We just spent the first night on our new 386 with Jabsco electric head. It has a switch with one side fill and one side drain, and a red button that is on top with Flush on it. I have experimented with all of the buttons, it does a great job of whooshing, but then not so fresh water fills the bowl with dissolved toilet paper in it. Am I not holding the button down long enough? What is the procedure for a nice clean bowl? No smells yet, thank goodness. No instruction book was left by the previous owner. Thanks for your help in advance.
Electric head with macerator
- Thread starter GingerP
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I don't think the problem is in the toilet...
It's more likely to be downstream of the toilet....something creating back pressure that's pushing your flush back into the bowl.
If there's a y-valve in the toilet discharge line, it may be turned to go directly overboard, pushing against a closed thru-hull. If you can eliminate that possibility, check your tank vent for a blockage. The two most common locations for a vent blockage are the thru-hull and the vent line connection to the tank--both that end of the vent line and the tank vent fitting. If it's a brand new boat, most likely the vent thru-hull is blocked. If you can't just scrape it out with a screwdriver blade, or if that's not the problem either, call your dealer...something is messed up in the plumbing.
Don't try to use the toilet again till you solve the problem.
Operating the toilet should be straightforward. Hold the button that brings in flush water down just long enough to bring the desired amount into bowl...any more than a pint or two is wasting water. The "flush" button should empty the bowl. If it doesn't, something is blocking the discharge. If you need a little more water to rinse the bowl, repeat the process. If it's not working, quit...continuing can create worse problems.
It's more likely to be downstream of the toilet....something creating back pressure that's pushing your flush back into the bowl.
If there's a y-valve in the toilet discharge line, it may be turned to go directly overboard, pushing against a closed thru-hull. If you can eliminate that possibility, check your tank vent for a blockage. The two most common locations for a vent blockage are the thru-hull and the vent line connection to the tank--both that end of the vent line and the tank vent fitting. If it's a brand new boat, most likely the vent thru-hull is blocked. If you can't just scrape it out with a screwdriver blade, or if that's not the problem either, call your dealer...something is messed up in the plumbing.
Don't try to use the toilet again till you solve the problem.
Operating the toilet should be straightforward. Hold the button that brings in flush water down just long enough to bring the desired amount into bowl...any more than a pint or two is wasting water. The "flush" button should empty the bowl. If it doesn't, something is blocking the discharge. If you need a little more water to rinse the bowl, repeat the process. If it's not working, quit...continuing can create worse problems.
This morning, before I read the answer to your post, I used it again and this time I pushed the macerator button for a good five seconds. The new water filling the bowl was clean seawater, no evidence of toilet tissue. Do you think the blockage cleared now and it is safe to use? The boat is new to us, a 2004 model. Should we use head lube regularly in an electric model? Thanks for your reply.
5 seconds is the minimum time you should flush it. I'd think more in the range of 8-10 seconds would be better. You need to let it run long enough for everything to leave the toilet, go through the connecting hose, and get to the holding tank. A normal 10 second flush of a marine toilet will move the waste approximately 6 feet. When you get bits of shredded paper coming back into the toilet bowl, it's usually an indication that you aren't flushing it long enough, and that the "stuff" hasn't completely left the toilet; it's still there in the toilet's pump.
Re: What Vic said...and...
OK...For my wife I hired San Francisco’s "head man" who replaced our Jabsco model 37045-1092 Quite Flush electric toilet's outlet elastomer check valve and hose from the head to holding tank. It works great, is quiet, and requires only one pump and 10 amps. Practical Sailor recent electric head evaluation did not mention this model. Probably discontinued.
OK...For my wife I hired San Francisco’s "head man" who replaced our Jabsco model 37045-1092 Quite Flush electric toilet's outlet elastomer check valve and hose from the head to holding tank. It works great, is quiet, and requires only one pump and 10 amps. Practical Sailor recent electric head evaluation did not mention this model. Probably discontinued.
Re: What Vic said...and...
Steve, Jabsco has a lot of models of electric toilet; yours wasn't tested by Practical Sailor, but it IS STILL being made: http://www.ittflowcontrol.com/marin...es-quiet-flush-electric-toilet-freshwater.htm
All of the Jabsco 3700-series toilets work pretty much the same, the model numbers vary according to whether it flushes with pressure water or raw water, and what size the bowl and seat are. Your 37045-1092 flushes with pressurized fresh water and has the larger (household-size) bowl and seat. Overall, not a bad unit.
In the Practical Sailor article, they tested the Jabsco 37245-0092, which has the smaller bowl and seat, and flushes with raw water via an external pump. The actual "innards" of the two models are almost identical.
Steve, Jabsco has a lot of models of electric toilet; yours wasn't tested by Practical Sailor, but it IS STILL being made: http://www.ittflowcontrol.com/marin...es-quiet-flush-electric-toilet-freshwater.htm
All of the Jabsco 3700-series toilets work pretty much the same, the model numbers vary according to whether it flushes with pressure water or raw water, and what size the bowl and seat are. Your 37045-1092 flushes with pressurized fresh water and has the larger (household-size) bowl and seat. Overall, not a bad unit.
In the Practical Sailor article, they tested the Jabsco 37245-0092, which has the smaller bowl and seat, and flushes with raw water via an external pump. The actual "innards" of the two models are almost identical.
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