The Toilet Saga………
So, I reported that last week, just before a major country-wide 3 day
everything is closed holiday, the electric driven MatroMarine toilet pump
and motor blew brown and black smoke from its controller.
I tried to put the smoke back in but to no avail.
I called the supplier, he had the right model in stock, and after an
exchange of money and addresses, I had the new one in hand the second to
last working day before the holiday.
On the last day, when most shops are closing early to get a jump on the
holiday, I had to find extra spare hoses and a new two-way fresh bidet
water fill valve.
Found the hoses, but not the valve.
So, not to bore you all with the tears, scraped knees, chemically burned
hands, and just an unimaginable amount of frustration, I start on holiday
day 1, secured the water on board, electrically isolated the pump,
disconnect the toilet from the water and its electrical connection, carry
it to the aft deck, take the old pump and motor off and decided that since
the Admiral was NOT here, I would take my time and do this right.
The first order of business was to get the bidet valve off. It was not
clear how to do that as it has never been off, and the maker had encased it
in some type of sound deadening foam. Why? Clueless.
So, a few hours later I figured it out and got it off the WC. I found the
valve to be terribly encrusted in lime water scale so off it went into a
citric acid water bath.
Then took apart the bidet itself, that went into the bath, the toilet seat
fittings, also into the bath, and the various pipes and hoses that support
the bidet’s function
After about a half hour, went to rinse, realized water was secured, got a
hose from the dock to the galley sink and rinsed.
Then, it became obvious how to disassemble the valve the get to the
internals for further cleaning. Did that.
Got everything descaled and called it a day. It was now way past sunset.
Day two: Took the old pump and motor off. Now this was last off in 2014 in
Kusadasi Marina and while I did NOT do the work, I supervised. We had
guests on board and I had replaced this pump and motor in Greece just a few
weeks before, but could not get every miserable weep of dripping water to
stop.
So, they did.
Now, four years later, I am trying to take the pump and motor off the bowl,
and if I had had a small thermo-nuclear weapon, I am 100% convinced that
its use would not have budged this one miserable millimeter.
It appears that they used the equivalent of 3M 5200 to assemble the motor
and pump back in 2014.
Sooo, with a utility blade and a scraper, I gently coax the pump from its
mounting base.
And, I go swap out the old controller with the new one.
End of day two, as the sun sets.
Day three: Why was there so much buildup of scale, I wonder as I slept. So,
after my morning coffee, I go back to the WC and see the some boat pipes
are just all but 100% closed from the scale buildup. So, using a 20 ml
syringe with needle, I get some citric acid/water solution into the pipe
and keep injecting until the exit has dissolved enough to allow me to use a
small glass funnel to get more solution into the pipe. I pour this solution
into every scaled over pipe. I estimated that I poured more than 3 liters
of this solution into the two pipes. (The house water system is still
shutdown!)
Then, back to the WC that is sitting forgotten on the aft deck.
I turn it over and start cleaning the 5200 residue from the surface of the
bowl where the gasket will go. Then, using a Loctite sealant for fresh
water systems, I coat the gasket and install the pump/motor to the base.
Using the installed bolts, I bolt it to the base, but as I tighten the
bolts they slip and become rounded inside the ratchet I am using. (10 mm
bolts and racket)
Think they are got enough (appears to be so, took the WC down (Oh how
foolish am I not to test it on the aft deck!!!!) and hook up a few things
(remember water has been off on board since day 0) fill the bowl and watch
it leak like a sieve.
Disconnect, bring the bowl back to the aft deck, and test again, being that
the leaks are coming from the seal.
Noting that the old bolts were 316 SS hex bolts, and the new bolts were
mildly magnetic, I swap bolts one for one and test again. This time, no
water so I lug it to the WC and connect up the water services, and use the
new discharge hose that the supplier put into the box.
This discharge hose has is sanitation rated, rubber lined, great quality.
It is also quite stiff, and after numerous tries and numerous failures
(leaks and more leaks), I just could NOT get the new hose to work.
Looked at the old one. Rubbed the outside with a wet rag and no smell.
Gently put it up to my nose and no inside smell. With the exception of some
discoloration I saw noting wrong with using this generic wire wound hose.
So, went into vessel stores, got a spare piece, cut it to length, got
special wide clamps, and installed the hose into the pump’s outlet and the
sanitation hose in the bulkhead.
Tested again and water was dripping. I just could not tell from where. So,
I stuffed some extra pieces of foam I had lying around into and between the
pump and motor, and watched the sun set.
Day 4: Today. brought the bowl up to the main deck ( I think the marina
staff was thinking I was in love with this), turn it upside down, removed
the foam, and note that there was just one small area where it was wet.
That turns out to be where the pump discharge is screwed into the discharge
of the volute of the pump.
To do this right meant that I had to take the pump and motor off the base,
(thank the Lord I had used the Loctite and not some 4200 or 5200 sealant)
reseal the offending connection, wrapped it in teflon tape, installed the
sound damping housing (forgot to do that last time, and remounted the pump
and motor.
The waited for about 1 hour for the sealant to set.
Put back the foam (wanted this motor to be a quiet as possible) but away
from any water drip areas, put the WC upright and tested it while it was
sitting on the aft deck.
It leaked again from that same fitting, but this time I used a wrench to
tighten it and it stopped.
(Now, I know that reading directions is just too beneath my dignity but I
did read the them days ago. MatroMarine stated that the offending fitting
as well as the next fitting down were engineered to be secure and tight by
hand only with no leaks AND without the use of any sealant.)
Yea right! BS. The amount of silicone stretch tape needed to seal the hose
to the plastic discharge fitting was about 5 meters after I found I could
not get it to stop leaking even using the Loctite!
So, used a wench on the offending fitting and viola! The leak stopped.
Now, down to the Head and connected all of the pipes, but NOT the pump’s
power leads. That is because while waiting for something to dry, I
installed the new electronic control panel day(s?) ago
Normally I install this by disconnecting the wires from under the Head’s
sink, (there is an electrical box there) attach small lines to each wire,
and then gently pull the wire out hoping that the line stays attached. Did
this last time with very much a mixed success.
This time, I cut the wires to the broken controller, stripped them back and
connected the new wires (now somewhat shorter with the old one, making sure
each crimp was good and tight. Then, I used some pre-installed shrink wrap
to make sure they stayed nice and clean.
When I tested it the last time, I could not get the toilet solenoid valve
to function. It was as if it was stuck wide open.
Now I am at the point where the WC is in, no leaks, but I have to address
this solenoid valve issue.
Now I do happen to have a spare on board, but something tells me in the
back of my head that this is a self-inflicted wound, done by the scaler
solution, which by the way did clean out those pipes quite nicely.
Running brown dirty water thru the solenoid valve is no match for its
precision channels and chambers so I decide to take it apart.
Having done so before, I knew what to expect. I know there is a spring at
sits on top of the diaphragm and I also know there is a small “o” ring
under the spring assembly located at the base of the tall column the the
electric part of the solenoid valve slides up and down in.
So, I do take it apart, flush the lines until I get clear water (takes a
while) then clean the insides. I did try to take apart the tall chamber but
could not do it without potentially damaging the diaphragm seating
surfaces. This is a precision valve so knowing I have a clean spare, I do
my best to clean up this.
I find dirty water in the magnetic sliding assembly, the “o” ring is
filthy, and brown water residue is everywhere inside. Flush it all, using a
syringe to flush the dirty water from around the magnetic spring assembly,
and an then come to realized that I must have also installed the diaphragm
incorrectly the last time because the small hole in the diaphragm was no
where near in alignment with the small “o” ring.
After getting this all cleaned up, dry, and verified to be clean, I put it
all back together and when I open the fresh water supply valve, I hear the
comforting thump as the water pressure seats the solenoid valve.
Now, I look around, and see I am ready to test. There is no leak from under
the bowl. The hoses are attached and I test the electronics. Water fills as
it is suppose to, but never gets pumped out. Made the mistake of trying one
more time, and now the level is rapidly approaching the lip of the bowl
when I realize I forgot to connect power to the motor.
I do that with care, but rapidly (knowing by this time the power cycle to
the pump is off) in time to drain the bowl before it overflows. That was
close!
Try it a few times, seems all to work, time to take a break and write this
novel, (still not asleep yet?) as the sun is setting.
I will leave all as is for three days and if all remains as is, I will
finish up the installation.
I again thank the Lord that the Admiral is some 600 km away.
As for the old pump and motor, I took it apart and found that there was
this reside of hard flakes all over the pump’s volute, the motor would not
turn by hand, and these flakes do not dissolve in vinegar, citric acid, or
lime descaler solution. They do not smell either so I am stumped what they
are. The people around the marina are also, so if one has a clue, please
suggest.
I think I have killed a few trees writing this but thought all of you
should know that as this is a very infrequently done repair, there can be
more to it than meets the eye. The scale in the pipes and the flush valve
complicated the issue, should have played dumb and never should have read
the installation instructions, or believed them to be truthful, and should
have gone with my instincts and used that Loctite sealer everywhere.
Comments?
Lee
Levent Marina, Izmir Turkey
https://www.facebook.com/leezeforsale/