What is a "head boat?

Okay, a rather gross question, but why is my boat's head leaking on dry flush setting? We'll call it "waste".?

• I have a 79' Newport, which I guess is irrelevant, but the head is called a "Headmate" to my best determination. We siliconed over some of the leak areas, so the only other text I can see on the head is "Wilcox Crittenden ...". Don't know the rest. After we have the holding tank emptied everything's fine for a while. Then 3 or 4 days later when I'm dry flushing it actually flushes with what I can only assume is waste. Worse, and this is the really gross part, it actually flushes black particles that I have NO idea where the heck they're coming from. We don't flush any black particles or anything solid down the head. So, uhm, HELP. You've gotten this far reading about the nastiness, so you must know some way to fix it or what the problem is...

• Answer:

  Your problem is what is called the "Joker Valve". A joker is really an anti-siphon, or backwater check valve. When you pull the handle to flush, the joker valve is closed allowing the suction to draw the fresh water for the flush. When the joker goes bad, it allows the suction to pull some of the waste water into the pump cylinder. As you suspected, when you push down the handle to flush, you are in fact flushing with waste water from the holding tank. The good news is the rebuild kit is still available from the manufacturer (Wilcox Crittenden). Rebuilding the head is not real pleasant, but it is not very complicated either. Only simple hand tools are needed. Just look at the diagram included in the kit and make sure you have all the springs and o-rings in position. Pay attention to the orientation of the joker valve - don't put it in backwards! Good luck.