http://www.wbryant.com>
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > ~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~
> >
> >
> >
> >
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