Why does my head just swirl round and round?

[partingclouds]

This unit has always been funky. It's a Groco, rebuilt with Raritan parts. I can pump and pump until I'm blue in the face watching the whirlpool in the bowl, swirling in anticipation of an imminent flush, but it just doesn't happen. There's water flowing into the bowl, and obviously out too, but the solids gleefully circle in a counterclockwise joyride. I think a bucket would be a saner option, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[peghall]

My first thought was a blocked tank vent that's creating back pressure...but if you can flush water with no problem, maybe not.



You said you rebuilt your Groco toilet (which I'm guessing is an HF) with Raritan parts. No toilet rebuild kit is 100% interchangeable with any other mfr's toilets...even kits for different toilets or versions of the same make/model aren't interchangeable. So most likely your problem is with seals, valves and/or o-rings in the pump that don't fit or orient exactly the same, so aren't letting the pump provide the "oomph" it needs to push solids out. It's even possible that it's not providing any "oomph"..that water is just draining, which solids can't do. Getting the right kit for your Groco and installing ALL of it should solve your problem. Or replace the pump with a Raritan.



--Peggie

[partingclouds]

Thanks for your reply, Peggy. I'm sure you've hit it on the head, so to speak. I will proceed as instructed, with a new Raritan pump being installed. Your helpful knowledge sharing is treasured, and we are all fortunate having you aboard here to sleuth out answers regarding all things plumbing.

Best regards,

Partingclouds

[Alan Mighty]

Parting C: if you shut the raw water intake seacock and keep the outlet seacock open, then keep pumping, what happens?

Only water out, or water and solids out?

[CaptTom]

We removed two electric heads and replaced them with good ol' hand-pump heads for just this reason.

The ones we junked (sorry, don't recall the model) had no "dry bowl" setting like the manual heads do. So water was pumped in as water was pumped out, but "floaters" never sank down far enough to go out with the flow.

Rather than change our diet, we changed out the heads to what we were used to. One side benefit is that guests have to think about what they deposit in the bowl. Somehow being able to just close your eyes and push a button distances people from the consequences of their actions.

[peghall]

You'll need a new base too...what you want to order is a "PH SuperFlush pump and base assembly" which is likely offered as a "conversion" that's everything but the bowl, seat and lid (yes, your bowl WILL fit!). The price of the conversion isn't a lot less than the complete toilet...it's the shipping that'll save you $$ 'cuz bowls are heavy! Defender has the complete toilet for the best price by far Defender PH SuperFlush Toilet but the shipping cost makes it worth comparing with prices locally.



--Peggie

[peghall]

Pumping the toilet in the dry mode accomplishes the same thing without the need to close the inlet seacock.


--Peggie

[peghall]

You could have just replaced the flush button with the optional one that offers 3 choices: flush water only, "dry" discharge and both...and gotten the advantage that manual toilets don't offer: the ability to bring in flush water and hold it in the bowl ahead of solids, which leaves a much cleaner bowl using a lot less flush water.



--Peggie

[taxwizz]

I converted my shower head to bidet and now everything is much cleaner.

[singlespeed]

Try replacing the joker valve. They harden with age and in warmer waters may slowly be covered by calcium deposits and slime, further hindering their flexibility. You have pulled the main sanitary hose off the back of the toilet and flushed it with copious amounts of fresh water, to ensure that you do not have any obstructions between the toilet and the exterior shutoff? Any obstruction or build-up of calcium deposits with increase the pressure necessary to move the solids out of the bowl, down the sanitary hose and past the through hull.

[gulfcoastsailor]

At first read, I thought you were just seasick!

[HopCar]

Pretty sure the only interchangeable parts on the Groco manual toilets and the Raritan are the bowl and joker valve.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by partingclouds

There's water flowing into the bowl, and obviously out too, but the solids gleefully circle in a counterclockwise joyride.

It’s a Southern Hemisphere toilet. You need to relocate.

[tstano]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

I converted my shower head to bidet and now everything is much cleaner.

So how do you take a shower? Oh, Toronto, never mind.

[stnick]

You can just buy a new head and be done with it . The parts now are 3/4 the price of the whole head.
Clever people those Chinaese !