Head pumping question

[mregan]

Have a Raritan PH or it may be a PHII.  I have to look more closely next time I'm down.  Mostly use the boat on the weekend.   For the last half of the summer, when we start pumping the head handle, it almost springs back up in your hand.  You can feel resistance as you are trying to pump down.  I'd pump it 15 times or so and it would start working fine again.
Last weekend it was doing it again, after the 15 pumps it was still springing up and wasn't draining the bowl, there was minimal water in the bowl.  I filled the bowl about 3/4 the way with fresh water and it pumped fine.  Almost seemed like there was enough pressure with the water in the bowl to force open the check valve and let it pump normal.  Worked fine for the rest of the weekend.  Seems like when we leave it for the week, maybe the check valve is getting stuck and once it frees itself, it works fine for however long we're on the boat.

Does it sound like a need a re-build kit?

[Jeff Kaplan]

It sounds like the intake is clogged. I went thru this and did a post a couple of months ago. Take the hose off the thru hull fitting, keep thru hull closed. Open the seacock, checking to see if you have a solid flow of water. If so, that indicates a problem with the head. At this point, a rebuild is in order. One other thing to check, find the joker valve and check it to see that is not clogged. I took all the hoses off, vented loop, ect. only to find that I wasn't getting proper intake from the seacock to the head. Good luck.

Jeff

[Stu Jackson]

Before you buy a "rebuild" kit, find out what's in it.  Really.  Then look at the manual for your head and find out what you REALLY need to replace.  Then compare that to the rebuild kit.  You will find out they are NOT the same.

I have a PHII.  Instead of the rebuild "kit," I bought only the parts I needed:  joker, flapper and pump ring.  I got them at the sbo store - good guys.

[Ron Hill]

mre : In a Jabsco head that symptom of the pump handle "springing back up" means that the Joker valve is turned inside out!! 

A thought

[mregan]

Took some friends out last night.  When I tried the handle, it pumped fine?  Been sitting all week. 

Jeff, don't think the intake is the issue. We usually dump a couple cups of fresh water in the head rather than seawater so the head valve is always set to dry when we are pumping.

Ron, would the joker valve turn itself inside out if it's getting old?  The head has been working fine the past 3 years we've owned her.  Not sure how old it is, came with the boat.

[Stu Jackson]

1.   We usually dump a couple cups of fresh water in the head rather than seawater so the head valve is always set to dry when we are pumping.

2.  The head has been working fine the past 3 years we've owned her.  Not sure how old it is, came with the boat.

1.  Head Pumps 101  Why just pouring water into the bowl is NOT a good idea http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5865.msg40604.html#msg40604

2.  3 years is "pushing it."  Mine was around that age when Peggie Hall saw it and said: "Time for a rebuild, kid, don't push your luck."   

[mregan]

Stu
Thanks for the link. 

[Ron Hill]

Mre : The joker valve can turn it self inside out if it is old. 
That happened to me when I had a blockage in the "exhaust" line.  The pressure builds up and there is more pressure on the exhaust side of the joker valve than on the inlet side!!

I went on line and purchased a half dozen joker valves and just went and put a new one in every spring - it's not worth the aggravation!!  Just change it each year. 

A few thoughts

[mregan]

Ron
Good idea.  I'm going give the head a good once over in a couple weeks when the seasons over.