Electric Head = "Blender"

[Mattsail]

Electric Head issue - Jabsco Electric 37045 (plumbed to fresh water)

It is 7 years old & Has worked great until now.
Tank has Deck pumpout or “Gravity feed” overboard discharge, with Waste
Entering Tank at bottom (Y valve in Closed position), & flows overboard if Open

Problem -- Bowl doesn’t evacuate fully, or as easily as it used to
- it’s more like a blender with the top off (Sorry for that image….)

Just checked the vent hose – it is clear
Recently (1 month or so ago) Joker value was replaced (but I still have new spare, too)

Any Suggestions?

I guess my plan is
1. Pump out Tank
2. Run dock water into Deck Pumpout & Re-pumpout
3. Remove discharge hose at head & run water from dock house through it (to see
whether partially clogged or clear – Replace with new hose if seems clogged)
4. Replace joker valve again


Do the Jabsco macerator impeller and Chopper plate ever go bad?
[FYI, we do use shower to flush water thru bowl, when pumping out]
Thanks
Matt

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Waste enters tank at the bottom?

That's not good! And I'm not surprised that it's not working very well, only amazed that it ever did....'Cuz when the inlet is at the bottom of the tank, the toilet has to push against what's in the tank--and it's pushing back very hard, making it very difficult to move bowl contents into the tank. Worse yet, what's in the tank has to run back to the toilet...and a joker valve that's worn will result in a bowl full of waste...an overflowed bowl of waste!

You checked the tank vent...exactly what did you check? 'Cuz there are TWO common locations for a vent blockage--the vent thru-hull and the vent line connection to the tank, both that end of the vent line and the tank vent fitting. So if you only checked the thru-hull, you can't be SURE the vent is clear.

If it is, I'd look for a worn out discharge impeller. 5 years is about average for that to fail...yours is at least 7 years old. Replacing the joker valve again won't solve your problem though.

Do the Jabsco macerator impeller and Chopper plate ever go bad?

Yes...everything has a lifespan...which, in a Jabsco toilet, is relatively short.

If you don't have the manual for your toilet, you can download one from here: http://www.ittflowcontrol.com/files/itemdoc1441.pdf

Btw...You can't legally open the y-valve to drain the tank in any MD waters of the Chesapeake...so where do you sail that you can do that?

 

[Mattsail]

That's not good! And I'm not surprised that it's not working very well, only amazed that it ever did....'Cuz when the inlet is at the bottom of the tank, the toilet has to push against what's in the tank--and it's pushing back very hard, making it very difficult to move bowl contents into the tank. Worse yet, what's in the tank has to run back to the toilet...and a joker valve that's worn will result in a bowl full of waste...an overflowed bowl of waste!

Understand - but it has worked well with significant use (but typically only 2 on board). Tank is only 11 gallons, and discharge hose from head is looped up to top of tank, before going into Tank at bottom. The macerator pump has always seemed quite powerful.
And, we pump out at end of every 2-4 day trip, even if only half full. Seems to have worked well.

You checked the tank vent...exactly what did you check? 'Cuz there are TWO common locations for a vent blockage--the vent thru-hull and the vent line connection to the tank, both that end of the vent line and the tank vent fitting. So if you only checked the thru-hull, you can't be SURE the vent is clear.
I read some of your prior posts first - checked the thru hull, then disconnected the hose at tank and found no resistance to air flow in the hose or in the very short tank inlet - which was fine, also.

If it is, I'd look for a worn out discharge impeller. 5 years is about average for that to fail...yours is at least 7 years old.
Thanks - Have the manual, so I guess I'll order the macerator impeller "ring" and chopper plate & install it.
I hestitate to say I'll buy the "service kit" - which looks like just an o-ring, a seal and couple washers - but I expect they must be replaced when replacing the impeller and chopper........

Was also thinking of buying a new head to tank hose - it's about 8ft with its loop, so ~$100 - even if I don't install it now, I'll likely need it some day.........

Btw...You can't legally open the y-valve to drain the tank in any MD waters of the Chesapeake...so where do you sail that you can do that?
The Bay has lots of low cost pumpout stations, which we visit regularly.
But the boat was built in Sweden, where offshore discharge is typical.
Matt

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

If you replace the hose, replace ALL the hose...

Both the toilet discharge hose and the tank discharge hose are always full of waste except when the thru-hull is open, so the ONLY hose you want is need Trident 101/102 (identical except for color) Trident Marine: Sanitation Hose is the only hose you want for a hose that always has waste sitting in it. It's a double walled rubber hose that's been on the market for more than 15 years without a single reported odor permeation failure...which cannot be said about ANY other hose, not even SeaLand's highly touted "OdorSafe." I've been on half a dozen boats on which it had failed in less than a year...heard of many more.

 

[Auspicious]

Mattsail -

Where are you on the Bay? I have a lot of experience with HRs (including my own). Are you sure your tank is only 11 gallons? I haven't seen one that small on a 43. What is your hull number? If we can catch up somewhere I'll be happy to help.

sail fast and eat well, dave
S/V Auspicious HR40#68

 

[Mattsail]

Peggie, Thank you & reporting back - on the fix and probable cause

It turned out that it was a relatively simple fix. The macerator impeller and blade were clogged/compacted with paper (even though bowl would still drain).
After unbolting/pulling back the pump and tweezing out that compacted paper, then resetting the oring seal and rebolting, the pump flushed as new.

Although I had located a new spare impeller and cutter for the macerator pump to be installed if it had worn out, I didn't use it, since it did not seem necessary.

My assumption of the cause of this problem is based on the "dual" Flush mechanism matched with this electric Jabsco head - it can be flushed either
1) using macerator pump & water or
2) just pump (to drain the bowl).
Because it has a small waste tank, sometimes option 2) is used only for liquids only - my guess is that it may have been used for liquids with some toilet paper, too.
Resulting in the paper compacting on/near the impeller.
This caused a partial blockage - hence the "blender" mode.
Matt

 

[Ron20324]

The macerator impeller and blade were clogged/compacted with paper... Matt

Sounds like someone is using household toilet paper? Marine-grade paper will disolve in liquid.

 

[Mattsail]

Not likely

Sounds like someone is using household toilet paper? Marine-grade paper will disolve in liquid.

Don't think so, in this case (unless they're bringing their own - not likely)

Matt

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Only if there IS liquid

Too little water combined with flushing barely long enough to clear the bowl will cause a build-up any TP, even "marine grade." Many MANY Vacuflush owners who believe SeaLand's claim that it only needs a pint of water/flush have also learned that the hard way.

Matt, you actually had a 7 year old pump apart and didn't take advantage of the opportunity to replace the 7 year old discharge impeller and macerator blade??? Like everything else, these things wear out, causing the pump to become less and less efficient...and will prob'ly take a lot less time to clog again than it did this time unless you start putting a lot more water through it.

 

[Mattsail]

Matt, you actually had a 7 year old pump apart and didn't take advantage of the opportunity to replace the 7 year old discharge impeller and macerator blade??? Like everything else, these things wear out, causing the pump to become less and less efficient...and will prob'ly take a lot less time to clog again than it did this time unless you start putting a lot more water through it.

Well, I gave only the short answer,
Here, it became clear that the builder installed the pump wiring in such a way that fully removing the pump was no easy, and would have likely made the project much more difficult. Presumably? they thought it would never have to be removed..... or didn't care/think about it.
Seems nothing is ever easy - I was just able to get tweezers & a dental pick in to clear the paper.

Someday, I'll get around to rerunning the wiring, but that wasn't the task at hand that day.
Thanks, Matt