Jabsco Head Problems . . . Again, Me Thinks

[HopCar]

anjou, The first thing to do is remove the hose from the back of the bowl, turn on the head and see if it squirts water all over the place. If it doesn't, the problem is before the bowl. If it squirts water everywhere, the bowl has a problem. Poke something into the holes under the rim to see if they are blocked. If you still get water out of the supply hose but not around the rim, take it back to the dealer. He should swap bowls for you.

[anjou]

Doh

Yes there IS water in the bowl when I flush, I would simply like to see a bit more of it and in the right place, ie, all around, not just down one side

[James S]

So whats the size (ID) of the supply line from the tank to the toilets pump?
Is that the same size as the hose from the pump to the bowl?

[anjou]

the hose from tank to impeller pump is half inch ID
from pump to bowl is three quarter ID

there is no non return valve or filter in the half inch hose, just the solenoid valve next to the pump

[James S]

Just comparing to my electric Raritan...I'm pretty sure the supply line to the pump is at least 5\8" and may be 3/4"
Was 1\2" the size of the fitting on your pump...or did you reduce it to get to 1/2"?
Looks like a lot of potential for restriction in the flow when I look at the picture/supply to your pump.....hmm

[HopCar]

That looks like a 37010 series Jabsco toilet. The inlet water supply hose should be 5/8" or 3/4" ID. The pump will accept 5/8" and it comes with a little short piece of thin wall clear hose to use as an adapter to 3/4". Half inch hose would be hard to push onto the pump inlet. If you do have 1/2" intake hose, that might be your problem. The solonoid is not standard Jabsco and may be restricting the flow. Jabsco supplies a solonoid valve to use in a vented loop, not inline.
Here is a link to the instructions for that toilet:
http://www.ittflowcontrol.com/files/itemdoc1431.pdf

[James S]

Plan "B" you could tee off the supply and install a perennial hose, wall hung next to the toilet...

[peghall]

Unless you got VERY lucky, they're gonna become problematic in the very near future.

Anything would be an improvement over even the best worn out toilet...and even Jabsco toilets will almost always work flawlessly for a few months...even a couple of years if you're very lucky. But their trouble-free reliable lifespan is VERY short...so short that I know many people who just replace the pump as preventive maintenance every spring...they don't even think of maintaining it. I've kidded one owner who'd replaced his 8 times...told him he'd spent $800--4 x what he'd have spent to replace it ONCE with a GOOD toilet--to keep a $!00 toilet working. He promised me that when his "tab got to $1000, he'd sell." This year he replaced it with a PH II.

20-25 years ago, Jabsco made a decent product for the money...there are 80s Jabsco's still working, though only marginally now. But then they became part of a huge conglomerate and their bean counters decided they couldn't make enough money selling repair parts, they have to sell whole toilets...so the quality came out. Thetford - Norcold felt they needed a "disposable" toilet to compete with Jabsco, so they discontinued the whole Wilcox-Crittenden brand 'cuz their Skippers, Imperials were TOO well made...bronze thrones costing nearly $1000, built to last 100+ years. Their Headmate, with minimal maintenance, had a useful lifespan of more than 10 years--about double the average for most compact toilets. And now Raritan has also discontinued their Compact (CPII)...leaving their PH II as the only US made "full size" manual toilet left in production and their PHC, the Groco HF and the Jabsco as the only compact manual toilets still made here. Oh...I forgot the Thetford "Comfort Mate" manual. I've never run into anyone who has one, so I have no idea about it's quality/reliability/durability.

But...you're happy now, so enjoy it.

[peghall]

Was that the Brydon Boy, hop? I've been led to believe all these years that it was a Par toilet made in Canada under a licensing agreement with what was then Par-Jabsco. It was a very nice toilet...as was the Mansfield (later SeaLand) 751 (later 752). SeaLand discontinued their manual toilets to concentrate exclusively on VacuFlush, Brydon went out of business...ain't nothing been as good since.

[HopCar]

Thanks Peg, it was the Brydon Boy. I couldn't come up with that name. Maybe you are right and Jabsco licensed it to Brydon but I think it was the other way around. Jabsco or its parent company had a way of buying up other companies. I'll ask my Jabsco rep next time he comes in. The Brydon/Jabsco had a triangular pump base as opposed to the rectangular base of the current production.
You and I should get together to reminisce about that glorious toilet, the Wilcox Skipper! What a massive piece of bronze that was! By the way Thetford still shows the Skipper and Headmate on their website. Have they stopped producing them? I haven't sold any parts for either in several years much less a complete toilet.
What about the Groco Model K? That's still in production. I think of it as a poor man's Skipper but I understand you don't like it. How come?

[Artif]

Originally Posted by peghall

You THREW OUT a $3500 Baby Blake--or worse yet, a $10,000 Blakes Victory--(no, those prices are not typos) for a $300 toilet???? Granted the Lavac is a great toilet (also made by Blakes, btw), but JEEEEEEEEZE!!

Baby blake, went over the side. Bought it because of its reputation
I know the Lavac is made by Blakes I went to their main office in Warsash to get it.

$3500 for baby blake?????? A few hundred ££££ at the most. Plenty of them lying about, unwanted, in boatyards over here (for good reason).

Jabsco toilets are the reason many new boats come with 2 heads.