Squeaking Jabsco toilet pump

[affinite]

My Jabsco squeaks and is quite stiff when pumping.

Ive tried replacing the main pump O ring, - no difference
Ive lightly greased the O Ring with vaseline - quiet for about 10 pumps
Ive poured a little washing up liquid into the bowl - quiet for about 10 pumps
Any ideas of the cause ?

Sorry I know this has been covered many times before but search doesnt find the threads

 

[prv]

I don't know about the Jabsco components specifically, but Vaseline is not good for some types of rubber. I once made a model shoulder joint with tendons made from strips of bike inner-tube (as you do), I greased the ball and socket with Vaseline and after a few days all the rubber strips had perished and fallen apart where they touched it.

When I reassembled my toilet pump after servicing it recently, I greased the piston and the operating rod with silicone grease. That made it move very smoothly and easily (and silently) although I expect it will wash off in due course.

You mention lubricating the piston O ring, but did you do anything to the seal around the rod at the top of the pump?

Pete

 

[Daydream believer]

Pour some cheap olive oil into the bowl & pump through regularly

 

[phodger]

I agree with daydream believer except I used extra virgin because that's all we had on board, but it works.

 

[debenbar]

Fill the bowl with warm fresh water, draw it in to the system and leave it overnight or longer.

 

[concentrik]

Same here with the olive oil. Silicone grease on the handle shaft occasionally. If you have a holding tank, don't flush olive oil through when switched to 'holding' - it forms a film on the surface and encourages anaerobic bacterial action (=pong)

 

[vyv_cox]

L

I don't know about the Jabsco components specifically, but Vaseline is not good for some types of rubber. I once made a model shoulder joint with tendons made from strips of bike inner-tube (as you do), I greased the ball and socket with Vaseline and after a few days all the rubber strips had perished and fallen apart where they touched it.

Inner tubes are based on natural rubber, which has very poor resistance to hydrocarbons. I believe that toilet seals and valves are nitrile or neoprene, which are much better in this repect. Silicone grease is a good choice though, reasonabe water resistance and does not react with either.

 

[johnalison]

A Jabsco should be very light and easy to pump, even without lubrication. Maybe the inlet and outlet pipes/seacocks etc need clearing.

 

[pvb]

I reckon they get to the point where a replacement pump is appealing as an immediate fix.

 

[PCUK]

Everything needs maintenance, cooking oil down the bowl is a part of toilet maintenance.

 

[affinite]

Thanks all - I hadn't thought of the top/shaft O ring. - I bet its that.
A bunch of good suggestions to try thanks.

 

[abraxus]

I grease mine with Super Lube and it never squeaks, so you may want to try that when you next take it apart.

 

[laika]

The maintenance instructions for twist-'n'-locks says to use vaseline. In my experience it's not the o-ring you need to worry about but the shaft the plungery thingy goes up and down in. nice smear of vaseline inside that and your life will change for the better.

no sniggering at the back there class 4B.

 

[Heckler]

L

Inner tubes are based on natural rubber, which has very poor resistance to hydrocarbons. I believe that toilet seals and valves are nitrile or neoprene, which are much better in this repect. Silicone grease is a good choice though, reasonabe water resistance and does not react with either.

I found that mine had carbonate build up in the pump barrel. Some of the 15% acido hydrochlorique from the local supermercado soon sorted that. Then some rapeseed oil and a smear on the SS shaft soon had it gliding up and down!
S

 

[john_q]

Cheap cooking oil, very regularly, at least once a week otherwise it is VERY stiff to pump in both modes and makes the most alarming noises

Our Raritan heads only needs this treatment every 2 months

 

[pvb]

I have never found the need, in decades, to put oil down a marine toilet.

 

[LadyInBed]

I keep an old handwash pump bottle filled with cheap cooking oil in a heads cupboard for when the squeek arises.

 

[l'escargot]

As Laika says, Jabsco specifically say to use Vaseline to lubricate their pumps.

 

[geem]

We live aboard with two Jabsco toilets. I hate them. They came with the boat and I can't believe how rubbish they are. To keep them easy to pump whilst we live onboard we unscrew the plunger every 7-10 days and grease the piston seal and fill the void under the screw cap with white grease. The difference in amazing. Our last boat had a Blakes Lavac that never needed any maintenance other than a pump NRV in 11 years of use. These Jabsco toilets are like a hobby that needs something every week or two.

 

[typhoonNige]

Maybe it's the oily fish and fatty meat we eat but our Jabsco rarely squeeks. When it does it never does so for long. Loo has been in place for 8 years, last 2 with us as liveaboards and has only had one replacement joker valve and regular (2-3 monthly) doses of hydrochloric acid in that time. Oil down the pan is a definite no/no with a holding tank if you want to keep it pong free for the reasons given above. Maybe we've just been lucky!