When you gotta go but it doesnt go

A necessary part of living on a boat (or anywhere really) is the need to go to the toilet.  No one likes to talk about it and certainly no one likes to deal with the systems that allow us to when they fail.

We have an electaric toilet on board that has dealt with everything that has entered it, apart from the screw I dropped in once but that's another story.  So I was disappointed the other day when I went to the toilet, flushed, and the bowl didnt want to empty too well.  Lucky it was only a 'number 1'.  As I was busy doing other jobs I thought I'd look at it later.  5 mintues after I was at the nav sation when I heard a dripping noise.  Went forward to the head and the bowl was full and overflowing into the boat.....not good.   So shut off the inlet value and pump out the bowl.   Ah well, next job is to service the toilet and make sure the outlet hose is clear.

The fun begins

Of course no one in town has a service kit in stock so ordered one online.  It turned up and todays the big day.

After a lovely dinghy ride to the boat it was time get dirty.

 

Once I'd pulled the motor/pumo apart I noticed that there was a fair amount of rust/corrosion so thought I might get a price on a new motor.  Spoke to the local chandlery and was told no pumps in stock and they are over $700!!!!   and a complete new toilet is only $649.  So off we went.

So out with the old and in with the new.  I also finished rebuilding the old pump and we'll keep that as a spare.