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Old 05-28-2021, 08:10 AM   #1
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Jabsco Deluxe Flush Electric not flushing

The raw water pump runs and the flush pump runs, but the bowl does not empty. None of the bowl contents appear clog-worthy. The 30 gallon holding tank is nearly empty.

What am I missing? Oh, and it's howling 30 knots from the northeast here in western Lake Erie.
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Old 05-28-2021, 09:26 AM   #2
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I found the owners manual for the Deluxe Flush, but no trouble shooting help beyond the 3 possibilities at the bottom of the last page of the owners manual Jabsco Deluxe Flush owners manual

A blocked tank vent is the most common reason for flushes that fail to go anywhere, so that's the first thing I'd check. The vent thru-hull is where 99% of vent blockages occur. Mud dauber nests are likely in the spring.

If the vent is clear and the flush panel installations in the owners manual don't offer a solution, you need to talk to Jabsco's toilet guru Paul Campagna. His direct line is 978.282.5246. That may require some effort and patience on the Friday before a 3 day weekend.

--Peggie
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Old 05-28-2021, 09:40 AM   #3
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Thank you, Peggie.

On a related note, why does the bowl drain sometimes, but retain liquid other times? I almost never intentionally leave it dry, but starting this spring it has started draining on its own at times.
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Old 05-28-2021, 10:01 AM   #4
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If you've owned it more than a year and have never replaced the joker valve, replacing it should solve that problem. Waste going through it stretches the slit, gradually turning it into a hole. Sea water mineral buildup on a joker valve can prevent it from closing. All of which explains why joker valves in all toilets should be replaced at least annually...every six months if you're a live-aboard.



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Old 05-28-2021, 11:56 AM   #5
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Amen to that. I have one, but have not installed it thinking I should wait for a problem. Guess I found it. Even better, replace it before the problem occurs. Makes a lot of sense. I did talk with Paul Campagna and he was a big help too. You guys are the best. Thank you!
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Old 06-06-2021, 08:32 PM   #6
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So (unfortunately) an unaware user created a new clog in this head before I was able to replace the joker valve. I patiently waited for the clog to dissolve or soften as it did the first time, but it failed to do so and I am now faced with the unenviable task of dealing with a bowl full of stinky fluid.

My 30 gallon holding tank meter is less than inspiring, but I am convinced that the tank is not full as the aft head flushes without problem and the vent/overflow is dry. I am also convinced that the vent is not clogged as flushing produces a foul odor for a few minutes after each flushing.

While I could shop vac the stinky fluid out, I wonder why I can't gently plunger the clog down through the macerator to both clear the clog and prime the pump?
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Old 06-06-2021, 09:05 PM   #7
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I'd bet real money that your "unaware user" flushed a wet wipe...they don't dissolve nor can a macerator blade shred them. It's unlikely that you'll be able to plunge it out because it it's almost certain to be wrapped around the macerator blade...leaving you with the unenviable task of shop vac-ing the contents out of the bowl and then opening up the pump assembly to remove it.

If it's any consolation, you're far from the first boat owner who's had to deal with removing a wet wipe from a macerating electric toilet. So I'm fairly certain you'll get some how-to advice from others here.

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Old 06-07-2021, 01:44 AM   #8
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Sell the boat???
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Old 06-07-2021, 11:30 AM   #9
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You say the discharge pump runs and you’ve established that the tank vent is clear.
Once you deal with the current problem in the bowl, you might want to check that the hose between the toilet and tank is clear. Can you run a snake through it?
If that is clear I bet the impeller/chopper (#18) has come loose from the shaft for some reason.

If it were me I’d follow Comodave’s advice.
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Old 06-07-2021, 11:37 AM   #10
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[QUOTE=HopCar;1010355]If it were me I’d follow Comodave’s advice./QUOTE]


<LOL>!!
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Old 06-07-2021, 09:02 PM   #11
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My unaware user swears she did not use wet wipes and that there is only a few squares of TP and "natural waste" in the bowl. I believe her as she has a strongly vested interest in the heads working.

So is that a yes on cautiously trying a plunger to help move the clog toward the macerator?
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Old 06-07-2021, 09:06 PM   #12
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If that is all that went into the head, then I might give the plunger a try. Then put the boat up for sale...
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Old 06-07-2021, 10:30 PM   #13
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Roger that. Thanks Dave.
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Old 06-07-2021, 10:30 PM   #14
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Plunging marine toilets isn't recommended...and I'm not sure what you mean by "move the clog toward the macerator." 'Cuz even if it isn't a wet wipe, SOMEthing went down the toilet that shouldn't have (maybe fell in?). Do you have an owners manual for the toilet? There's an exploded drawing of it that you prob'ly should look at to see what's where and the most likely place for something to get stuck. For all you know it may have made it past the macerator blade...or may even have made through the toilet and is stuck in the toilet discharge line.


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Old 06-07-2021, 11:10 PM   #15
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Just kidding about selling the boat, but maybe would give it a thought with what you have to deal with. But I suspect it may put off potential buyers...
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Old 06-08-2021, 12:53 AM   #16
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Rule #1: explain the head, what goes in, before showing them where the life jackets are stored.
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Old 06-08-2021, 05:43 AM   #17
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The raw water pump runs and the flush pump runs, but the bowl does not empty. None of the bowl contents appear clog-worthy. The 30 gallon holding tank is nearly empty.

You might try some Sew Clean. If the discharge line is clogged with uric acid crystals, the symptom could be sorta-kinda what you're seeing. (Assuming vent not clogged, holding tank empty, etc etc etc.)

I disconnected our discharge line once, I think it was while swapping pump motor on the toilet... and I guess everything inside dried out to "rock hard" during the extra day or so that line was open. Not knowing that, I reconnected, tried to flush, nada. Tried a snake through the discharge line (not through the toilet), nada. Eventually used Barnacle Buster (that I had on hand) diluted to the Sew Clean ratio (per Trac), couple hours later the line was clean.

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Old 06-08-2021, 04:31 PM   #18
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I am not 100% sure I am reading the clues correctly. I believe the holding tank is not full since the aft head still flushes and the overflow is dry, though that could be a clogged vent and a working joker valve on the aft head. I also believe the vent is open because it produces a fouls smell after each flush.

Time liquified the clog to the point that it flushed, but I was greeted by the bowl filling with black anaerobic stink water after I stopped the macerator motor. There is no more than 3 feet of sewage hose between the head and the point where it enters the holding tank, so it must be pumping the bowl contents into the holding tank under pressure which then pushes it back through what I imagine is a thoroughly calcified joker valve. All that makes it pretty clear that the vent is not clear, yes?

What is the orange filter device at the upper left corner of the attached picture?

Given the uncertainty about the holding tank level, it seems prudent to pump out before doing much more. Fingers are crossed.
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Old 06-08-2021, 08:14 PM   #19
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Time liquified the clog to the point that it flushed, but I was greeted by the bowl filling with black anaerobic stink water after I stopped the macerator motor.

That's a very strong indication of blocked tank vent.

Given the uncertainty about the holding tank level, it seems prudent to pump out before doing much more.

Attempting to pump out will reveal whether the tank vent is blocked. If it is, the pumpout will only be able to pull out a couple of gallons before it pulls a vacuum that prevents it from removing any more. So pay very close attention to the sight glass in the pumpout line to se how long anything is moving through it. If very little, cease pumpout immediately to avoid letting the suction implode your tank. Also have someone paying close attention to both your toilets. If they hear any hissing in one or both of them during pumpout, that's a sure sign of a blocked tank vent...the tank is trying to pull in air from any source it can find.

I have no idea what that orange thing is...I don't think it's a vent line filter 'cuz no hose exits from it (or maybe enters it...impossible to tell what the direction of flow is) but I can see that there's a kink where it dips behind the white hose and that a black hose is teed into it that wanders off across the ceiling to disappear into a manifold connecting two larger diameter hoses.

I'm more interested in knowing what's at the other end of the hose that runs under that hose and terminates in a fitting in the bulkhead.

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Old 06-09-2021, 05:44 AM   #20
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What is the orange filter device at the upper left corner of the attached picture?

Looks like a filter housing, to me, but doesn't look like anything I've seen connected to a holding tank air vent before. Looks more like a design for filtering water.

If it's meant to be a holding tank vent filter, it would have an innie and an outie. And I think I can make out there are two hoses attached to the top, one with the kink and the attachment to black hose that wanders off... the second connected to the orange thing but behind the first. I can't otherwise make much sense out of it...

Anyway, the innie would come from high up on the holding tank. The outie would go to a hole in the hull. The hole in the hull is what often gets clogged (per Peggie) with bugs or other critters, debris, whatever. Or the filter element itself, inside the canister, could be all hosed up from overfilling.

If you can trace those innie/outie hoses -- from source and to destination -- you might be able to determine whether the orange thing is meant as a vent filter... or if not, you might be able to get a sense of whatever else it might be for.

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