Electric Head Issue - Please help

smatsinger

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
44
Hey gang,
I could use some help with an electric flush head. No markings, but it appears to be a Jabsco 37010-Series that draws water from the fresh water tank. The boat is a 1998 Cruiser Yachts Rogue 2870, fresh water boat. On another forum I found where the PO posted in 2007 that he had an issue with the water level of the head being overly full. It never actually received a decisive response and in the six months (now 2012) I?ve owned the boat it has just started to repeat the behavior. I have sent an email to him (no response yet), but thought I?d drop a line here as well.


We spent the weekend at the marina working on a few items (new dash panels and gauges are in:)) and generally enjoying the mild weather and some adult libations. After a couple of uses it appeared to be filling higher each time. Essentially, more water was filling then the flush function was expelling. Hence the now very full bowl. The macerator pump was running and the water would turn and have the centrifugal spin, it just wasn?t draining as fast as it had previously.

In an attempt to quickly determine if the vents were clogged I removed the waste pump-out deck fitting cap. I then tried flushing the toilet. This made no difference. The vents do look a little gunked up and the vent filter is about two years old. It will get replaced this weekend regardless

So, given all that, what should be my next course of action?

I?ve heard that household chemicals (Drano) are a big NO, NO.

Should I just use a plunger and see if that works?

Pull the head apart and replace the joker valve?

Do any of you pros have any insight or advice?
 

smatsinger

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
44
Re: Electric Head Issue - Please help

Thougth I'd circle back so others may learn.

After tearing the head apart and learning the system. I filled the bowl with a mild household cleaner, shut of the fresh water seacock and expelled the toilet. This cleaned it out pretty good, so when I took it apart no nastiness. First thing I found was the infamous hair ball wrapped around the centrifugal impeller and what appeared to be tape (??? ). Other than that it and the impeller looked good. Lines were clean and all the vent lines were clear. I also, got a chance to clean the sensors for the holding tank.

It came down to the joker valve (duckbill valve by some). Once I replaced that she has worked like a champ. Just a “heads” up to others.

Scott
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: Electric Head Issue - Please help

Thanks for the tip. I'm sure it will help somebody else.

My boat has a Jabsco manual, raw water flush head and I've had to replace the pump, but that's it. Frankly, I like the simplicity of the setup, and haven't had any odor issues. When the pump fails again I plan to switch over to a Raritan manual unit. They're much better (tho more expensive) than the Jabsco stuff.

My .02
 
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