My Jabsco would not pull in water. I took apart the pump and played with it. Put it back together and it still would not work. $150.00 later and 20 mins work we were flushing again. Is there anything that I should do to keep it working? I heard a suggestion of flushing a tablespoon of Baby Oil once a month to keep things lubricated. Comments
- Status
Yeah, how did you get the bolts off of the
bowl base? On our unit, the bolt heads are exposed, while the nuts are under the fibreglass base the bowl sits on. Did you have to cut an access panel?
bowl base? On our unit, the bolt heads are exposed, while the nuts are under the fibreglass base the bowl sits on. Did you have to cut an access panel?
new toilet
How old is your old toilet? Why not just buy a new one. THey are pretty cheap and you don't have to mess with "playing with it." To me it is work a couple hundred bucks every five years to have a toilet that works flawlessly. Check the archives.
How old is your old toilet? Why not just buy a new one. THey are pretty cheap and you don't have to mess with "playing with it." To me it is work a couple hundred bucks every five years to have a toilet that works flawlessly. Check the archives.
Synthetic teflon grease
Phil, Go to your local bike store and get some synthetic teflon grease. Comes in a big tube and costs about $10, but you'll use it for lots of things. If you have the Jabsco head in which the pump piston comes out by unscrewing the big plastic hex under the pump handle, its a snap to keep the piston lubed. Just smear some of the grease around the o-ring on the piston and maybe a little on the cylinder and you're all set. It'll stay nice and slippery for a long while before you have to do it again. Fair winds, Tim _/)
Phil, Go to your local bike store and get some synthetic teflon grease. Comes in a big tube and costs about $10, but you'll use it for lots of things. If you have the Jabsco head in which the pump piston comes out by unscrewing the big plastic hex under the pump handle, its a snap to keep the piston lubed. Just smear some of the grease around the o-ring on the piston and maybe a little on the cylinder and you're all set. It'll stay nice and slippery for a long while before you have to do it again. Fair winds, Tim _/)
There are no nuts, Al...
Marine toilet mounting bolts are lag bolts...just back 'em out. Tim, you're being too frugal with the grease...if you put a healthy squirt of it into the pump, then pump a few times to spread it all over the inside of the cylinder, it'll last at least a full season if not longer. Steve, if you're buying a new toilet every few years, you're spending way too much money for toilets. The Raritan PH II (the PHC is the same pump on a compact base to fit in a tighter space) is about $250 (about $200 for PHC)...has been consistently rated the best manual toilet under $500. With just minimal maintenance--keep it lubricated and rebuild it every 5-6 years--it'll give you at least 20 years of reliable trouble-free service.
Marine toilet mounting bolts are lag bolts...just back 'em out. Tim, you're being too frugal with the grease...if you put a healthy squirt of it into the pump, then pump a few times to spread it all over the inside of the cylinder, it'll last at least a full season if not longer. Steve, if you're buying a new toilet every few years, you're spending way too much money for toilets. The Raritan PH II (the PHC is the same pump on a compact base to fit in a tighter space) is about $250 (about $200 for PHC)...has been consistently rated the best manual toilet under $500. With just minimal maintenance--keep it lubricated and rebuild it every 5-6 years--it'll give you at least 20 years of reliable trouble-free service.
Being Nice to Your Head
On Tula, I keep two 4-litre plastic containers in the locker in the aft head under the sink. One with cheap cooking oil and the other with white vinegar. While on trips, every few days I flush a cup or two of the vinegar down the head to break up the calcium followed by the same amount of the cooking oil to lube the diaphram. Been doing this for years and Tula's heads have been problem free and pristine.
On Tula, I keep two 4-litre plastic containers in the locker in the aft head under the sink. One with cheap cooking oil and the other with white vinegar. While on trips, every few days I flush a cup or two of the vinegar down the head to break up the calcium followed by the same amount of the cooking oil to lube the diaphram. Been doing this for years and Tula's heads have been problem free and pristine.
A CUP or two of oil???
All but about a tablespoon is just going straight to your holding tank...where it creates an oil slick on the surface that "seals" the contents, creating the anaerobic condition that produces odors. A cupful of vinegar makes sense...you want it go all the way the through the hoses. But any more than a tablespoon of oil is just a waste...and also washes the vinegar out.
All but about a tablespoon is just going straight to your holding tank...where it creates an oil slick on the surface that "seals" the contents, creating the anaerobic condition that produces odors. A cupful of vinegar makes sense...you want it go all the way the through the hoses. But any more than a tablespoon of oil is just a waste...and also washes the vinegar out.
Hey, Peggy
You can tell I haven't changed out a toilet before. I did not think that it would be that easy, knowing how other parts of our boat are constructed. One more question though, if one wants to replace a Jabcso with a Raritan, I am assuming that the bolt holes in the toilet base do not match up. What has been the usual procedure for afixing the new one onto the old base?
You can tell I haven't changed out a toilet before. I did not think that it would be that easy, knowing how other parts of our boat are constructed. One more question though, if one wants to replace a Jabcso with a Raritan, I am assuming that the bolt holes in the toilet base do not match up. What has been the usual procedure for afixing the new one onto the old base?
No big deal if mounting bolt holes don't match up
Toilet bases are not "universal"...no pump will fill a different mfr's base. In fact, depending on the age of the old toilet, the mounting bolt pattern for the current version from the same mfr may not match up with old one any more either...So the whole toilet has to come out. Bowls are pretty much interchangeable, so you could buy just a pump/base assembly, but that would cost as least as much as a whole new toilet, if not more...'cuz discount retailer stock complete toilets, but pumps and bases have to be ordered --usually at list price or more. Soyour best option is a complete new toilet. You can prob'ly use at least one of the old holes...Fill the others with with epoxy or other waterproof filler, drill new ones...making sure they're a tight fit for the new toilet's mounting bolts. Set the new toilet down. Touch up any old holes that show with paint or a gelcoat kit. Something else to note: although most toilets are shipped with a straight discharge fitting, most mfrs will swap it out for a '90 for no charge. Depending on where the discharge hose has to go, a 90 can make it a lot easier than trying to bend a hose coming off a straight fitting.
Toilet bases are not "universal"...no pump will fill a different mfr's base. In fact, depending on the age of the old toilet, the mounting bolt pattern for the current version from the same mfr may not match up with old one any more either...So the whole toilet has to come out. Bowls are pretty much interchangeable, so you could buy just a pump/base assembly, but that would cost as least as much as a whole new toilet, if not more...'cuz discount retailer stock complete toilets, but pumps and bases have to be ordered --usually at list price or more. Soyour best option is a complete new toilet. You can prob'ly use at least one of the old holes...Fill the others with with epoxy or other waterproof filler, drill new ones...making sure they're a tight fit for the new toilet's mounting bolts. Set the new toilet down. Touch up any old holes that show with paint or a gelcoat kit. Something else to note: although most toilets are shipped with a straight discharge fitting, most mfrs will swap it out for a '90 for no charge. Depending on where the discharge hose has to go, a 90 can make it a lot easier than trying to bend a hose coming off a straight fitting.
- Status