Toilet Question/Need Advice

[Don Davis]

Hello I hope everyone is well and safe during this Covid pandemic. I’m working through my To Do list on my Project Grady and need advice on the toilet as I have never had a toilet in a boat before only my camper. I will attach some photos of what it currently looks like in my boat. There is a circuit breaker in the starboard cabin/Cuddy compartment which looks like it should connect to the flush switch but the red wire is corroded off and laying just below the third picture. I’m not familiar with the function of the circuit breaker but I’m thinking it connects to the cockpit switch to energize the flush switch? Should I replace this circuit breaker? It looks fairly corroded and then reconnect the corroded wire that is below the picture? Thank you

 

[Fishtales]

That is a breaker for sure. See if you have 12V there. If so, clean the connections up and see if you have power to the head. Looks like a vacu flush. Is there a power button somewhere as I don't see a foot pedal.

 

[Ky Grady]

That is a breaker for sure. See if you have 12V there. If so, clean the connections up and see if you have power to the head. Looks like a vacu flush. Is there a power button somewhere as I don't see a foot pedal.

Flush is the push button on the right side of first pic.

 

[seasick]

First thing to do is check for voltage at both the terminal with the red wire and the other end of the red wire. Use a test lamp. One cable end should have 12 volts assuming battery switch is on and there are no other switches that say 'toilet'. If it doesn't you need to see where the wires go and find out why there is no voltage.
If one does, touch the two red wires together. if that does not cause a big spark, have someone hold the flush button in and touch the wires again. You should hear the toilet run.
If you are lucky and that works, either the breaker needs to be cleaned up or replaced.Assuming you cleaned and reconnected the two wires and made sure the reset button is pressed in.
This should do as a replacement

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[Fishtales]

Thanks, never saw that type of push button before...

 

[seasick]

I have the same exact button on mt other (non Grady) boat!

 

[Don Davis]

Well I got a chance to check for power and got a big spark when I connected the red wires and hit the flush button but no noise at the pump, can I assume that I need a new pump? My circuit breaker says 25 AMPERE on it, they seem hard to find in that range I guess again that I want to replace with the same AMP rating? The funny thing is that there isn’t a separate switch for the toilet on the panel, is that normal?

 

[Bayhouse]

Can you provide power directly to the pump? Seems strange that there is no head switch on the panel, you'd definitely want one.

Big spark is obviously no bueno.

 

[Don Davis]

Hmmm I could try to connect to the pump directly, I guess I could bring a separate battery onto the boat and just connect the black and red wires with extensions to the battery, I’ll try tomorrow and let you know, thank you

 

[seasick]

That toilet has a combo pump and macerator. Although I think your pump may be bad, it is possible that it is jammed. There usually is a screw looking thing on the end that allows you to turn the pump backwards using a screwdriver.
If the macerator is jammed, that turning may free it up.

 

[Don Davis]

Great will try that as well thank you

 

[Don Davis]

So I tried to turn the pump from the back with a slotted screw driver but it wouldn’t move so I removed it from the boat and yes it is seized solid so will buy a new one. I see they sell in Washington state on Amazon but will try to source locally here in BC Canada first. One thing I did notice is that the pump is wired directly to the house battery at the stern through the circuit breaker, there is no switch on the panel at the helm for the toilet pump. I chased the red and black wires right to the battery, is that normal?

 

[seasick]

If the device is wired 'directly' to the battery and not to the battery switch, that is not normal. A direct connection to a battery must have over current protection , (a breaker or a fuse) close to the battery itself. I can't remember if it has to be within 12 inches or a little farther. Regardless, it has to be close per ABYC regs. Where is your breaker located?

 

[Don Davis]

Actually there is a 25 amp circuit breaker about 2 feet away that I need to replace that as well

 

[seasick]

Actually there is a 25 amp circuit breaker about 2 feet away that I need to replace that as well

2 feet from the battery or the toilet?

 

[Don Davis]

Sorry 2ft from the toilet in the starboard storage space in the cuddy/cabin, there is a picture of it earlier in this post

 

[Fishtales]

Could be. They do the same for the windlass (just the trip breaker).

 

[seasick]

Assuming batteries and switches are aft, that breaker is probably or should be connected to the bus panel at the helm. The feed to that is current protected in the battery compartment. Per ABYC, you can not run a non over current protected feed directly from the battery. The reason is that should that feed short or overload, the wire to the battery may overheat and start a fire.

 

[RussGW270]

Lol.. I keep meaning to ask but keep forgetting. I have not even attempted to look at the toilet on my boat yet. My wife refuses to let me "flush it" lol.. as we have zero idea what it will do... I was going to just see if it works, but heck.. not even sure if it works.. or needs a "dump".. pun intended.. lol. Time to break out the manual.

I think I will fill up the water holding tank today. I poured a gallon of clorox in mine a month or two ago

Sorry, not meaning to hijack....but clearly been wanting to mention it and have not done so so this prompted me.. heh
R

 

[Don Davis]

Seems interesting that the toilet in my 1999 Seafarer is connected to the 25 amp circuit breaker and then directly to the battery in the aft compartment. I wonder if this was the standard configuration back in 1999? I thought it made more sense to connect to the bus under the helm. Or is the amp load of the toilet macerater pump too much for the bus under the helm? I hope that’s not a stupid question , thanks for any advice...