I installed a Jabsco 29090-2000 (basic manual head) last year during a sanitation system overhaul where I replaced the holding tank and hoses in my Hunter 35.5. A week ago, while flushing the head, as the bowl emptied, the final pumps of the Jabsco had toilet contents splashing 'back' into the bowl as well as spraying the toilet seat, head walls, sole and yours truely. After dissembling the toilet I found a severly distorted base valve gasket which is essentially a 'flapper' valve. Its job is to open on the up stroke, where toilet contents are sucked from the bowl, and close during the down stroke, where the contents are forced into the toilet's outbound plumbing, through the joker valve. My questions: How would this rubber component distort? Should it distort over time (installation is 13 months old)? How do I prevent distortion going forward?
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If you stored the boat over the winter with...
the toilet in the "dry" mode, that would do it. This year, leave the toilet in the "wet" mode. However, a distorted flapper valve would have more impact on the toilet's ability to bring IN flush water than on outgoing flushing. So I'd check your tank vent to make sure that it's not blocked, creating backpressure that's sending waste back into the toilet.
the toilet in the "dry" mode, that would do it. This year, leave the toilet in the "wet" mode. However, a distorted flapper valve would have more impact on the toilet's ability to bring IN flush water than on outgoing flushing. So I'd check your tank vent to make sure that it's not blocked, creating backpressure that's sending waste back into the toilet.
Mode???
Removing the vent hose was one of the troubleshooting exercises. New tank (same one Jim Rushing installed) was empty. The valve sits flat at the end of the pump, on the bottom. The mode valve is at the top. How would selecting dry cause the valve to distort? We flush vinagar periodically to prohibit hose build up. Could this process be the culprit?
Removing the vent hose was one of the troubleshooting exercises. New tank (same one Jim Rushing installed) was empty. The valve sits flat at the end of the pump, on the bottom. The mode valve is at the top. How would selecting dry cause the valve to distort? We flush vinagar periodically to prohibit hose build up. Could this process be the culprit?
D'd if I know WHY it does, but it does...
Unless we're talking about two different flap valves. If you aren't careful to make sure ALL the vinegar is flushed out of the pump, it could indeed be your culprit...'cuz soaking soft rubber in vinegar will cause it to swell and distort. You might also want to check your joker valve...'cuz if vinegar was left in the pump, the joker valve was prob'ly soaking in it too. When you flush vinegar through the the system to prevent mineral buildup, be sure to pump ALL of it out of the toilet. Passing through the pump and joker valve won't hurt 'em...but allowing 'em to soak in it will.
Unless we're talking about two different flap valves. If you aren't careful to make sure ALL the vinegar is flushed out of the pump, it could indeed be your culprit...'cuz soaking soft rubber in vinegar will cause it to swell and distort. You might also want to check your joker valve...'cuz if vinegar was left in the pump, the joker valve was prob'ly soaking in it too. When you flush vinegar through the the system to prevent mineral buildup, be sure to pump ALL of it out of the toilet. Passing through the pump and joker valve won't hurt 'em...but allowing 'em to soak in it will.
The flapper valve that is at the base of the toilet's pump, that also acts as a gasket between the pump and the toilet's base, works together with the joker (or duckbill) valve that is situated in the discharge fitting on the rear side of the pump, to direct the flow out of the toilet. On the "up" stroke of the piston, the joker valve seals, and a partial vacuum is created in the bottom portion of the toilet's pump. This raises the flapper valve and draws a portion of the bowl's contents into the bottom half of the toilet pump. Then on the down stroke, the flapper valve closes and the material in to bottom half of the pump is forced out through the joker valve, and off to its ultimate destination (holding tank, etc.). What caused the flapper valve to fail? Most probably, some sort of strong cleaning or deodorant solution that is not compatible with the rubber that the flapper valve is made of. If you're adding any sort of chemical product to the toilet, discontinue its use and the flapper valve will last a lot longer. They normally last at least 5 years...
Flapper valve care & feeding
I suspect it was vinigar. Besides KO and content which have passed through a human digestive system, vinigar is the only chemical which has been introduced into the system since the toilet was installed new. Thanks.
I suspect it was vinigar. Besides KO and content which have passed through a human digestive system, vinigar is the only chemical which has been introduced into the system since the toilet was installed new. Thanks.
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