Marine Head Operation

[pnwboater]

Hi All,

Recently acquired a 2009 276 with a Domestic Brand manual flush marine head [picture attached]. Didn't get a good walk thru with previous owner and the manual is no help whatsoever. I can't figure out how to operate the thing and would love some help! I know I have to get water to it which must be via a seacock valve but can't figure out where that is... doesn't seem to have a flush pedal so also not sure how to flush it... Assume that little pump on the upper left of the toilet is to fill the bowl with water... not sure what is under the little cap on the upper right top of toilet.. Help!!

Cobalt head.JPG

[rabiddawg]

If yours is like mine, the upper left thing is a pump for bowl water. There is a reservoir for clean water in the unit. The flush is done by pulling the handle in the middle.

I carry mine out of the boat to dump since I don’t know how nor do I have facilities to pump it out. I have similar hoses to yours.

Side note. My flush valve was stuck therefore it confused me as to how to flush. I took it out, saw how it worked and freed it up.

[AsLan7]

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Hey Pnwb...welcome to the Cobaltchat forum. So glad you found us!

Yes the push-pump plunger knob on the left swirls water around the bowl which allows the crap to run into your waste tank after pulling that handle out located on the front of the unit. Water is supplied by you filling the potty tank first after removing the cap on the right.

You’ll have to get your waste tank pumped out at a pump station located at most marinas.

Any other pics? How is she powered?

Again welcome aboard mate!

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[pnwboater]

Ahhhh, ok! Now we're talking! So do you want to add any chemicals to the flush water to keep things under control between pump outs?

Next bathroom question.. the sink: I see the water pressure switch by capt's chair and the light turns red when I flip it so think its got power. When i turn the water on in the head for the sink, it sputters but no water comes out... again i am figuring i need to get water into a tank somehow... Thoughts?

Thanks for the warm welcome! Pretty excited about the boat. It's got the Merc 496 MAG with Bravo three outdrive. Great power, smooth ride. Kids and adults loving it so far.

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[rabiddawg]

Find your tank. My 262 is in the engine compartment on the port side. There is a bung? on the side of my boat for water. It looks just like the fuel fill bung.

[AsLan7]

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Yes fill your water tank with a hose. The cap will say water on it.

We don’t use our head so we don’t use any chemicals. Never hurts though. Check out the RV department in your local Walmart. You can purchase some potty chemicals and flushable toilet paper there.
Thanks for the pics!

[282Captain]

Great thread. I have a putty too. S never used it before. I’m thinking this year I want to use every option I got. Why not. So, thanks for posting this thread.

[pnwboater]

Okay! back to this topic: With all of your help, figured out how to fill the flush tank on the head, how to fill and empty the bowl. Here is the next issue: the holding capacity of waster water in the head itself is full.. I imagine i have a holding tank somewhere in the boat with a greater capacity that i can send the waster water too, but can't figure out A) how to locate this holding tank and B) more importantly, how to send waste water into the tank. I can see no additional levers or pedals or any electric flush options. Is it possible that I don't have a holding tank and the capacity of the head itself is all I got? Reposting pic of the head... i can see two tubes leading out of the head to... somewhere. I have also located the waste pump portal at the front of the boat in anchor compartment.

Cobalt head.JPG

[Markpolly]

We have a similar setup on a new R6. As I understand it, the holding tank is the bottom of the potti where your hose run into. There is no other holding tank. So there is a very limited amount of waste you can hold before your have to get it sucked out through the port. I don’t know how much these hold but I guess only a couple gallons. I guess you can tell it’s filling up by opening the flusher and taking a peek.

[AsLan7]

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Yes the holding tank is under the toilet. It holds maybe a gallon or two.
Other boats have larger tanks. Yours is combined with the portable head.

[pnwboater]

Thanks, Both! This is super helpful. Pumpouts run $35 a pop so I guess we need to be more judicious about when we use the head vs.. other means

Love this forum! Thanks again.

[bruceb58]

Or...just switch it out to a portable head. Yours may already have that option unless its just a one piece head.

They are cheap
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/hygiene-a ... veEALw_wcB

We used to have one that needed to be pumped out. Why we never pulled it out is a good question. My last boat had a portable and the boat I have right now is a portable. So easy to just take the bottom part and pour it into a toilet.

EDIT: If you have the Dometic 962, it is actually a portable version that can be modified to be pumped out. You may be able to plug the pumpout and vent fittings and use it like a portable toilet.

[pnwboater]

Great idea! I believe it is a portable version that has been modified... i have seen the "pour out" cap on the back at the bottom...

[Snowman8]

Thanks, Both! This is super helpful. Pumpouts run $35 a pop so I guess we need to be more judicious about when we use the head vs.. other means

Love this forum! Thanks again.

Wow $35! I haven’t pumped out this year but last year we paid $7. I usually give them a $20 and say keep the change because the kids on the dock don’t exactly come running to pump out a head...

[Krob1114]

Thanks, Both! This is super helpful. Pumpouts run $35 a pop so I guess we need to be more judicious about when we use the head vs.. other means

Love this forum! Thanks again.

Wow $35! I haven’t pumped out this year but last year we paid $7. I usually give them a $20 and say keep the change because the kids on the dock don’t exactly come running to pump out a head...

Kids at our marina sit around a lot playing cards and such. I very seldom see anyone pumping out their head, so all they do is pump gas. Great bunch of kids and we usually tip on fill up...but federal government ruled that since our marina is on a Corp of Engineers lake, they have to make federal minimum wage, which is much higher. Marina raised the cost of gas and rental slips to cover it. Wish I could have had a summer job like that when I was in late high school or college.

Smart one might realize that learning to handle waste pays more. Plumbers, hazard material handlers, etc.