review of jabsco head

[saurav16]

I have to replace my head due to the pump leaking. I was wondering if anyone has used this head:

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|806|315133|823306&id=1055779

or has any reviews as to if its good/bad/clogs/malfunctions/maintenance? Thanks!

[sailboy21]

They work just fine for occasional use. Wouldn't buy one if you are a live aboard. I have seen them sell for as low as $99. The rebuild kit is about half the cost of a new head, so it is basically a throw-away. Thats what I did. Why spend good money to fix a stinky old potty, and get your hands all dirty when you can get a new shiny one for just a little more? It will do what you expect it to do. For the price you can't go wrong.

[sailortjk1]

You can retrofit that Twist-N-Lock pump onto your current head, if your current head is a Jabsco.

These heads are pretty much the low end of the indusrty.
I have one on board our boat and we replace either the entire head or the pump assembly every few years. Sometimes its just as cost effective to replace the entire head. Following your link the head is $140.00, The pump alone is right around $100.00. So the parts are more expensive than the complete head. Go figure??
The other thing that goes is the joker valve.
get used to it, or replace it with a better head.
When working and all new, I have no problems with them, just that they don't last long.

[saurav16]

so with avg use being day sails primarily and a few over nights cruising during the season it would last on avg 3 years? Is that about right?

[sailingdog]

It depends on how full of crap you are... Usage, more than anything else is what will be the determining factor.

Originally Posted by saurav16

so with avg use being day sails primarily and a few over nights cruising during the season it would last on avg 3 years? Is that about right?

[SteveInMD]

Originally Posted by saurav16

so with avg use being day sails primarily and a few over nights cruising during the season it would last on avg 3 years? Is that about right?

I bought two 2 seasons ago. One still works fine. The other needs to be replaced already. I'm planning on moving up to something more reliable. Can someone post a more reliable option?

[sailingdog]

The Raritan PHII is an excellent unit, and SBO has the marine bowl version on sale ATM for about $270, which is far lower than you can find it for elsewhere.

[capttb]

I've used the Raritan PHC which is a PHII on a compact base to replace a compact Jabsco, I dislike the Jabsco T-handle pumps.
RARITAN STANDARD MANUAL TOILET II ON COMPACT II BA Shop.Sailnet.com - sailing resources, shopping, sail, blogs

[saurav16]

Does the raritan PHII have to be replaced every few years? Any other issues with it?

[Vasco]

I've used the low end Jabscos for years. Many bad mouth them but I've had very good usage out of them and I live aboard six months a year at anchor all the time. Well, not all the time, sometimes I'm sailing. The lousiest part is the joker valve which needs replacing nearly annually. I've just installed a Raritan joker valve and they're supposed to be better. The reason why the joker valves seem to go fast is that in my Beneteau the holding tanks are quite a lot higher than the head. If they crap out on you get another one for under $100, much better than the parts kit. On my CS36 I've had one for eight or ten years and it's still working fine. They claim the new twist lock pump solves the joker valve problem. My next head will have the twist lock pump.