Blocked heads!

KINGFISHER 9

KINGFISHER 9

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Electric heads .... blocked! .... what to do to fix it? There's a sight gauge on the end of the pump by the look of it and it appears blocked - doesn't look pleasant! Is there some way of unblocking the thing without dismantling half the boat ... anything I can add to a tank that'll shift it? .... help!
I should have explained better ... there are 3 buttons - flush out, water-in and macerator. The flush out works, the macerator works but the bowl filler water-in doesn't ... I can see a bit of water movement in that sight gauge ... is that a macerator vane I can see in there which looks blocked? Presumably that's what stopping the water from filling the bowl?
 
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Kingfisher 3 said:
Electric heads .... blocked! .... what to do to fix it? There's a sight gauge on the end of the pump by the look of it and it appears blocked - doesn't look pleasant! Is there some way of unblocking the thing without dismantling half the boat ... anything I can add to a tank that'll shift it? .... help!
I should have explained better ... there are 3 buttons - flush out, water-in and macerator. The flush out works, the macerator works but the bowl filler water-in doesn't ... I can see a bit of water movement in that sight gauge ... is that a macerator vane I can see in there which looks blocked? Presumably that's what stopping the water from filling the bowl?
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You know, it might help people to advise you if you gave some clue as to the make/model of your electric heads.
 
pvb said:
You know, it might help people to advise you if you gave some clue as to the make/model of your electric heads.
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Alas there is no indication as to the maker's name and nothing in the boat's handbook .... it's the pump that fills the bowl that's not functioning (just a tiny trickle!) and I can't get my head far enough into the hatch to read any name on that! The boat is a Beneteau GT38.
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
Alas there is no indication as to the maker's name and nothing in the boat's handbook .... it's the pump that fills the bowl that's not functioning (just a tiny trickle!) and I can't get my head far enough into the hatch to read any name on that! The boat is a Beneteau GT38.
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Perhaps post a picture of it?
 
pmagowan said:
Throw it overboard, get a cheap jabsco and keep another one spare for times like these! Sorry not more helpful but £150 is cheap to avoid this carry on :)
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Good idea but I'm on the boat now with people coming to lunch at 1 o'clock! I'll have to rig a sign warning of the perils of using 50 sheets of paper! ... for now they'll have to fill the bowl with a bucket!
 
pvb said:
Perhaps post a picture of it?
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Good idea ... wife's away picking up lunch guests at the mo but if she's got her camera with her I'll do that very thing when she gets back! It was a guest last weekend who must have blocked the thing ... I'm considering a no-guest rule or, as I've suggested on here before, a sign saying '3 sheets only - one up, one down and one polisher!'
 
NickRobinson said:
Not sure why loo paper (in my case it was kitchen roll) should affect the flush inlet?
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Got me foxed as well .... boat still relatively new to me I'm afraid! I thought it flushed with sea water but, unlike my other boat with a manual head, it doesn't get whiffy after leaving it for a couple of weeks then filling the bowl so assume it musty be fresh water flushing ... no problems until now. Unfortunately the handbook isn't very helpful ... doesn't explain the system at all well and no mention of clearing blockages!
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
Got me foxed as well .... boat still relatively new to me I'm afraid! I thought it flushed with sea water but, unlike my other boat with a manual head, it doesn't get whiffy after leaving it for a couple of weeks then filling the bowl so assume it musty be fresh water flushing ... no problems until now. Unfortunately the handbook isn't very helpful ... doesn't explain the system at all well and no mention of clearing blockages!
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If you can pump it out after chucking in a bucket full of water but other wise get no water in for flushing then it's just the water supply that you have to look at and/or the flushing part of the pump.

Send wife and guests to decent restaurant while you put your Marigolds on and get stuck in. With luck you will have it sorted in time for afternoon tea.

Does it look like one of these

5374834_20150908090440070_1_XLARGE.jpg



4788534_20140816010103285_1_XLARGE.jpg


If so perhaps a Jabsco

See https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=j...2&ved=0ahUKEwjA7fmfkcDLAhWF1RQKHcu9DyQQsAQIWQ
 
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l'escargot said:
Nothing down the toilet unless it has passed through the digestive tract first and everything else bagged and binned is the rule to prevent this..
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Good advice but wont help with preventing blocked inlets or flush water pump failure as seems to be the trouble in this case.
 
Welcome to one of the most miserable problems you can have on board.

I would suggest a diagnostic procedure like this:

1. Prepare your nerves and stomach; acquire rubber gloves and lots of old towels, paper towels, rages, bucket, siphon hose, something to bail with, tools.

2. Verify sea cocks open.

3. Verify fresh water flow (if applicable).

4. Empty the toilet (siphon or bail it out, rinse it out as much as possible).

5. Take apart the macerator and clear any clog. Note that you will have a disgusting flood when you open the macerator -- the more water you get out of the toilet before you do this step, the less. Have towels ready.

That usually does it -- 90% of clogs on electric toilets are due to excessive TP or feminine hygiene products or other foreign objects in the macerator.

So one more check:

6. Close discharge sea cock, remove discharge hose, briefly open sea cock to verify that it is clear to the sea.

If all that checks out, and the flush water is flowing, then you have a clog in the discharge pipe. Horrors.

Here is a trick for clearing the discharge line I figured out in one desperate situation:

1. Close discharge sea cock and remove discharge hose.

2. Disconnect discharge hose at the toilet so that it is open at both ends.

3.. Tie up to the pumpout dock in a way that will allow you to get the pumpout hose to the end of your discharge hose.

4. You can guess the next step. And it works like a charm.

But then after that you need to check the vented loop -- this procedure can blow it out. Best just replace the vent valve -- cheap and needs regular replacement anyway.

Reassemble and verify function. Clean up the area thoroughly, throw away the waste, and take a long hot shower. Have a stiff drink.


Don't listen to advice to ditch the electric toilet. Electric toilets are far more resistant to clogging than manual ones, because they macerate everything before it goes into the discharge line. Also electric toilets make it realistic to pump enough seawater through to clear the lines completely -- requires 30 pumps or more with a manual toilet and no one does it, which is why the discharge lines calcify and get sclerorsis (the calcification results from a reaction between urine and sea water).


In future, you will want to make sure that everyone on board knows how to use a marine toilet. Toilet paper is ok in an electric toilet, but in limited quantities per flush. I tell my guests to use as much as they want, but flush no more than three sheets at a time. And for God's sake no foreign objects. The most viciously destructive of these is baby wipes, which are made of a cloth-like material which macerators can't digest. Make sure everyone understands all of this, to save repeating all this.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.
 
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When you press the "water-in' Button does the inlet pump make a noise. if not could be electrical.

If there is a noise if it fresh water flush is the water tank empty or if sea water flush is the inlet sea cock open.

Then is still no joy check for blockage in water inlet pipe. With out knowing type of head or pics very difficult to go further.
 
Dockhead said:
Welcome to one of the most miserable problems you can have on board.

I would suggest a diagnostic procedure like this:..........................................
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Except that the Op has already established that it pumps out OK. Just not pumping in any flush water!

If it is a Jasco its eiether the standard model which has macerator and flush pumps driven by the same motor

37010.jpg




Or it's a "Quiet flush" which has a separate, remotely mounted, flush water pump

37045.jpg
 
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KevB said:
Does sound like it.
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Yes, first thing I checked .... now got shot of lunch guests and managed to get them all to use the bogs up the pontoon! Taken some pics and yes it is the same as the one in the pics above ... if the macerator and the water-in pump is the same one then that's the problem ... it's pumping away like a good'n but only a tiny trickle getting through. Pic enclosed looks like it's blocked to me! I hadn't realised the same pump did both. Looks like a sod to take apart! Switches are the same as in pic further up ... top one macerator and bottom one in and out.
 

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This is the exploded diagram of the standard electric toilet . # 27 is the flush pump impeller

37010exp.jpg


This is the diagram of the Quiet flush toilet. It has only the macerator chopper and the discharge impeller #14 and #16 , no flush water impeller

37045EXP.jpg


the flush water pump is else where


Important before you start dismantling to be certain which type you have and also to check the water supply to the pump.

There are some instructional videos at http://jabscotech.com/
 
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