Jabsco electric head conversion

[max366]

I just purchased a 2004 265 Express with T F225 Yamahas. Can't wait until winter is done!

I plan to convert the manual head to electric using the Jabsco conversion kit. Seems simple enough but I was wondering if others have done this, where did they wire the positive feed wire? It's a 25 amp draw- I thought of tying into the macerator pump hot side, but the Groco is only 20 amp draw.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[ahill]

My Sailfish came with the electric head conversion.
Requires much maintenance.
Paper gaskets fail requiring tearing down the whole assembly, cork gaskets fail, screws into plastic housings lose their grip causing leaks. etc. Also the parts don't all fail at once so if disassembling, replace all paper & cork gaskets simultaneously. I replaced complete assembly once and will go back to manual on next failure.

 

[fishingFINattic]

My 265 has the electric conversion head- I would trade it for the manual one in a heart beat!
Tim

 

[max366]

That bad, eh? Sounds like a good concept but poor design. I did notice the first thing the instructions said is "keep the manual flusher in a convenient location in the event of a failure". Should be a tip-off.

I did find a spare 25A fuse on the board and I assume that's for the head....

 

[LeapFrog]

I converted my "Jabsco electric head conversion" to a real electric head last month. Got tired of it not working consistently. It would seem to jam or stop for no reason. Bought the Jabsco quiet flush with the fresh water intake. Seems to be a MUCH better designed system. A lot more work plumbing the fresh water and routing the additional wiring. But it has worked great so far and with the fresh water intake, the bowl stays cleaner and smells fresher. The Admiral is much happier which makes everyone happy!

 

[ahill]

What model Jabsco did you install.
What are the mechanics of connecting to freshwater tank, what is the freshwater usage?
Thanks

 

[LeapFrog]

This is the model I bought... http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|806|315133|823306&id=678987
I had the extra room so I went with the "household" bowl instead of the compact (probably not much difference in size, but...)
It uses 1-2 quarts per flush according to Jabsco. The water usage is easily controlled with the switches which are pretty straight forward to operate.
I tapped into the fresh water going to my sink under the cabinet. I cut in a Tee and added about two foot of hose to the solenoid which I screwed into the cabinet under the sink up high (needs to be several inches above the toilet). With numerous tries and a few four letter words, I was eventually able to route the provided water supply hose under the cabinet through the existing raw water entry to the back of the toilet. A new install or patching the old holes would be easier.
The other "fun" task was routing the wires. I learned a lot about how the wiring and paths/chases during this time. I mounted the switches near the ceiling centered behind the toilet (to protect them as much as possible when using the shower) and routed the wires to the solenoid and to the macerator motor on the back bottom of the toilet. I was able to route the wires along the discharge hose as it came through the wall. I needed about 20' of 12/2 marine cable.
I also needed several hose clamps (bought the high end ones to get a good clamping seal). The toilet came with an adapter for the existing large discharge hose. Oh, also needed a couple feet of the smaller discharge hose because I had to do a u-turn because of where mine exited.
Overall, I am very pleased with the install and would definitely recommend the conversion! I will snap some pictures and post them of the key pieces over the weekend.

 

[ahill]

Thanks, I'll use your advice next time.

 

[ocnslr]

I converted the manual head with the Jabsco electric conversion kit several years ago. Lots of use and NONE of the problems noted below.

I ran power from a dedicated breaker on the small breaker panel behind the helm pump up inside the console. No biggie to run the wiring.

One of the best upgrades we've made.

 

[max366]

ocnslr
Thanks for your comment- I wondered if I made a mistake in buying the conversion kit.

Did you tie it into a breaker or fuse? I found a spare fuse slot in the fuse panel under the dash with a 25A fuse installed and it looks straightforward to run the wiring.

Did you do anything special to have a problem-free unit? Toilet lubes, ongoing maintenance, etc?

Rich

 

[ocnslr]

ocnslr
Thanks for your comment- I wondered if I made a mistake in buying the conversion kit.

Did you tie it into a breaker or fuse? I found a spare fuse slot in the fuse panel under the dash with a 25A fuse installed and it looks straightforward to run the wiring.

Did you do anything special to have a problem-free unit? Toilet lubes, ongoing maintenance, etc?

Rich

A spare (i.e. open) fuse slot in the fuse panel you found under the dash.

Nothing special done. Unit is run frequently, to prevent any drying out.

Of course, care must be taken in what you try to pump through the unit. No paper towels, for example.

Of note is that we are in a slip, so the water doesn't drain out of the water supply lines as it would in a lift, or dry stack. Everything stays "wet". And we don't freeze in the winter here, either.

Brian

 

[Tucker]

Ok, searched and found this post. The wife put me on notice, no more pumping. ocnsir's post's are extremely helpfull. Wondering if the electric converstion, in lieu of new electric head, can be plumbed to use fresh water. I put a conversion kit on a 31 Concord I owned years ago and remember it going smoothly. Still had the rotten smell, that's why I want to use fresh water. Sounds like a circular saw but oh, well...

 

[ahill]

The smell is from your holding tank, non vented loop or loose hose connections.
I dump my tank, legally, after each trip including running a few cleanwater cycles thru the head to the ht & then pumping that out.
Leaving a ht with waste is the start of odors.