New manual Jabsco stopped flushing after 5 uses

[Jenjones]

I just installed my new Jabsco head and after 5 successful uses it is now Not working properly. It feels like there is a lot of pressure With the handle and it remains up...after about an hour it will go back down. The waste does eventually go down but I need to use aggressive short strokes and it might take up to an hour for the whole process(like I mentioned I need to literally take breaks for pressure to decrease so I can do a couple last flushes to get rid of all waste).
I don’t think it is a blockage b/c waste does go down eventually, tank is pretty empty, new head and sprayed our hose down the vent thru the hull,( I never actually removed Vent hose, just sprayed water). Still not working????
Any Suggestions would be great!

[gonesail]

maybe you installed the joker valve backwards

[Calif.Ted]

Had a head do that, while the hoses had been replaced a wye in the discharge line had not, there's still a little opening in the middle.

[Jenjones]

The head was already assembled straight out of the box so we didn’t touch any of the valves just replaced old head with new one. Attaching line to discharge elbow and the inlet hose.

[jkishel]

Sounds very much like a blockage somewhere in the discharge hoses. These hoses usually accumulate deposits along their entire length. Remove and clear or replace.

[peghall]

I have a strong feeling that you may be a victim of a common problem with Jabsco manual toilets: a failed wet/dry cam.


The wet/dry "valve" is actually just a little "gate" (the cam) that the lever swings to block or unblock the flow of incoming flush water. Due to either a tooling or mfr'g flaw, it hangs up...creating back pressure that feels like pumping against a clog or blocked tank vent, except it usually only happens in one mode--the wet mode.

The cure: replace the wet/dry cam assembly. Jabsco often sends out a new one for no charge...but then you have to take the pump apart to replace it, which can be a PITA and really messy because you can't flush water through the pump to clean it out before you take it apart.


Since the toilet is brand new, it's still under warranty...so my advice call Jabsco tech support--NOT their 800 #...nobody there even knows what a marine toilet is! Paul Campagna is their toilet guru...his direct line is 978.282.5246. I've recently added the name David Mendoza (949-608-3934) to my Jabsco contacts file...not sure why or even if he's a "misfiled" contact. But you might try him if you can't get to Paul.


--Peggie

[HopCar]

As usual I think Peggy nailed it. With the wet/dry valve not working you’re trying to pull a vacuum on top of the piston. That’s why you feel the resistance.

[Capt Clark]

Jenjones,

If it’s new and it worked 4 -5 times, it’s probably a blockage. Once the head is clear, remove the outlet hose (gloves are useful about now), add some clean water in the bowl and pump. If it’s easy, the problem is downstream. If this is raw water fed, you may need to replace or clean the hose to the tank. If you have been flushing with fresh water, you can usually flush the blockage into the tank with a water hose connected to an on/off valve that’s connected to a 1 1/2 hose barb with a clamp. Good luck and let us know how it come out....

Capt Clark

[fortyninegroup]

We've owned our Jeanneau 409 for 4 years. She is ex-charter so the heads had some heavy use. I had replaced the valve on both of the manual Jabscos when we first got her, and again about a year later on one of them, as it was doing what you described - a lot of pressure, handle staying up. I previously replaced the other head with a Raritan Marine Elegance - love it. This past weekend I worked on the second one, with the handle and flush issues. I found a lot of calcification in the drain pipe, I had replaced it on the first head and expected to need to do the same on the second head... also strangely found an old joker valve pushed down the pipe from before our ownership. Change the drain pipe - it's the best fix...

[Captain Anthony]

Following

[mnh]

I've sometimes forgotten to re-open the seawater thru hull intake, or the thru hull for the waste (if it's going overboard) after servicing the Jabsco head. Both will cause the "stuck handle" syndrome.
As mentioned above, the latch that flips between "lock and unlock" can sometimes stick in a middle position. Take the top off the pump and you will see a latch that moves back and forth horizontally. Make sure it flips back and forth without issue.
Make sure the joker valve is sitting where it should, and place not in off center.


Hope this helps...I do like the Jabsco system. Have used them for about 30 years. They are not without issues, but most heads with similar pump styles will have occasional bounces. The upside is that they are relatively easy to replace and repair



mnh

[Jenjones]

Thanks everyone for your responses! So...I’m able to pump water in from intake easily w/o incident in wet position. It’s when I go to pump out In dry position that I can do 2-3 pumps easily then the pressure begins. Although in those 2-3 pumps the waste does disappear

[barnakiel]

Backpressure, vent issues, etc?


b.

[Poeme]

I had "handle bouncing back up" syndrome suddenly several weeks ago. Felt exactly like blockage in the outflow line. Only thing that had changed was, I'd been in the boatyard just before...the fellows had painted my raw-water inlet grate practically closed (thanks alot guys...but I should have caught it). Had diver scrape it back open while I blasted with a hose from inside. Problem solved.

[HopCar]

Here is a link to the parts list. Part number 20 is the cam Peggie spoke of. If It or it’s shaft is broken it will cause the exact symptoms you describe.

When set to the wet position it should allow both the inlet valve and discharge valve to function normally.

When set to DRY it holds the inlet valve closed and the outlet valve open.
https://www.xylem.com/siteassets/bra...sheet---en.pdf