Problems with a Jabsco electric lite toilet

[Rivers & creeks]

A bit yucky this one! When a poo is done it often won't flush it away, the loo has a feature that when you disconnect the power, the press of the foot switch just pumps out, so we do that over and over but it still won't go and the loo is half full of a swirling poo soup :disgust:

The only way we've sorted it is a bit weird, the flexible hose that goes to the connection to the main outlet pipe (is that where the joker valve is?) if you squeeze that repeatedly on the pump out cycle it eventually clears the blockage. Anyone had a Jabsco 12v lite and had a similar problem? Any other time and about half the time with poo it works a treat, favourite gizmo on the boat so we're very attached to it.

 

[Laundryman]

I too am a fan and ours works perfectly. I have to admit though, it took my children and grandchildren 2 weeks from new to break it. Having tried to flush baby wipes, it developed symptoms not unlike yours. The heart of the loo has a ridged plastic pulley and belt, both of which had stripped. The motor still works but the macerator isn't, well, macerating. Jabsco sell a repair kit, details on their website, about £35 from memory. The job is possible in situ but I removed ours to a bench. Not difficult or as distasteful as you might imagine. Take photos of where everything fits. There's not a lot of room in there! Good luck. Alan

 

[kennyh]

Simple rule to fix this!

No Poo in Loo!

That's that I tell SWMBO, but my pleas are often ignored :-(

 

[Rivers & creeks]

I too am a fan and ours works perfectly. I have to admit though, it took my children and grandchildren 2 weeks from new to break it. Having tried to flush baby wipes, it developed symptoms not unlike yours. The heart of the loo has a ridged plastic pulley and belt, both of which had stripped. The motor still works but the macerator isn't, well, macerating. Jabsco sell a repair kit, details on their website, about £35 from memory. The job is possible in situ but I removed ours to a bench. Not difficult or as distasteful as you might imagine. Take photos of where everything fits. There's not a lot of room in there! Good luck. Alan

Interesting, maybe it's partly stripped. It's macerating just fine but not pushing it out. Its a problem with big poos not little ones. I said this was yucky :disgust:

 

[longjohnsilver]

It's not your discharge pipe that's become blocked over time with calcification? Had the same problem with mine and when I took the pipe off it looked fine at the toilet end but halfway onwards it was totally blocked.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

An interesting idea. The pipe is three years old, is that enough time for it to get calcified? Boat used about 10 weeks a year.

 

[vyv_cox]

Exactly the same with ours. There are two possible blockage points, one a restriction in the rubber hose, the other the joker valve. The first one can usually be fixed by massaging the hose but this can release flakes of salts that tend to stick in the joker valve. Best action here is to do it fairly often as a preventative measure.

However, by far the most common problem is salting up of the joker valve. This sits at the bottom of the hose elbow, where solids tend to drop out. The valve itself and the housing both upstream and downstream gradually choke up. Now that I recognise the symptoms I can fix it in half an hour or less. The procedure is:
- Drain off the bowl as well as possible using the 'power off and on' method.
- Slide a plastic bag, or silicone baking tray if there is space, beneath the housing.
- Undo the two screws, hopefully catching all the contents in the bag/tray.
- Remove the joker valve.
- Drain the elbow using a small siphon pump kept for the purpose.
- Scrape the salts off the housing up and down stream. I use a small palette knife that is just right for the job.
- Clean up the joker valve by rubbing with thumbs under water. I find that even if the lips are slightly open it will still seal when there is a head of water on them.
- Reassemble making sure the screws go back in their cut threads.

I do this maybe twice per season, otherwise the LITE has proved to be excellent. I carry a spare belt for the rotor but not needed it yet I five years or more.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Thanks Vyv, glad you spotted the same symptoms. Looks like a Joker valve and pipe clean is needed.