12v Electric toilets

[jackho]

SWMBO says we need electric loo. Grandchildren plugging loo too often.
Is conversion kit a consideration ? Looks like a quick fix. for about £140.
Cheapest direct replacement looks like around £350 but different models ££+
Existing is Jabsco.
All comments welcome.

 

[LadyInBed]

Unblocking an electric loo is not easy!

 

[[70521]]

How do you think an electric loo will stop your grandkids blocking it? Education, education, education.

 

[VicS]

SWMBO says we need electric loo. Grandchildren plugging loo too often.
Is conversion kit a consideration ? Looks like a quick fix. for about £140.
Cheapest direct replacement looks like around £350 but different models ££+
Existing is Jabsco.
All comments welcome.

What are you looking at for £140 .......... obviously not a Jabsco conversion kit

How do you think an electric loo will stop your grandkids blocking it? Education, education, education.

Having a macerator pump might help.

 

[Neeves]

My rule is education, education and education - and if after all this education lessons are not learnt then the culprit becomes the apprentice. It crystallises the mind of the grandchildren but also their parents.

I converted our manual Jabsco to electric with a Taiwanese (TMC) conversion kit (for a Jabsco). The macerator pump cost A$219 (about stg130), the Jabsco pump costs A$349, and has now given stalwart service for 15 years. I left the other toilet as manual - the idea of belt and braces.

Jonathan

 

[Northern Star]

Have they never had a holiday in Greece?

First rule of saniflow....... no paper down the pan and if you can liquids only!

 

[ChromeDome]

We went from electric to manual, mainly because of the noise. Sounds like an angle grinder working a steel plate.

Noisy:

The Admiral didn't want to entertain the whole marina every time, night and day.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I know that there's often a lot of "push back" against electric toilets on boats. However, based on my experience, I wouldn't go back to hand pumping.
My boat was built in 2007, fitted with Techmar marine electric toilets. I've owned the boat for 10 years, and seldom hand a problem with them.
The only serious problem I've had was one of the macerator pumps running slow. I bought a replacement, and swapped the pump units out, a simple task, just hose clamps. After cleaning up the maserator, I discovered some syntheic string or fibre wrapped around the shaft, between in the space between the impeller and the backing plate.
Probably from a sanatory product, but as others have said education is the key. The pump is now as good as new.
Techmar seem to have a good spares supply, on the odd occation I've had to get spares, like new non-return valves this winter, they have been readily available.
So I'd say go for a good well established model, I'd shy away from retrofits, and you'll have many years of trouble free flushing!

 

[colind3782]

It's easier to buy a complete unit ready assembled. Force 4 do one for about £220 but their site is showing as out of stock at the moment. If you do go electric, make sure the wiring is man enough as they pull about 18 amps. 6mm minimum, 10mm is better.

 

[Arcady]

What about flushing? Freshwater or salt water? I’m not familiar with electric loos, but the Vetus model seems to require an externally pressurised water supply. Easy enough if using the freshwater supply, but a bit trickier for seawater.

 

[russ]

I fitted the jabsco lite. Yes its noisy but better than hand pumping 20 odd times. Also a direct swap with the old loo fixing points so no holes to fill.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

If you have an ample supply of fresh water, then that's what to go for, it reduces the smelly heads problem. If you don't have a really plentiful fresh water supply, then you need a skin fitting, or access to an existing skin fitting via a tee in the line.
On my boat I have a seperate skin fittings for the heads, which feeds a Jabsco pumps. This pump operates to flush fresh water into the bowl. The macerator, goes overboard, or into a black water tank, in the same way as your existing system.

 

[vyv_cox]

I fitted the jabsco lite. Yes its noisy but better than hand pumping 20 odd times. Also a direct swap with the old loo fixing points so no holes to fill.

We had a Jabsco Lite for about 10 years, cruising 6 months every year. Its Achilles Heel is the very low flush volume, done for good reason but producing an excess of carbonate deposits. We were cleaning the Joker valve monthly and ultimately all the internals most years. Didn't mind the unit itself but the constant maintenance became too much so we dumped it.

 

[Tamar]

Electric toilets block just as easily. Big job to clear if it gets jammed in the maceration unit. We had one on my old boat

 

[stranded]

5 years since going freshwater electric (Jabsco) for one loo - solids only mostly to conserve holding tank capacity. So far, no problems. ?Almost silent so long as you put enough water in ie more than the auto flush does - we use the shower head which also precludes the need for a loo brush.

 

[V1701]

The solution to your problem is not an electric toilet, that'll exacerbate your problem because they're more hassle than manual. After dismantling, cleaning and reassembling the fancy pants electric fresh water flushing to a large holding tank via a macerator system (that was only ever used properly) that my boat had twice I threw the towel in and fitted a separator loo. Nothing whatsoever to go wrong, the problem would be convincing the family that it's the way forward and you'd have to be toilet monitor. I would fit a Lavac if I ever go back to anything other than a separator...