Heads: I lose!

[Fizzwizz]

Over the last 4 years of live aboard, nothing has caused me more frustration or loss of time than the 2 heads we have. The last brainwave was to buy a Jabsco lite flush which got through 4 belt kits in 6 months before I removed it and branded it not fit for purpose. Following advice I paid the money for a lavacs vacuum toilet, and fitted a Johnson macerater pump. This was fitted below the head, had new hose, and nearly 13.5V at the motor. It failed after 2 days, not sure why. I'm still sold on the systen, but wonder what recommendations you have for a suitable 12V pump?

[Reefmagnet]

Diaphragm type pumps are better then impeller style. I'm to poor to afford a fancy electric diaphragm, but I once replaced an impeller macerater that never, ever, worked properly on a previous head to a manual diaphragm and never had a problem again. i can't imagine an electric version would be any worse.

[boatpoker]

.........

[Fizzwizz]

I can't even get my wife to use a hand pump, let alone use a bucket.

[Sailmonkey]

An impeller pump is unsuitable for a lavac. Too much time running dry, the pump of choice is an electric diaphragm pump. A word of caution though, avoid a neoprene diaphragm with waste, nitrile is a better choice.


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[Fizzwizz]

I think running dry is the problem. I anticipated this and put the pump below the head. However, the first challenging slug of paper caused the pump to run dry and then lose any power of suction to move things along. What a waste of money

[AD28]

Nothing to offer but sympathy. You must be a saint to put up, for four years?! with that.

My wife hated the head and tank so badly, she, herself, crawled into the bowels (ha!) of the boat and removed the holding tank and hoses. Which, may I add, still had effluent in them. It was a ghastly job, you may believe.

Maybe you can at least convey the need for yours to use less paper at the very least, might help.

and maybe one of these:
http://www.whalepumps.com/marine/pro...er-Toilet-Pump

[zeehag]

try to get her to put the paper into a bag just like travelling in mexico.......that will solve 99.999 percent of your issues with the head. have fun.

issues i have experienced with the simple manual jabsco head i still use, and which has been in use for over 14 years, now, successfully, have been 100 percent related to folks shoving paper down and having it become papier mache in the hoses.

[appick]

It's times like these that I'm reminded how truly fortunate I am in regard to my wife! She's put up with the worlds smallest water closet on our last boat, head wouldn't pull in flush water so had to dip a bucket first, foul tasting fresh water with occasional chunks (hey it didn't kill us), no refrigeration, little room below, and very little storage. When I dragged her out for trips multiple times a summer at 10-17 days at a time, she absolutely loved it!

Last year when we upgraded boats we inherited an old dreaded recirculating toilet. These operate under the brilliant though to save fresh water by using the effluent to flush with! Yes she even put up with that while pregnant and with a newborn. What a woman .

Anyways I redid the head this year and am using just a manual pump with all PVC and no hoses anywhere. So far very happy but in the future we'd like to go to something that sits higher. Our new water closet is palatial but the head itself sits on the floor. So the little head we have now is a ways down there when going to sit down. However I hear that this is actually better for your innards to be squatting while pooping!

Why are you using a macerator with the Lavac? I didn't think they needed one. Couldn't you use the macerator in line for when discharging overboard when allowed? Otherwise the waste from the lavac in the tank will not stay solid for long with all the rolling and sloshing it will be doing.

[sailorboy1]

I have a "cheap" head and use standard single ply paper that goes down the it. My macerator is mounted 2 feet above the top of my holding tank and it has only been replaced once in 15 years.

There's something wrong with the OPs installation I suspect.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

There's something wrong with the OPs installation I suspect.

As it's said earlier it's the impeller pump unsuitable as a vacuum pump...

[barnakiel]

I have 3 vacuum units on the boat where I work. Failure rate about 1 unit per year in non intensive use.

I found they changed part parameters and materials along the way. The new pumps are in effect less well built.

Generally good stuff BUT budget for at least one new pump every 3 years or so. BTW in this boat it is never the engine and always the pump that fails - the clamp rings, on many occasions.

I prefer this system over the turbine macerator pums which seem more difficult to fix with kit parts.

b.

[CaptTom]

Take this with a grain of salt; I'm clearly in the minority on this issue.

We replaced our two electric heads with manual pump Jabsco units. I have a spare pump assembly that can be swapped out in 10 minutes if needed. Otherwise, I can take the top off with four screws and fix most common failures.

We find we use much less water with the manual pumps, which is a consideration because we have small holding tanks.

We also find the waste goes down much easier. The option to pump "dry" or "wet" means we can use the correct mode to get the waste down as efficiently as possible. No need to hold the button for 5 minutes to get the last floater.

[sck5]

I am exactly like zeehag. Now have a jabsco manual after a raritan on my last boat. Only problem ever was people shoving too much paper down at one time.

Solution: Give them a brown paper sandwich bag to put their paper in. It can then be tossed overboard since everything in it and the bag itself are biodegradable.

This is much to be preferred over the other possible solution which is monitoring how much paper people use and hounding them to use less. I dont want to know about any of that so I just tell them to bag it and toss it over.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

As it's said earlier it's the impeller pump unsuitable as a vacuum pump...

yet when you quoted me you just ignored that part where I say my macerator (impeller) pump is above the holding tank and has only been replaced once in 15 years

It could also just be that the OP runs the pump too long after the tank is empty