Jabsco toilet help

[eastont]

I have a Jabsco manual head that was installed new last July before I bought it in August.
It worked fine until I winterized it. But now it does not want to pump in fresh water. All else works fine and if I put my finger over the vent at the top it does suck very hard and won't allow me to move the lever. I understand that if a seal is gone then there is no pressure at the vent.

Help, it's getting cruising season and I don't want to have to use a bucket.

 

[RickJ6956]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

Make sure the ball valve on the through-hull is open. When you winterized, did you also flush the intake hose and fittings or fill them with antifreeze? If not, they could have cracked. (This seems unlikely, though, or the boat would be taking on water.)

 

[eastont]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

When I winterized the boat, I actually took the hose off the seacock so there is no leak there.
And, I put in a lot more anti-freeze than required just to be safe.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

1) Garbage on the outside of the thru-hull fitting?

2) Garbage clogged in the thru-hull fitting?

3) Air lock not allowing the pump to move water? Try priming pump with water through the hose first.

 

[country_bumpkin]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

Yeah, priming the pump, also dump a little head lube in the bowl.

 

[eastont]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

I've done all the stuff mentioned and it still will not pump in fresh water.
I'm now thinking it's a gasket/seal problem

 

[BBK]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

I had the same problem, found that over the winter the o-ring seal tends to dry out. It does not create enough vaccum. I changed the seal touched up with a little vasilene works great.

BBK

 

[rbh]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

I had the same problem, found that over the winter the o-ring seal tends to dry out. It does not create enough vaccum. I changed the seal touched up with a little vasilene works great.

BBK

+1-Yes, sucking air.

 

[tb0ne]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

Jumping in late I see from the dates, however, I have Jabsco manual pump out head which is 1-year old (replaced it last year as it was doing SAME thing) and worked most of summer and has stopped.

Problem is the same, will NOT pull in fresh water. Pumps out fine. In fact, it pumps OUT the waste regardless of the switch position (fill/empty)!

Can you confirm for me that applying a simple amount of vaseline or similar to the O-ring it may provide more suction?

And try to find anything on web regarding Jabsco......

 

[rwidman]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

If the head won't fill with seawater, make sure the seacock is open. Take the intake hose off the head and see if you can run water from a garden hose through it and out the thruhull (assuming the boat is out of the water).

If there's nothing wrong with the thruhull, seacock, or intake hose, you can buy a rebuild kit for your head.

It's easiest to remove the head and put it on a workbench or table to install the rebuild kit. It will come with instructions. They need to be rebuilt every few years. The rubber parts wear out.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

Jumping in late I see from the dates, however, I have Jabsco manual pump out head which is 1-year old (replaced it last year as it was doing SAME thing) and worked most of summer and has stopped.

Problem is the same, will NOT pull in fresh water. Pumps out fine. In fact, it pumps OUT the waste regardless of the switch position (fill/empty)!

Can you confirm for me that applying a simple amount of vaseline or similar to the O-ring it may provide more suction?

And try to find anything on web regarding Jabsco......

If you replaced the head, you should have the instructions. You should also have their customer service number.

 

[tb0ne]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

Update: Removed the inlet (seawater intake) hose from the actual pump assembly and back filled (primed) with hose water while the boat was dry docked. Launched boat same day and after pumping about 100 times (seriously) finally got water to fill bowl. Therefore priming method worked. However, not very effecient wouldn't anyone agree?

Secondly, did call Jabsco (now ITT) and spoke with tech rep, who was very helpful, and he said I was 'incorrectly' leaving the Flush Control Lever in the "empty" position. Should be left in "Open/fill" position. Says the gaskets form a 'memory' form and will not work properly if done other. He sent me a few replacement gaskets free of charge for future problem(s).

However you want to look at it, his advice is counter-intuitive to what the average 'fleet' boat owner would do, and what the MANUAL STATES!

Finding/observation: manual pump-out heads cantankerous at best....

Cheers and happy pumping!

BTW, head is Jabsco model 29090-3000 on '05 Formula 260SS

 

[sasto]

Re: Jabsco toilet help

Thanks for the update, tb0ne. Good info.