The previous owner only used fresh water from the storage tank to flush the toilet, but it pumped out just fine that way. However, lack of use apparently dried up the pump seals (Jabsco gray handle) and it would not pick up water from the thru-hull. I installed the rebuild kit and it wet pumps just fine now, but when dry pumping there is a lot of back-pressure on the pump handle on the down-stroke. It goes down if you "ease" it down slowly. I've taken it apart and put it back together 3 times now, just to be sure that I wasn't putting something in backwards, and still get the same results. I've removed and inspected the raw water vent loop and it appears to be working okay. What am I doing wrong?
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First, disconnect it from the fresh water supply!
NO toilet designed to use sea water--and all manual toilets are--should ever be connected to the fresh water system...it cannot be done without risk of contaminating the potable water supply with e-coli, damage to the toilet, or both. As for your problem...I'd bet money that the culprit is the wet/dry valve...which isn't a valve at all, but just a little "gate" )Jabsco calls it a cam) that the lever swings to block or unblock the flow of flush water. Due to a design or tooling defect (that Jabsco doesn't seem to be inclined to correct, 'cuz it's been a VERY common problem in a large percentage of toilets made in the last 7-8 years), that little gate hangs up...almst always in the "dry" position, creating backpressure that many owners mistake for a clog. Jiggling the wet/dry lever will sometimes free it up, but only till it hangs up again. The only fix is a replacement wet/dry cam assembly...which, in addition to what you've already spent for a service kit, will run your cost of repairs to the cheapest piece of junk on the market to more than the price of a new one!
NO toilet designed to use sea water--and all manual toilets are--should ever be connected to the fresh water system...it cannot be done without risk of contaminating the potable water supply with e-coli, damage to the toilet, or both. As for your problem...I'd bet money that the culprit is the wet/dry valve...which isn't a valve at all, but just a little "gate" )Jabsco calls it a cam) that the lever swings to block or unblock the flow of flush water. Due to a design or tooling defect (that Jabsco doesn't seem to be inclined to correct, 'cuz it's been a VERY common problem in a large percentage of toilets made in the last 7-8 years), that little gate hangs up...almst always in the "dry" position, creating backpressure that many owners mistake for a clog. Jiggling the wet/dry lever will sometimes free it up, but only till it hangs up again. The only fix is a replacement wet/dry cam assembly...which, in addition to what you've already spent for a service kit, will run your cost of repairs to the cheapest piece of junk on the market to more than the price of a new one!
Never connected to fresh water system
Thanks for the prompt reply, Peggy! I guess I wasn't clear: The pump was never connected to the fresh water system. You just added water to the bowl from the shower valve. He just left the raw water thru-hull closed. I went to the Jabsco website and printed out the parts list and don't find anything called a wet/dry valve. There's a cam that the control lever attaches to. Plus I'm still a little confused about your reply: If this "gate" was sticking, wouldn't it just stay in either the wet pump mode or the dry pump mode? Everything works just fine with the lever in the wet pump position, and it stops pumping in water when the lever is moved to the dry pump position, it just has a great deal of back-pressure on the down stroke. It does evacuate the bowl on the up-stroke.
Thanks for the prompt reply, Peggy! I guess I wasn't clear: The pump was never connected to the fresh water system. You just added water to the bowl from the shower valve. He just left the raw water thru-hull closed. I went to the Jabsco website and printed out the parts list and don't find anything called a wet/dry valve. There's a cam that the control lever attaches to. Plus I'm still a little confused about your reply: If this "gate" was sticking, wouldn't it just stay in either the wet pump mode or the dry pump mode? Everything works just fine with the lever in the wet pump position, and it stops pumping in water when the lever is moved to the dry pump position, it just has a great deal of back-pressure on the down stroke. It does evacuate the bowl on the up-stroke.
Been there before...
and can't be specific from memory, but there's a ~1" plastic plate inside the pump head that you're putting in upside/down, or crossways or something. I've had that same problem with my Jabosco when I disassemble it to lube the pump. I keep having to take it apart and together again. I'll be at the boat tomorrow Sat and can tell you more from there if you need it.
and can't be specific from memory, but there's a ~1" plastic plate inside the pump head that you're putting in upside/down, or crossways or something. I've had that same problem with my Jabosco when I disassemble it to lube the pump. I keep having to take it apart and together again. I'll be at the boat tomorrow Sat and can tell you more from there if you need it.
Thanks, Don!
I'll give that a try next time I'm down at the boat. I think that part is called the "top valve seat" and I thought that there was only one way it could be put in, but hey, I've been wrong many, many times!! hahaha.
I'll give that a try next time I'm down at the boat. I think that part is called the "top valve seat" and I thought that there was only one way it could be put in, but hey, I've been wrong many, many times!! hahaha.
I did say it isn't a valve...
The "cam assembly" is the doodad that causes the problem. I'm not sure why it causes backpressure when it hangs up...but it does. Something in the assembly interferes with the pumping of the toilet. I've asked Jabsco, but they don't admit it's a problem...even though the failure rate for it is so high--many even before the toilets are even out of warranty!--that some boat builders have switch to other higher priced toilets because it costs them less than replacing so many Jabscos.
The "cam assembly" is the doodad that causes the problem. I'm not sure why it causes backpressure when it hangs up...but it does. Something in the assembly interferes with the pumping of the toilet. I've asked Jabsco, but they don't admit it's a problem...even though the failure rate for it is so high--many even before the toilets are even out of warranty!--that some boat builders have switch to other higher priced toilets because it costs them less than replacing so many Jabscos.
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