- Joined
- Mar 5, 2001
- RO Number
- 3655
- Messages
- 1,800
I get a lot of calls and questions about why a Crown Head will not bring in outside rinse water when the head is being used for the first time in the spring - even though it had worked perfectly well in the fall. There's a very simple procedure to follow, when using the head for first time for the season, that can save you a lot of aggravation (and expense). If the head is mounted conventionally, with the large round inspection/cleanout cover in the front, look at the very rear of the head. On the right-hand side is the incoming water line from outside. First turn off the supply water seacock, then remove this hose. After removing the hose, poke the eraser end of a pencil into the nozzle that the hose had been connected to.
Inside this nozzle is a black rubber ball and spring. They constitute a check valve that keeps a small amount of water inside the pump at all times, to aid it in priming itself. But, after sitting all winter with the spring pressing against the ball, this ball has a tendency to stick to its seat. As the motor runs, and the impeller inside turns, they don't always generate enough suction to unseat this ball from the seat. So, the impeller is turning inside the pump, but the ball is stuck, so no water can come in. As the impeller turns inside the pump, it heats up the inside of the pump from friction, burning out the impeller, and - if you run it long enough (more than about 15 seconds), it will actually melt the inside of the plastic pump housing, ruining it.
So, before you run a Crown Head for the first time every season, ALWAYS remove the supply water hose and unseat the rubber ball inside the pump! This may seem like a pain in the butt to do each spring, but as an incentive to do this, should you burn out the pump by running it dry, Raritan's current price for a replacement raw water pump assembly for a Crown Head is $163.38 + shipping...(2009 price is $180.55 + shipping)
In some installations, the pump/motor assembly of the Crown Head is mounted sideways and the toilet bowl and seat are rotated 90Вє - which will put the referenced cleanout/inspection cover on the right-hand side, and the referenced hose and nozzle in the rear, on the left side. This is often done when the head is mounted on a "step" to clear the curvature of the hull, etc.
Inside this nozzle is a black rubber ball and spring. They constitute a check valve that keeps a small amount of water inside the pump at all times, to aid it in priming itself. But, after sitting all winter with the spring pressing against the ball, this ball has a tendency to stick to its seat. As the motor runs, and the impeller inside turns, they don't always generate enough suction to unseat this ball from the seat. So, the impeller is turning inside the pump, but the ball is stuck, so no water can come in. As the impeller turns inside the pump, it heats up the inside of the pump from friction, burning out the impeller, and - if you run it long enough (more than about 15 seconds), it will actually melt the inside of the plastic pump housing, ruining it.
So, before you run a Crown Head for the first time every season, ALWAYS remove the supply water hose and unseat the rubber ball inside the pump! This may seem like a pain in the butt to do each spring, but as an incentive to do this, should you burn out the pump by running it dry, Raritan's current price for a replacement raw water pump assembly for a Crown Head is $163.38 + shipping...(2009 price is $180.55 + shipping)
In some installations, the pump/motor assembly of the Crown Head is mounted sideways and the toilet bowl and seat are rotated 90Вє - which will put the referenced cleanout/inspection cover on the right-hand side, and the referenced hose and nozzle in the rear, on the left side. This is often done when the head is mounted on a "step" to clear the curvature of the hull, etc.
