Heads unblocking ?

FIRST check that the outlet seacock is open! My Lavac has Blakes seacocks and I"d put the lever on the wrong way when servicing the Burger and wasted so much time playing about with the pump and the stinky outlet hose before finding the problem.
 
Just check the seacock is open before trying anything else
Handle could be broke
On my boat the seacock to the black water outlet corroded & collapsed in 6 years from new
Rest are all ok . it may have started to happen to you unless you have blakes pattern, ball inside may not be rotating
 
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I had the same problem on my Jabsco toilet. Tried the simple fixes first ie joker valve, drain snake thingy and even changed the pump assembly as I had a spare one.
In the end it was a blockage in the pipe right at the outlet where it attached to the outflow seacock.
I would bite the bullet and disconnect the pipe there. Instant cure for mine.
Found out later my 11 yr old daughter had used the toilet and put half a toilet roll down it.
 
I doubt that the problem is on the suction side. If it were, it would not "go solid". That indicates a blockage on the output side of the pump. Like when I forget to open the discharge seacock!
 
On the one i have just done, the blockage was in the top of the gooseneck so replace the whole pipe. I reckon over many years debris collects on the walls but will dry in the gooseneck area and gradually restrict the pump out until it totally blocks.
 
There is a joke about a monkey, elephant and a cork, I cant remember it, but the monkey didn't come out too well trying to fit the cork.
 
My method was to bend a coat hanger into a wisk and attach it to a battery electric drill to macerate the bowl contents.
Then suck up sludge with a hand pump into a bucket.
Repeat using fresh water several times before dismantling anything.
 
Due to the peculiarities of plumbing, the discharge hose on my Jabsco toilet is nearly 6m long. Also, I reckon that the hose was laid down, and then the boat was built around it, making it well nigh impossible to remove. When it blocked, a couple of years ago, it turned out that the bore of the hose was greatly reduced, and was completely blocked at the lowest point.
One of those rotating snake devices from Aldi or Lidl, eventually got through the blockage. I then used the dinghy pump to blow the water out of the hose, shutting the seacock once air was going through. B & Q brick cleaner was poured into the hose, with quite dramatic results.

Jabsco apparently recommend a minimum of seven pump ,strokes per metre of pipe, and we now do that, which is a lot of pumping, and have had no subsequent problems.
More strokes of the pump is the answer for a happy toilet.
 
Buy your loo paper from a camping/caravan shop. They sell dissolvable paper which dissolves when it hits the water. Havent had a blocked loo in 20 years.
 
Sinbad1951 said:
Buy your loo paper from a camping/caravan shop. They sell dissolvable paper which dissolves when it hits the water. Haven't had a blocked loo in 20 years.
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Or do what you soon get used to in Mediterranean toilets, on board and ashore; use a paper bin. As a refinement, we have recently taken to using nappy sacks too. This makes sure that when the bin tips over in boisterous weather the contents are quite innocuous!

Mike.
 
Poecheng said:
We are all waiting ........he's probably not been able to go for four days and is about to blow !:)
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I have still not got down to the boat but I did buy a wire unblocking thing and 3m of the butyl lined hose that everyone raved about. Still waiting for another order to come in then its down to the boat.

I am certain the seacock was open btw, but thanks to all who suggested I check. I agree that the pump going hard makes it seem likely to be on the outlet side, or else in the pump itself, I will use a tray and try opening the access hatch first, if no joy will replace the outlet hose with the ASAP stuff. It's a shame it's not all going to be easy to reach is the only thing.

Thanks for all the suggestions,

Boo2
 
Sinbad1951 said:
Buy your loo paper from a camping/caravan shop. They sell dissolvable paper which dissolves when it hits the water. Havent had a blocked loo in 20 years.
Click to expand...

Yes, I used the paper that was on the boat but thinking about it I think it was the stuff from home. The soluable stuff seems a much better bet. I'm fairly sure the paper is the issue because I was mindful that the log itself was long and unbroken so flushed it separately first with np. Hopefully not too much info :)

Boo2
 
Boo2 said:
Yes, I used the paper that was on the boat but thinking about it I think it was the stuff from home. The soluable stuff seems a much better bet. I'm fairly sure the paper is the issue because I was mindful that the log itself was long and unbroken so flushed it separately first with np. Hopefully not too much info :)

Boo2
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our local poop guru recommended us to use the greeno eco friendly paper, local supermarket own brand rather than camping stuff as it is made from recycled paper ( hopefully washed) and breaks up and dissolves quicker. We took to it when we lived on board and even use it now we live on dirt again. The only caveat is to keep fingernails short and sanded.:encouragement:
 
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