Bad head seacock?

[Ken Heyman]

The seacock that allows the head bowl to fill with sea water, is always kept shut. Of late when I pump the head with the lever on "pump dry" a bit if water enters the bowl as if the seacock  were in fact open. It is a small amount of discolored water but continues to come as long as I am flushing the head.Possibly a bad seacock ?
Thanks,
Ken

[Joe Holmes]

I would try removing the hose from the seacock and see if it really leaks with the valve closed.  The fact that the water is discolored makes me think it could be coming from the discharge side of the head.

[Ken Heyman]

Thanks Joe,
Good diagnostic idea. I will give it a try.
Ken

[KWKloeber]

I'm wondering if it is bad/leaking joker valve -- does the  water continue coming in while pumping,  or just the first stroke like it's been sitting in the pump cylinder?

Ken

[sailaway]

Ken have same problem just took it apart the two little flappers in the pump handle are bad. It is a  groco hf I don't want the whole repair kit just the two parts I want. Where can I get them . Charlie

[KWKloeber]

Ken have same problem just took it apart the two little flappers in the pump handle are bad. It is a  groco hf I don't want the whole repair kit just the two parts I want. Where can I get them . Charlie

Call Arlene at Groco.
www.Groco.net

Ken K.

[Stu Jackson]

I spoke to Ken Heyman the other day, using that miracle boating tool: the telephone. 

He reported that he'd replaced the head pump gasket at the suggestion of a "good guy" at Groco (I forget his name, but Ken swears by his great advice).

It also turns out that the top of the anti-siphon valve for his shower sump had disappeared, which complicated his investigative issues.

All is working well now.  It would be even better if he installed an anti-siphon loop between his head pump and bowl, but he'll get to that, eventually.  Why some boats come without those basic things required by head manufacturers is beyond me.

[Ken Heyman]

Sorry that I  haven't gotten back sooner but the fix was just accomplished. Stu is correct. The hero in this  was Pat at Groco who immediately diagnosed the problem as a bad pump gasket and suggested that I buy just the gasket and not the more expensive kit. It was a simple repair (removal of. 6 bolts and a spring)-Install new gasket and spring -A bit of elbow grease to move the lever to the horizontal  "pump dry  "position and voila -water enters the bowl with the thru hull seacock open and the lever in the flush position and none enters when the seacock is closed.
An unrelated problem (causing a bit of "spritzing" at the top of the shower sump vented loop) was a missing screw on cap. Randy at Forespar sent me three at no charge.A big thank you to Groco and Forespar for great customer service . In that my seacock is always closed except for the  "last flush of the day"(good name for a country western tune) and the lever is in the pump dry position, I think the double redundancy keeps me safe and afloat even without the added anti-siphon protection between the pump and the bowl .- At least it has for 10 years .Thanks again for all the suggestions.
Ken