Jabsco Electric Head (Freshwater) Won't Fill

[tesseract]

We have plenty of water in the tanks, other heads operating fine, but one of the heads has very little flow / won't fill. I can pour water in the bowl, and emptying works as expected. Any suggestions on what to troubleshoot?

[a64pilot]

I assume it’s connected to the fresh water supply and used the normal pump to supply water pressure? If so, it’s on and pressure is good?
If there is water flow, but not much flow I’d suspect that there is a filter a lot like the screen on a sink right at the solenoid and it may be clogged with hard water sediments, just like a sink occasionally will.
If there is no water flow at all, I’d suspect that the solenoid is defective or that it’s not getting power.

Assuming this is the head that is used the most, that makes me even more likely to suspect the screen, usually it’s right at the solenoid itself and often the hose connects like a garden hose, turn off the water pressure and bleed the pressure and unscrew the hose and look for a screen

[ranger58sb]

If all of the toilets are using the same solenoid, then maybe there's a clog in the feeder line to the one recalcitrant toilet... or possibly the electrical connection from that toilet's flush button to the solenoid isn't working.

??

-Chris

[tesseract]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I assume it’s connected to the fresh water supply and used the normal pump to supply water pressure? If so, it’s on and pressure is good?

Yes - connected to the fresh water supply, pressure everywhere else is good.

Originally Posted by a64pilot

If there is water flow, but not much flow I’d suspect that there is a filter a lot like the screen on a sink right at the solenoid and it may be clogged with hard water sediments, just like a sink occasionally will.
If there is no water flow at all, I’d suspect that the solenoid is defective or that it’s not getting power.

Ok - I'll check for a filter / screen at the solenoid.

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Assuming this is the head that is used the most, that makes me even more likely to suspect the screen, usually it’s right at the solenoid itself and often the hose connects like a garden hose, turn off the water pressure and bleed the pressure and unscrew the hose and look for a screen

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

If all of the toilets are using the same solenoid, then maybe there's a clog in the feeder line to the one recalcitrant toilet... or possibly the electrical connection from that toilet's flush button to the solenoid isn't working.

??

-Chris

Can’t be using the same solenoid or they would all get water anytime any toilet was flushed, and or would make plumbing, interesting.
The solenoid on my Raritan looks a lot like a solenoid for a refrigerator ice maker if you have ever seen one of those. Small thing inline in the water supply close to the head with two wires going to it of course. Follow the line that goes to the back of the bowl where the water comes into the bowl and you’ll find it.
Mine has clogged a couple of times, even after I installed a whole house filter, I assume years of accumulated scale in the lines, seems to have stopped now. So it eventually cleared.
Pic of my solenoid, I assume it should look similar

[PHR]

I have had similar problems, and mine were resolved by cleaning and ultimately replacing the solenoid for that toilet. Check out Jabsco's YouTube Channel. Here's the solenoid video.

https://youtu.be/Abmga5i53Wg

[SVToybox]

You need to clean the solenoid valve, google Jabsco Electric toilet solenoid valve, there is a video on how to clean. Lub the spring, they rust.

[a64pilot]

If it’s just a solenoid the Raritan one seems to go for about $35, where the Jabsco one seems to be about $135. The Raritan one so far as I know needs no disassembly to be cleaned and has no spring to rust.
If it’s just a 12V solenoid, surely you could use the $100 cheaper Raritan one?
That’s a question guys I don’t know anything about the Jabsco one maybe it also has another function?

[peghall]

I dunno where you found the Raritan solenoid for $35...it has a list price of $165... Boatersland has the lowest price I could find: $114.00 You may be confusing the one he needs with the "continuous duty" solenoid for the Raritan Crown Head, which is sea water toilet.


I did a little more digging and found the one I think he needs on ebay for $39.00


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Raritan-Eng...75.c100623.m-1



--Peggie

[a64pilot]

Well you would know, but going off of appearances, this looks identical. See my picture above.

By the way do you have a source of parts for a seaera head? I’d like a few spares, but can only find sources for the whole base with pump, and my installation doesn’t have a pump. I’d buy the whole base if so need to, but don’t want to pay for a pump I don’t use.
https://www.marinepartssource.com/ra...QaAg5JEALw_wcB

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Can’t be using the same solenoid or they would all get water anytime any toilet was flushed, and or would make plumbing, interesting.

Ah, good point. My brain phart.

-Chris

[peghall]

Is your SeaEra the pressurized fresh water version or the sea water version that either has a remote intake pump or you've "converted" to use pressurized fresh water? What parts do you need?


-Peggie

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by peghall

Is your SeaEra the pressurized fresh water version or the sea water version that either has a remote intake pump or you've "converted" to use pressurized fresh water? What parts do you need?


-Peggie

It’s the “conversion” that I got from Hopcar, it only retained the bowl from my fresh head. The flush solenoid connects directly to my fresh water supply and then of course to a vacuum beaker on the back of the bowl.
I’d like to have the base, maybe a macerator blade, the impeller pump and the macerator housing and an O ring or two.
After a few years it began not flushing correctly, I took it apart and had to De-hair the macerator blade and impeller, the blade was bent but bent back easily. My Wife has long think hair and it gets every where, apparently even in the head even though we have been trying to keep it out.
Anyway after a few years the base and the macerator housing have what appears to be a form of calcium build up, and I’m guessing that they should be replaced eventually based on that build up. I don’t know if it’s from hard water or what.

Anyway I can find a complete base assy with motor and all, but it has a pump on the motor end that I don’t need, and I’d rather not buy that not needing the pump as surely it adds cost.
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=2880792

While I don’t think I need a complete base assy for spares, it and a solenoid would pretty much cover most bases. By they way I don’t know if you looked, but this is my solenoid, which looks identical to the $35 one I find.

[peghall]

Iow, you need everything but the motor assembly. Ebay may be your best bet.


--Peggie

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by peghall

Iow, you need everything but the motor assembly. Ebay may be your best bet.


--Peggie

So the base assembly is no longer available without the pump that my toilet doesn’t use?
What is the pump for? I assume to pump raw water into the head, but how can it pump water ahead of the flush?