PHII question

[capta]

Our forward head has developed a problem that confuses me. It pumps fine with the valve in the flush position, but there is major back pressure on the handle when the flush valve is in the dry position and one is pumping the toilet out.
Seems like it should be an easy fix?

 

[Ken Cross]

I haven't experienced what you describe but, ours would do that if I shut off the supply water and tried to pump in the wet position. Dry always pumps fairly easily. I'm wondering if there is an issue with the selector valve. It seems like one could disassemble it and find the problem fairly easily.
Ken

 

[jssailem]

@capta send @Peggie Hall HeadMistress a PM. She will reply.

 

[jssailem]

Exploded parts view.

 

[justsomeguy]

Seems like it should be an easy fix?

Should be. You might carefully stick a toothpick or similarly thin, strong item (paper clip) into the little air valve located on the flush selector body. That's where air is admitted into the system to release the vacuum that can build up when the valve's malfunctioning.

Expensive little piece, that 1203W. DAMHIKT.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Someone else had the same problem only a week ago...here's the same thing I told him:

The air valve is part #1203W...the little square plug on the front of the pump. It has has a check valve inside that opens on the downstroke of the piston to allow a little air to come into the (unused) top half of the pump cylinder to stop the "vacuum kick." If this check valve doesn't open to allow air into the top half of the pump cylinder, the handle becomes very difficult to pump in the dry mode and wants to jump back and smack you in the face. This ONLY happens in the "dry" mode. The problem, that little check valve is stuck.

The cure: Straighten a paper clip and poke the wire into the hole in that little plug to push it loose...it's spring-loaded and you should feel it move in and out when he presses the wire in there. If that doesn't fix it, remove the square plug (it threads into the pump) and clean it. Wrap some teflon tape around the threads to seal it when you put it back. If THAT doesn't fix it, replace the air valve.

It's a $30 part that's NOT in the rebuild kit, but the good news is, the average lifespan of an air valve is at least 10 years, which is at least half the lifespan of a PHII if you just keep it well lubricated , replace the joker valve annually, and put a rebuild kit in it about every 5-6 years.

--Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein

 

[justsomeguy]

Someone else had the same problem only a week ago...

New valve is on the way.

 

[capta]

Someone else had the same problem only a week ago...here's the same thing I told him:

The air valve is part #1203W...the little square plug on the front of the pump. It has has a check valve inside that opens on the downstroke of the piston to allow a little air to come into the (unused) top half of the pump cylinder to stop the "vacuum kick." If this check valve doesn't open to allow air into the top half of the pump cylinder, the handle becomes very difficult to pump in the dry mode and wants to jump back and smack you in the face. This ONLY happens in the "dry" mode. The problem, that little check valve is stuck.

The cure: Straighten a paper clip and poke the wire into the hole in that little plug to push it loose...it's spring-loaded and you should feel it move in and out when he presses the wire in there. If that doesn't fix it, remove the square plug (it threads into the pump) and clean it. Wrap some teflon tape around the threads to seal it when you put it back. If THAT doesn't fix it, replace the air valve.

It's a $30 part that's NOT in the rebuild kit, but the good news is, the average lifespan of an air valve is at least 10 years, which is at least half the lifespan of a PHII if you just keep it well lubricated , replace the joker valve annually, and put a rebuild kit in it about every 5-6 years.

--Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein

Thank you very much.