Joker valve trouble

[Stuart]

Hi Peggy,Tried to replace the joker valve in our Jobson head (1999 Hunter 340) this weekend. Symptom was some discharge of water coming back into the bowl from the discharge hose after pumping out (was 3 - 4" in the bowl the weekends following our use the prior weekends).The replacement joker valve I'd purchased was the wrong size and the marine store didn't have the right size (par for a lot of my projects, having to go back & forth for various parts). Couldn't find a model number on the head to order the right size, so I'll call Hunter this week to see what model we have and then either order from Jobco or the marine store. Anyway, while trying to replace the existing joker valve until I get the new one. I had a hard time lining up the connection to screw the hose to the head. Did a couple of times, and it looked ok ... but when I pumped to test or added water to the head, discharge came leaking out of the connection (hose to head connection). Now I also cannot recall if I was putting the joker valve back in the right way (pointy end into the hose). Read where you said not to tighten too tight, so I kept the connection loose. Is there some secret to making a watertight connection ... or did I just fail to line it up correctly.Also, our Hunter is a 1999, per your book, the head could use a rebuild with new seals, etc. Should we replace the hoses as well? We use fairly regularly on weekends May through October. Thanks (as usual).

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

I'm not sure the joker valve needed replacing

And a new one won't solve it for more than a few weeks, 'cuz a joker valve isn't designed or intended to prevent slow seepage, only a flood. If the slit in it is still just a slit that closes instead of an open hole, it doesn't need replacing. If you're sure the water is backflow and not intake water (which would mean you're leaving the intake seacock open while you're away from the boat--a good way to get a call that your boat has sunk in its slip), your real problem is downstream of your toilet..most likely an uphill run toward the tank that you're not flushing long enough to clear...in fact, I'd bet you're not using the dry mode at all. Water/waste left in hose that runs uphill is gonna flow back downhill...which, from your description, is what seems to be happening. Since it's slow seepage over a period of days, I think all you really need to do to correct the problem is flush the toilet longer using the mode. If your toilet is a manual toilet, it's a Jabsco model 29020...I dunno why the joker valve you bought wouldn't fit, cuz they're pretty much universal. I don't THINK there's any way to put the joker valve in backwards...'cuz I don't think it's possible to put the fitting back on the pump if you try to. Although you don't want to over-tighten it, you don't want a loose connection either--you DO have to tighten it enough to seal the connection. So I suspect all you need to do is tighten the bolts a little more at a time till it stops leaking.Unless you're having other problems, I wouldn't spend the money for a rebuild kit for a Jabsco toilet that old...the kit will cost you half the price of a whole new toilet. So I'd just buy a tube of SuperLube and lubricate the pump according to the directions in my book...when something breaks, replace the whole toilet. As for whether to replace the hose...if the hose has permeated with odor, replace it. If it hasn't, it doesn't need replacement.

 

[Stuart]

Good advice

While removing the joker valve, I also took apart the pump fixture and greased the plunger "head", the cylinder walls, and the top area and then put the top back on.Did I miss any areas?