Shower pump and Head

[Bobg]

Couple things, any body know what that small black object is just before the shower pump? My shower won't pump down the water on the floor in the head, I checked the pump, seems to have a lot of suction, but with that black thingy in the line it won't pump, check valve maybe?

Also my head pumps hard,  on the dry bowl, the handle wants to stay up, feels kind of spongy, and when I force it down, something in there shudders a bit.  I just installed that plunger and joker valve last summer, could it be something is in the  hose leading to the tank? the vent line is clean
Also does anyone know how much water is should be transerred to the tank on each plunge?  I have a removable 3" port on the tank so I can see how much comes in and it doesn't look like much.  Thanks all  Bob

[Stu Jackson]

Check valve pictures:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4114.0.html

[Ken Juul]

If you are sure the vent line is free, the "spongy" reaction sounds like you have a blockage in the tube to the tank.  Rather than force the handle when it sticks leave it there for a while.  Maybe the fluid in the line will free up the plug.  If it was just hard to flush I would say use some silicone grease on the plunger.

[Stu Jackson]

Or maybe this?

Head Hoses 101  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5738.0.html

[Ron Hill]

Bob : As Stu's site points out your hose probably looks like the ones in the picture (half restricted!!).  It could also be your joker valve do some of the restricting.

The "small black object" has been the subject of many many posts.  I keeps (if not clogged) the water from flowing back into the head floor.  
Easy to replace - look on page 523 WM catalogue. BTW, that drain hose is 3/4"

A few thoughts

[Ed Shankle]

Do you have the Jabsco pump? I've had the same problem in dry bowl mode. Doesn't happen when switched to open. So that tells me it isn't a hose blockage issue. Also, I replaced all head system hoses last year, including the joker valve. I think there is something in the pump not working right, but I haven't taken it apart yet to figure it out. However, just got back from 5 days out and I'm motivated to move it to the top of the to do list. Meanwhile, I've found that a couple short, slow down strokes seems to free it up and then I can easily pump away to clear the bowl. A Raritan PHII is on the shopping list.

Ed

[Bobg]

just took that check valve apart and cleaned it, it was full of hair, electrical wire pieces? ect. had to dremal the nuts off but I believe it will work now,
as for the head, I am in fresh cold water in lake superior, the head pumps ok on wet bowl, albiet in my opinion slow, (doesn't seem to pass much water per stroke".   but seems to have more resistance when on  dry.  And I do occasionally put vinegar in the head when I leave.

When I get to the boat, I will take the joker valve and plunger mechanizem out and check the hoses with a garden hose to see what kind of passage I have.  I have 3" portal access to my holding tank, I have it complety cleaned out.  This boat has never been in salt water.  Is silicone grease the lubricating medium to use?  I have some of that on hand.  Thank you Bob

[Ron Hill]

Bob : You now see why I recommend that people put a strainer just before that check valve, so you can capture clogging junk and clean it out periodically.

When I took out my 1 1/2" exit hose from the head (after 20 years) it looked just like the pictures and was more than 75% necked down.  I let it dry and then thumped it on the dock and all the "Crud" fell out.  Then I reinstalled it until the fall when I replaced all of the head hoses.

A few thoughts

[BobAthensGA]

My old head would do the same thing. If I would push the "selector" switch over harder it would work as normal. Flip it back to wet then back to dry. I had an older Jabsco. Maybe original to my 1988. Never did figure out what was going on.  Last month I got an email on the Sat phone from my wife letting me know she was tired of the head on our Catalina and was going to replace it. I had just emptied a holding tank by hand pump somewhere between the Azores and England and would have said yes to a gold plated head as long as it didn't require me to do any work on it. In hindsight it probably would have been better to replace it when we got the boat vs a rebuild kit a couple of years ago. The boat came with the kit but not sure I would pay for the kit vs replacement.

We have the check valve on our shower drain and I have cleaned it out recently. We can pump our shower dry and I even stick my finger over the hole to increase suction but water will drain back into the shower floor. Not much but keeps the groove area wet by the drain. I am wondering if the check valve wears out. I cleaned it really well and it looks OK. If you pump the head this will push some water back up the drain as well. Has anybody else had a problem with the shower drain area having residual water in it after it was pumped out?

[Joe Holmes]

Bob,

The shower sump check valve on my '88 failed this year- tried to take it apart but the screws were finished.  I believe it was original.  Bought a cheap brass check valve (back-flow preventer was their name for it) at an RV dealer.  So far it has worked just fine.  Not worried about brass in this service.

[Bobg]

cleaning and assembly with new screws fixed shower problem,

I removed discharge hose from head and found it completly clean, joker valve ok, head seems to work but plunger goes 1/4 way down before resistance is felt, i can flush with rapid short strokes, I did lube the piston from the bottom, i am ok for now but this is not the way nit worked new, time to take the top off and look ay valves i guess.  the hoop breaker is ok.

[Fred Koehlmann]

Bob,
Check that the wet/dry lever hasn't slightly shifted off of dry bowl. We have had problems sometimes when dry bowling and I have found that the level has just moved a bit off. Pushing it all the way over has done the trick for me.
Cheers.