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**Dockhead** · 20-09-2018, 11:38

Toilet problems are one of the worst things that can happen on a cruise. I had been toilet problem free for a number of years, and then -- bam, it struck at the worst possible time. The Jabsco Electric Conversion (the heavy, extremely noisy, vertical one) had been leaking, and I couldn't fix it, and this happened just before we left for Greenland. So I popped on the manual spare I kept, ordered a spares kit for the electric conversion, and forgot about it.

What would happen but, at the worst possible time, at the back of Scorseby Sund, the toilet clogs

. A horrible day and a half later -- I couldn't get the electric to stop leaking (for a reason I still don't understand), but all the faffing with the electric one managed to clear the clog, so we called it solved.

Now I want to make a permanent fix, and that will not involve a manual toilet.

So the choices are:

1. Convert to a Raritan Sea Era, like I have in my after heads. But I don't like this toilet. It is as expensive as the Jabsco conversion, but it is built like a cheap Chinese toy, and in fact, the first one disintegrated when the macerator blade and impeller housing came into contact with each other while flexing flimsily -- a chronic problem with these, as far as I know.

2. Convert to an "Ocean" toilet -- which seems to be more or less exactly like the Raritan, except that it only costs £122, which corresponds to what it is actually worth, and is so cheap that I could keep a complete spare or two on board. Made by some Italian company (Matro Marine).

http://www.aquafax.co.uk/product/9-5...c-standard-24v

http://matromarine.com/product/toilet-evolution/

3. Buy another Jabsco conversion. This is expensive (£350), but this is much more rugged and heavy duty than the Raritan, also, you can discharge without pumping new water in, to empty the bowl, which is impossible with the Raritan (and the Ocean, I guess). Also, unlike the Raritan/Ocean, you can back it up with the simple manual pump. Another advantage is I won't have to chop up the heads sole boards to re-route the hoses.

Anyone have any advice?

One thing which I noticed when I was faffing with the Jabsco conversion is that the discharge port is like 1/2" in diameter -- discharging into a 2" hose. This is cool -- you CANNOT clog the boat's plumbing, with this toilet, which macerates everything so finely that it will go through a 1/2" hole. I am eager to get rid of the manual toilet.

Kenomac · 20-09-2018, 11:48

Buy a Jabsco conversion kit and carry a spare motor which we’ve never needed to use. Are you sure it’s not just the toilet base to bowl gasket that’s bad/leaking? It’s a $2 part.

**Dockhead** · 20-09-2018, 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Buy a Jabsco conversion kit and carry a spare motor which we’ve never needed to use. Are you sure it’s not just the toilet base to bowl gasket that’s bad/leaking? It’s a $2 part.

No, it was not leaking there. It was leaking at the discharge flange.

**a64pilot** · 20-09-2018, 12:22

We have had our Sea Era conversion for a couple of years and we live on board. Second head is a fresh head, but it has a washing machine sitting on it, so it’s not used.
Our Sea Era conversion has been trouble free, but it also has the programmable flush “kit” I guess you would call it, so it automatically puts the correct amount of water in.
That may have something to do with it being trouble free, you push a button and it goes through an automated three flush sequence that clears the bowl and lines.
Is yours just the push button?

CarlF · 20-09-2018, 12:23

Another option is to convert to a Raritan Elegance.

I've been using two onboard for six years and never had a clog or breakdown.

The macerator is right at the bowl. You can reach it with your hand - never needed to as this thing would probably grind up a paper towel or two. Guest's yards of toilet paper won't bother it.

I did have to replace the joker valves once. It has two redundant joker valves in line that cuts down on how often you have to take the head apart to replace them.

Not expensive. Quieter than the others you're looking at. Uses less water. Has an optional salt/fresh water flush control. Household shape seat is good for reading.

I think I remember reading that it's Peggy's favorite head.

**Dockhead** · 20-09-2018, 12:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by a64pilot

We have had our Sea Era conversion for a couple of years and we live on board. Second head is a fresh head, but it has a washing machine sitting on it, so it’s not used.
Our Sea Era conversion has been trouble free, but it also has the programmable flush “kit” I guess you would call it, so it automatically puts the correct amount of water in.
That may have something to do with it being trouble free, you push a button and it goes through an automated three flush sequence that clears the bowl and lines.
Is yours just the push button?

You must have the fresh water version. I had one of those, but I cannibalized it to replace the motor and impeller housing of the sea water one which was in my own heads. I had not gotten around to installing the fresh water one in the forward heads as I needed to break up the sole plates in there to route the hoses.

The sea water one has only a single button and no way to vary the proportion between intake and discharge, other than by modulating the intake sea cock.

**a64pilot** · 20-09-2018, 12:40

It is fresh water, I thought the programming thing was common for both.

On edit, I went and looked, pretty sure this thing is for both.
What is good is a guest or in this case my Wife can’t mess it up, it’s just push a button and walk away.
I don’t know how, but she kept almost clogging the manual head with what fell like dry paper, lever would get stiff, usually putting water it’s eh bowl and letting it sit ten min or so would make of flush correctly.
All that went away with this smart flush
http://www.raritaneng.com/wp-content...STC-manual.pdf

HopCar · 20-09-2018, 12:44

Wow, you’re about 180 degrees out of sync with most of the marine industry. Those vertical Jabsco conversions have a terrible reputation. They’re noisy and they leak.

The Raritan Sea Era has a pretty good reputation.

If you want to stick with Jabsco at least switch to the 37010 series. It’s still pretty noisy because of the rubber impeller supply pump.

**Dockhead** · 20-09-2018, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by HopCar

Wow, you’re about 180 degrees out of sync with most of the marine industry. Those vertical Jabsco conversions have a terrible reputation. They’re noisy and they leak.

The Raritan Sea Era has a pretty good reputation.

If you want to stick with Jabsco at least switch to the 37010 series. It’s still pretty noisy because of the rubber impeller supply pump.

Well, the Jabsco has its own problems, but it is a beefy piece of equipment, not like the very lightly built and flimsy Sea Era.

I have a lot of years with both, and the Jabsco does last longer.

If I do buy another one, I will take it apart and reassemble it with Duralac.

But does no one know the Italian competition?

Bean Counter · 20-09-2018, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockhead

No, it was not leaking there. It was leaking at the discharge flange.

If you are referring to the discharge pipe, that incorporates the joker valve, these are sensitive to over tightening and a hairline split can occur at the bolt holes. These need to be tightened lightly in sequence so not too much pressure on any one bolt when tightening, the pipe flange face must be clean and have no nicks, better to just get a new pipe. At least that is what happened to our discharge pipe on Jabsco quiet flush.

Bleemus · 21-09-2018, 06:18

Have you considered a Lavac?

http://www.lavac.com/index.htm

Kenomac · 21-09-2018, 06:26

Just fix the Jabsco that you have. Buy the replacement part and make the repair. We presently have five electric macerating Jabsco heads, two of which for seven years without a problem. Just recently a nimrod dropped his razor down one of them, then flushed it. Didn’t hurt anything and only took 10 minutes to remove the motor and extract the razor.

Zai · 21-09-2018, 07:00

This year I wanted to replace my TMC electric toilet, which has been on the boat during all of the chartering years.
There was nothing wrong with it, but after hearing all of the bad raps it gets I thought I had better replace it before it takes a dive on me.
I went to the boat yard shop, where they had many different models to choose from, but the guy asked me why I wanted to replace it and then told me he see's all of the problems with the toilets and told me to keep mine because almost all of the problems with the toilets were not about the equipment, but about maintaining them in the world of salt water and pee.
I felt guilty, so I bought a whole new bottom end.
We have been using this toilet for 7 years without any failure except for the time when a sardine tried to enter through the thru-hull.

Just thought I would throw my own experience into the hodge podge.

**Dockhead** · 21-09-2018, 08:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Just fix the Jabsco that you have. Buy the replacement part and make the repair. We presently have five electric macerating Jabsco heads, two of which for seven years without a problem. Just recently a nimrod dropped his razor down one of them, then flushed it. Didn’t hurt anything and only took 10 minutes to remove the motor and extract the razor.

Well, the Jabsco is dead. The screws which hold the discharge impeller to the motor are welded in place. The nimrods at Jabsco forgot to use Duralac