Unblocak a Jabsco

Durcott

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Hi folks - is there anyone online right now who can offer some advice?

I have a yacht back from sail school. The Jabsco is blocked, and I've found out it was 'used' with kitchen role. (Army Infantry - don't ask) It's 'clear' on the up stroke, and locked solid on the down stroke.

So - as it's just me in the office at the moment, I need to pluck up courage and sort it out. I've never cracked open a sea toilet before, and the manual that came with it tells me lots about the joys of using such a beast, but nothing about how to clear the inevitable blockage.

At least it is easy to get to in this installation, I can see both ends of all the pipes, and see the sea cocks, all in one place more or less. I have a good stock of tools by the way.

Any help, method, warnings would be greatly appreciated. (Any advice to prevent puking might also be handy :-( )

Cheers

Jeff
 
The blockage will be either in the flap valve at the bottom of the pump, the Joker valve in the housing leading to the outlet pipe or in the outlet pipework. Latter may well be furred up restricting the internal bore. No option but to take the pump off the base to clear the valve and clean/replace the piping if necessary.
 
Just get a screwdriver and take it apart. The blockage could be anywhere from the joker valve to the to the outlet through hull. Download a parts diagram from Jabsco for your toilet part number then you know how to take it apart and more importantly how to put it back together. The usual mistake is to put the joker valve in the wrong way.

If there is caclium build up as well get a service pack and beat the pipe on something hard.
 
Unblocking a Jabsco

Make sure you are able to close the outlet and inlet sea cocks before starting ..... can be embarrassing to find out that they are stuck open later!!

Most likely place is joker valve at base of pump, I would say.

These pumps are easy to take apart and clean out; the outlet-pipe going to the through hull may be more difficult in practice ... depends on how many bends there are in the routing.

A few dabs of whisky under the nose may help the vomiting bit ... oh alright then, drink a few drams if you must. :)


Alan.
 
Thanks Folks

Thanks Folks,

that was only 'mildly disgusting'. I didn't have to tackle the pump, all was reveled on cracking open the output pipe junction.

Paper towel up the nostrils just about coped, and a stiff shower afterwards was all it took to revive the will to live.

Cheers

Jeff
 
Fortunately, most of the grimness had already gone through.

A wad of the aforementioned kitchen roll had got jammed at the output hose fitting. One only had to dig it out (<retch>), and presto!

Jeff
 
Glad you found the problem easily and got it sorted! Just for future reference, when stripping down the pump be gentle with the screws as they are self tappers into fairly brittle plastic. Don't try to force them, rather make sure everything lines up correctly before attempting to reassemble. Gently wind the screws anti-clockwise until you feel them drop into the existing thread before you wind the back in - they don't need to be very tight, just enough to stop bits falling off.

Rob.
 
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