Toilet inlet pump stopped working

billR27

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2024
Messages
10
Fluid Motion Model
R-27 (Outboard)
Hull Identification Number
FMLT2752A222
Vessel Name
Wine Down
We recently bought a 2022 R27 and are loving it. However, on our first cruise to the San Juan Islands, our toilet no longer pumped rinse water into the bowl. No problem for that trip, as we just used water from the sink faucet.

I downloaded the Raritan manual and started troubleshooting. I pulled the hose off the raw water filter inlet and found what looked like some kind of sealant that had hardened and then broke into small shards. I also noticed that the washdown pump was pumping a lot of air in the water stream. This led me to believe that some of these shards entered the inlet pump and kept the diaphragm from sealing, allowing air to enter the raw water system from the toilet. Sure enough, when I disassembled the inlet pump, I found this to be the case. I then checked every hose fitting and found that most of them had this hardened sealant. So, if anyone else finds that their pump no longer pumps, this could be the issue. The brown thing looks like a twig that made it past the filter.

Here is a picture of what I found in the pump.
1727015073327.png
 
Where did you get the Raritan manual?
 
Thanks bill, I just got a 2021 R27 and it seems to have a similar problem. I will be working on it this weekend. I will update this topic with what I find.
 
I'm working on my own toilet. I'm pretty sure the hose from the joker valve to the tank is full of sludge, restricting flow (reducing the inside diameter of the pipe). The seawater comes in faster than it can drain. it does drain, but fills up with too much water. So I shut the sea chest valve, cracked open the strainer to let air in and used freshwater from the shower to flush. Now my toilet water pump doesn't work at all (I probably broke it doing this). I bought the water pump rebuild kit for $68 from Rairtan, but before I use it, I have to clear the drainage pipe. So I bought a gallon of Rairtans "C.H. Cleans Hoses". It's basically drain-o for our head, safe for marine use. This is my project for this weekend. I'm hoping chemistry works (CH. Cleans Hoses), else I'll have to remove the toilet to gain access to the discharge pipe and resort to a snake to clean it out. I'm really really hoping chemistry and some patience resolves this.
 
Wow!, I wish you well with the chemistry. I have the same boat as channel surfing and even ordered cockpit flooring based on your template. I fear I will be rebuilding my pump as no water at all makes its way to the toilet.
I have yet to examine how difficult it is to get at the pump. I will of course figure it out eventually.
Good luck Martin
 
Wow!, I wish you well with the chemistry. I have the same boat as channel surfing and even ordered cockpit flooring based on your template. I fear I will be rebuilding my pump as no water at all makes its way to the toilet.
I have yet to examine how difficult it is to get at the pump. I will of course figure it out eventually.
Good luck Martin

Last May (2024), I replaced the entire lower unit of the toilet. So I've had it apart before. It's not difficult. It's just clumsy to work with because of the shape of the head and the door. It's expert-level boat yoga and my body doesn't like it. Then there's the whole rubber glove thing...

The pump itself is fairly easy. My Rairtan SeaEra water pump repair kit showed up today. Some assembly required. Lol.
 
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It turns out that I cannot work on my boat this weekend because SkipperBuds was working on my gel coat and did not finish in time for me to pick up the boat. I drove 2 hours to pick it up only to find out that they ran out of hero red (my hull color). I would have been nice if somebody had told me before I made the trip.
Anyway, rant over. Delayed until next week.
 
I've started with the mixture of magic in a bottle... "C.H. Cleans Hoses" mixed in a 5 gallon bucket in the head. The chemistry experiment is in process. Been soaking for 4 hours already in the toilet and hose to the tank. Going to let it soak all night, hit it again tomorrow for additional time to soak. Once I see improvement in draining/flushing, then I get to replace my toilet raw water pump. It'll be a fun "rubber glove" day tomorrow down at the boat. I can't wait, I'm so excited.
 
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