Jabsco 58500 Lite Flush

[Volador]

I am thinking of replacing my manual Jabsco toilet with a Jabsco model 58500 lite flush. Has anyone had any experience with this model?

Thank you

[bstreep]

We have the Quiet Flush models - and really like the "household size" of the bowl/seat that's used. The compact ones are... You get the picture.

My MAJOR complaint about these units is that parts prices are insane. $130 for a replacement solenoid is stupid.

[s/v Sunsets]

We just installed the Lite Flush about 4 weeks ago. So far so good. We've only been on board weekends so I'm not sure how it will hold up to frequent use. We are about to make a crossing from the Chesapeake to the BVIs with a crew of 5 (4 men). That should be a good test of the system!

[kiskeedee]

We are thinking of installing this electric head in our sailboat. Would appreciate any reviews. Thanks.

[Legado42]

Originally Posted by s/v Sunsets

We just installed the Lite Flush about 4 weeks ago. So far so good. We've only been on board weekends so I'm not sure how it will hold up to frequent use. We are about to make a crossing from the Chesapeake to the BVIs with a crew of 5 (4 men). That should be a good test of the system!

I'm thinking of installing this head on my boat. How has yours worked out? Is is quiet?

[Legado42]

Originally Posted by bstreep

We have the Quiet Flush models - and really like the "household size" of the bowl/seat that's used. The compact ones are... You get the picture.

My MAJOR complaint about these units is that parts prices are insane. $130 for a replacement solenoid is stupid.

Are they quiet?

[s/v Sunsets]

The LiteFlush is not necessarily "quiet", but I don't think it's "loud" either. In fact, I don't think it's much louder than the pumping we used to have to do. But the noise is very fast-- a 1-2 seconds to fill, 3-6 seconds for the drain/macerate/flush/repeat process. The latter process is the louder of course. At first I thought that I might instruct folks not to flush at night, but it really isn't that loud so I never bothered. (And I'd rather not have that stuff sitting around all night anyhow...)

I am actually quite happy with it. While we were living onboard during November & December, we had several guests and I really liked how easy it was to operate. The old pump-style seemed to intimidate people. The LiteFlush does not.

I will tell you that when we got to Tortola, we did have one issue: one of the heads clogged up. My DH had to take the whole thing apart to get out a clog. He spared me the job of trying to assist him, so I am not sure which part exactly on the toilet was clogged. He believes the clog was due to a buildup of calcium deposits in the pipes from the saltwater and brackish flushwater mixing with the, well, you know... (If you want more details, I'll get them but I'll spare you TMI right now). We've had these buildups in our pipes in the past. He's attributing the clog to poor maintenance on our part. We'll be treating the lines with vinegar or acid more frequently in the future.

We have not had another issue with that unit and we never had an issue with the second unit in the forward head. I have a friend who has one on his power boat. He's also a big fan of the LiteFlush. He has never had an issue with his and his was installed several weeks before ours was.

[Legado42]

Many thanks, this is very helpful. One other question, our boat sits during the week and we have had issues with smelly seawater sitting in the supply lines. Have you experienced this? If so, have you found a solution?

Thanks.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by Legado42

Many thanks, this is very helpful. One other question, our boat sits during the week and we have had issues with smelly seawater sitting in the supply lines. Have you experienced this? If so, have you found a solution?

Thanks.

Before I leave the boat I flush with fresh water fron the bathroom sink No smell when I return

[s/v Sunsets]

We had that issue too. I do believe that the LiteFlush has made it better. Maybe it's got a better valve on the supply side. It seems to use less water and flush more completely so that helps. But we also replaced some of our sewage hoses so that probably helped also.

It's not horrifically expensive. It's a bit of a pain to install since you have to run electrical to it and heads are always a notoriously tight fit. But I'm really happy that we did it. (Well, that my DH did it!)

[Legado42]

Many thanks! I'm going to replace both my heads with these.

[sailboarder]

We just installed the Lite Flush and it mostly went well. The problem we are having is the splash at the end of the flush cycle. Which includes the splash of what ever you did there. Its only a small amout but who wants that outside the toilet. Anyone else have this problem?

[s/v Sunsets]

We actually did have that problem in one of the units we installed. It wasn't horrific, but it was noticeable. After we treated the lines with acid, the problem went away. We still tell everyone to close the lid before the final flush.

[sailboarder]

We installed all all new 1 1/2 inch hose to the holding tank and still have the problem. I checked for build up at the tank but it was clean. Maybe I just have a bad unit? Do you have the foot switch or the control panel?

[delmarrey]

Could the water be backing down the loop suddenly? The sudden shut off of the pump could be allowing back pressure. Maybe a slow down switch/variable speed would allow the water to decrease pressure slowly. Just a thought!