HATE Jabsco Manual Toilet - should we Convert to Electric ?

[Nicholson58]

We chartered 35 years ago in ABACO. The head was manual. Detailed instructions on the number of full strokes with the valves in specific conditions were posted in Old Fart large text. Everyone on board counted out loud as each user put it through its paces. No cheating. Never any troubles but no swimming on the port side. I suspect that user error with guests (trying to be discrete) is often a problem.

[Butler]

Lavac or...

[jeremiason]

We have two Jabsco "Quiet" Flush fresh water heads. We have been using them for over five years as fulltime live aboard and cruisers. No problems, except one rebuild on the smaller one...

The forward head is the household model (Big Butt Seat), but in the aft head we had to go with the smaller one for size requirements. If you can fit the bigger model in, it is much more comfortable :-)

[reiner]

I am very surprised not more sailors consider a composting toilet. No pumps, no holding tank and no stinky hoses. We put an Airhead in our boat and no more dramas. No smell and you can use your toilet anywhere you like even in the Marina.
The only spare parts we carry for the toilet is a spare brick pet moss .
Cheers
Reiner

[bugmon]

Does Jabsco have a size chart for butts ? I'm thinking the marine size would be fine but my wife wants the big butt size.

[reiner]

Originally Posted by bugmon

Does Jabsco have a size chart for butts ? I'm thinking the marine size would be fine but my wife wants the big butt size.

My guess is your wife doesn't read the posts on this forum.....or you are an exceptional brave man :-)

Reiner

[foolishsailor]

Originally Posted by crewofnoka

(why olive?).

Cause we stoked up in south Africa as if the world was ending and any way to go thought the supply works for me!

I like the vinegar add, will do that as well!

[sneuman]

In the past, I have tried those blue fresheners that hang on the side of the bowl, but they always got bacterial and yucky and basically did not work for a marine head.

But a few months ago, I tried a (new?) Dow 'scrubbing bubbles' gel that just plops on the inside of the bowl and eventually washes away after a hundred or so flushes. It comes in a tube that makes the globs easy to dispense - and one package will last several months of continuous (i.e., liveaboard) use.

This stuff works wonders. It keeps the bowl fresh and smelling good and doesn't leave you with a mess when it's through working.

Highly recommended!

[zeehag]

funny how my jabsco manual toilet still works fine after 7 yrs of use---without a rebuild--must be because is in constant use--i believe marine heads like constant use for continual function.
i would not buy an electric one as electricity fails when ye need it most.
water will come into the bowl of any manual toilet unless ye pump it dry as you are spozed to do . will do this even with a loop with vent, as someone earlier said. mine will return a gallon of water unless is pumped dry.
as for butt sizes-- is a boat, not a home toilet, so it will be smaller unless you pay over one thousand usd for a baby blake.
oops did i say that out loud????

[stevensuf]

jabsco probably get more bad press because they supply the majority of marine head pumps!

[sneuman]

While some people have had good luck (and it might just be luck) with the manual Jabscos, there are a LOT of people, like myself, who have had the opposite experience.

I don't hear that level of complaints on any other major brand -- that should tell you something right there.

I don't buy this about using it properly either. A) I have used this product properly and it failed. B) To the extent that my guests might not have used it properly - so be it. If the unit can't take a little abuse, what is it good for?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

[foolishsailor]

Originally Posted by sneuman

While some people have had good luck (and it might just be luck) with the manual Jabscos, there are a LOT of people, like myself, who have had the opposite experience.
.

While some people have had BAD lunch with electric jabscos, many of us have had YEARS of problem free maintenance. Just tryin to balance the equation, and if you end up drivin the porcelain bus while you fix the "shitty" solution don't look me up

[ReMetau]

We've had an electric Jabsco for a couple of years now without any problems. Wife likes the push button flush.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Butler

Lavac or...

nice varnish - Bristol Finish?

[zeehag]

found a bunch of old eel grass in my intake, past the pump--is clean and still working. i have been advised that jabsco heads can digest toilet paper without difficulty. that isnt a bad toilet. is a bad loose nut behind the wheel who disses a perfectly good system ....... word of mouth can and does influence folks more than product reliability. as i posted earlier--mine has been at least 7 yrs sans rebuild or pump change out. is perfect. only needs a lil grease to be absolutely perfect. what kind of lousy head will act in this manner??i have yet to see a raritan system do this-- the one used in the boat i sailed a yr in gulf of mexico needed rebuilding 2 times in that same year. go figger. ye want a better system?? buy a blake or baby blake.