Jabsco Toilet Nightmare

langstonelayabout

langstonelayabout

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 Jul 2012
Messages
1,775
Location
Portsmouth, UK
Visit site
My missus has just killed the bog... We have a 9 month old Jabsco twist n lock loo fitted. My wife used it and pumped it out.

In a determined manner too. She is always up for a challenge. But sadly, as the seacocks were closed, something went very badly wrong.

So, having opened the seacocks, the loo will pump water in, but takes about a thousand pumps to pump anything out. If we don't use the 'twist' handle feature, the pump handle rises of it's own accord.

In short, what do I need to do to fix it? Your thoughts, suggestions and humour will be gratefully accepted, especially as I found out about our malfunctioning bog at the YBW Scuttlebutt rally at East Cowes Marina (which was great, by the way).

Many thanks in advance, and Hi to all we met on Saturday evening at ECM and The Lifeboat :-)
 
langstonelayabout said:
My missus has just killed the bog... We have a 9 month old Jabsco twist n lock loo fitted. My wife used it and pumped it out.

In a determined manner too. She is always up for a challenge. But sadly, as the seacocks were closed, something went very badly wrong.

So, having opened the seacocks, the loo will pump water in, but takes about a thousand pumps to pump anything out. If we don't use the 'twist' handle feature, the pump handle rises of it's own accord.

In short, what do I need to do to fix it? Your thoughts, suggestions and humour will be gratefully accepted, especially as I found out about our malfunctioning bog at the YBW Scuttlebutt rally at East Cowes Marina (which was great, by the way).

Many thanks in advance, and Hi to all we met on Saturday evening at ECM and The Lifeboat :-)
Click to expand...

It's probably the joker valve which has turned inside out. You need to remove the outlet pipe - two large self-tappers - and take out the valve and flip it back the right way but it's going to messy. The lips of the valve should point up the pipe towards the outlet/holding tank.

Richard
 
Well, once upon a time someone pumped our old Jabsco with the seacocks closed and managed to turn the joker valve inside out so it was permanently open - might fit your symptoms. So try taking the outlet off (2 screws) and checking? A Pela pump helps to get rid of surplus water in the thing.
 
RichardS said:
It's probably the joker valve which has turned inside out.
Click to expand...

Its not called a joker valve for nothing :D

#33 in the diagram below.

Take care when refitting the screws s to pick up the original threads cut in the plastic by turning them backwards until you feel the start of the thread

29090-3exp.jpg
 
Last edited:
Call that a nightmare? Cleaning the joker valve is almost a routine job for me. A few weeks ago our electric Jabsco LITE refused to empty. We were at anchor at the time, no access to any facilities. The bowl was almost completely full of brown, smelly porridge at the time. First job was to siphon it out into a bucket and tip it over the side (sorry, environmentalists). Next strip the joker valve, didn't look too bad. Now attention turned to the discharge pump and rubber hose connecting it to the joker valve, which entails stripping the toilet completely, both pump motors coming out. Did not find a problem. Decided that the problem must be in the discharge hose. Removed this, a two hour job in 30 degree ambient temperature, very hard work. Found significant blockage by salts, cleared eventually by pulling through an old shroud with washers threaded on, plus lots of flushing with seawater. Put it all back together, another couple of hours of heavy sweating. Tried it, emptying OK but the O-ring on the discharge pump is now leaking, one of those Jabsco push in things. Toilet completely stripped again, no O-rings of the right size, so used liquid PTFE, a remedy that often works. Finally got everything back together by about 1900 that evening. A full day of unpleasant, sweaty labour. That's more of a nightmare!
 
Definitely the joker valve but I have manage to turn it back again with clever pumps and no dismantling. If it doesn't work just throw the toilet over the side and get a new one!
 
RichardS said:
I might regret this question ........ but how did you get the syphon started? :ambivalence:

(Doesn't bear thinking about really)

Richard
Click to expand...

What's wrong with a suck and a spit? :). No, I keep several of those plastic siphon pumps on board, red for fuel, green for bilge water, etc. I used one of the green ones. The pumps have so many uses, well worth carrying.
 
Chaps - the deed is done. The bog is fixed.

Turned out to be the joker valve had inverted. One life changing intervention later all is well and the missus understands that she is cleaning the floor tray in the heads next time we're on board.

Many thanks all for your sage words.
 
langstonelayabout said:
Chaps - the deed is done. The bog is fixed.

Turned out to be the joker valve had inverted. One life changing intervention later all is well and the missus understands that she is cleaning the floor tray in the heads next time we're on board.

Many thanks all for your sage words.
Click to expand...

The normal rule is 'he who blocks must therefore unblock' but clearly difficult in practice when the wife is involved. Dont even think about asking :(
 
On Rampage there's blue jobs (mine) and pink jobs (hers). For the most part it's easy to guess which is which. And just about all of the mucky one are blue (as well as the air when they go wrong). However, for some reason SWMBO was at a loose end some years ago whilst I was buried in the wiring or engine and volunteered to service the heads. Ever since then, the heads have been a pink job.... Result.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top