Jabsco diaphragm waste pump dependability?

Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Im wondering about the dependability of the Jabsco diaphragm pump over the sealand bellows T pump.... I know the sealand pump is among the top rated discharge pumps available, but it seems the jabsco pump has not been on the market as long so there is not as many reviews to scan thru to get an idea of what to expect from it.... in the past, I have used a Whale Gusher10 manual diaphragm pump on an offshore fishing boat for several years to discharge (when we couldnt make it back in time) without any problems...ever. but the jabsco electric is NOT a whale gusher, but its still a simple pump, and a lot more affordable than the sealand t pump.... thanks for any info you may be able to offer...
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
Well....as you prob'ly know by now, several years ago ITT spun Jabsco off to a company called Xylem Flow Control. All Jabsco products sold in the US are now made in Mexico with materials, components and parts source China and other Asian countries.
If the SeaLand T-Series pump is a strain on your budget, check out the Raritan macerator pump Raritan Macerator Pump Made in the US and everything Raritan makes is always top rated. < $200 if you shop hard.
 
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Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Well....as you prob'ly know by now, several years ago ITT spun Jabsco off to a company called Xylem Flow Control. All Jabsco products sold in the US are now made in Mexico with materials, components and parts source China and other Asian countries.
If the SeaLand T-Series pump is a strain on your budget, check out the Raritan macerator pump Raritan Macerator Pump Made in the US and everything Raritan makes is always top rated. < $200 if you shop hard.
Thank you for the helpful information... all the rumors/feedback I have read about macerator pumps, ALL of them, is that they seem stop working after a season or two, or if left unused for a long period of time.
in your experience have you found the Raritan macerator to be of a high enough standard to withstand several seasons without problems or sticking of the motor, IF the operator takes care to not flush what shouldnt be flushed?

I havent been one to discount everything made overseas, because some of their products are very good quality, but I agree it IS something to be wary of because a lot of junk comes from countries without governing patent laws.

as for all the bad reviews of macerators in general, I have always been very conscientious of what gets flushed, whereas its possible that most of the people who have posted their bad experiences with the various brands of macerators may have a more lubberly view on what can go down the hole towards the "pump with a grinder included"....
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
How often will you use this pump during the season? How long is your real season in Oregon?
I have a friend that restores Swans that have been wrecked; and, he sails his own big, older one to and from Annapolis to Puerto Rico every year. He's been making fun of me because I have manual heads and holding tank pump-outs on our boat. His suggestion: Buy the macerator, press the button, and be done with it. He went with the Raritan. He's in the "business" and the absolute difference couldn't have made a difference. He made his choice because of what he thought was best.

P.S. -- I still have my two trusty, 19 year-old, Raritan PHII's, and my whale pumps for emptying holding tanks off-shore). I find the exercise is helpful for me and the crew. It also keeps people from overfilling a head with paper if they have look at what they're pumping out.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
all the rumors/feedback I have read about macerator pumps, ALL of them, is that they seem stop working after a season or two, or if left unused for a long period of time.
Any equipment will stop working if allowed to sit without preparing it to sit...and it's a rare macerator pump that ever is. Most owners only pump out the tank...it doesn't occur to 'em to thoroughly rinse it out...and even among those who do almost nobody ever thinks to rinse out the overboard discharge line and macerator too. So it dries out...the impeller gets stuck tight to the inside of its housing... The first time they try to use it, its either stuck so tight that motor can't break it free or a vane cracks or breaks under the strain. If the boat has sat long enough--a couple of years or more--the lubrication in any sealed electric motor settles, no longer protecting the device from corrosion, so it won't work any more when an attempt it made to restart it. I can list several reasons why even the best equipment fails. But even a Jabsco macerator will last a lot longer if it's rinsed out and removed in preparation for winter or other extended layup, the impeller is lubed, and it's all kept in a controlled environment.

in your experience have you found the Raritan macerator to be of a high enough standard to withstand several seasons without problems or sticking of the motor, IF the operator takes care to not flush what shouldnt be flushed?
With few exceptions (wet wipes, tampons etc) what's flushed doesn't matter. Raritan equipment has always been exceptionally durable and reliable...not only outperforming almost all of its competition, but outlasting it by decades even with minimal maintenance. However, "minimal" is not a synonym for "none." Install it correctly...take care of it...and you should get a lot of good years out of it.
 
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Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
ALL equipment should be prepared for extended layup...prep that should include flushing, cleaning, lubing, even removal...whatever is needed to protect it from deteriorating while it sits 'Cuz lack of use is actually more destructive to most equipment than hard continuous use coupled with at least minimal maintenance.
So to answer your question...find out what prep for extended layup Whale recommends--and also their recommissioning recommendations--for their diaphragm pumps and do it.
 
Jan 22, 2008
18
Catalina 320 Bristol, RI
Re: Macerator pump failures. Sometimes not rinsing out can cause problems, but sometimes it's the fault of the pump itself.

Case in point: the Jabsco 18590. Purchased new and installed two years ago. Used twice. Started leaking. What I found surprised me. Four threaded studs hold the pump section to the bottom of the motor. They're fabricated from MILD STEEL, not stainless. Naturally, they rusted, and two of the four broke off at the inner, threaded end, inside the pump. After they fell out, they left 1/4-in. holes in the bottom, which of course squirted out you-know-what.

The galling part is that Jabsco apparently KNOWS the problem, and the company sells a "service kit" (Part number 18598-1000) that consists of four STAINLESS bolts and instructions on how to swap them into your pump. Trouble is, nobody tells you this when you buy the pump. Talk about planned obsolescence!
failed Jabsco bolt.JPG
macerator bottom.JPG
 
Jul 29, 2017
169
Catalina 380 Los Angeles
Thanks for the info Joe. I'll be checking mine out this weekend when I'm sitting on the mooring with nothing else to do. LOL. But seriously, I installed the pump last year. I often, on Peggy's advice, will pour 5-10 gallons of fresh water into the holding tank when I know I'm going far enough out to pump the tank. This helps flush the system even if there is very little "matter' in the tank to begin with. But the whole mild steel bolts thing really frosts my butt.
 
Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
Just to pile on. I am on my fourth Jabsco macerator pump in 10 years. Why am I so dumb as to ".....continue repeating the same action and expecting a different result..." (Albert Einstein)? Well it's a matter of plug and play. Were I to be creating a new configuration the Jabsco pump would be the very last on my list.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Defender just had a sale on the Raritan macerators, plus a rebate on top of the sale, so I bought the $190 Raritan model for a total of $114... we will see if I have any better luck with it than people with the Jabsco macerators...