Adding an Electric Pump to a Blakes Lavac Sea Toilet

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Moonbeam

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I searched the forum, but could not find what I was after.

We have a trusty Blakes Lavac Zenith on our Westerly Konsort and we both love the reliability (having had problems with other brands on other boats) but my wife is now convinced that pumping the blighter 2 x 10 times (on my insistence) each time she goes (often) is sending her back out... (we spend a lot of time on the boat) She has tasked me to look into 12v electric flush options. :(

It seems from what I can gather, I've three options...

We can get a new electric Jabsco for circa £330 but that will leave me with hose connection issues to the existing 1 1/2 inch outlet seacock? Also the pump on the compact model sits at/sticks out at the base, I'm not sure it will fit our heads. I don't really fancy a Jabsco.

We can get a whole new Lavac Popular with electric pump for about £360 - £440... but the pump you get seems to vary between retailers. Seems to be a Jabsco or a TMC pump. (Force 4 an unspecified brand pump)

Or I can just add a pump to our existing loo (which is probably the same age as our boat), pumps are approx £150 or £220

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331879682373?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

http://www.elyboatchandlers.com/toi...iaphragm-waste-pump-12v-or-24v?source=Froogle

I'm leaning towards just installing a pump in line in the waste outlet (I'll install new hose) or a new Popular with electric pump.

So, has anyone done this with either the Jabsco or TMC pump? Anyone with any preference on these two pumps? Can I install them above the existing Henderson pump and still use the Henderson should I wish to?

PS: We have a good solar panel, so not worried about the power consumption.
 
Obivously you haven't got the Lavac manual? It shows its options and how simple it is. If you pm me an email address I can send you the manual as a pdf. The electric pump can be on line with the manual pump as a back-up option.
 
Telstarr said:
... from what I can gather, the original Lavac electric pump is no longer available. I'm hoping the ones I mentioned above are similar and thus can be installed just as easily.
Click to expand...

The Jabsco pump should be fine, and the Ely Boat Chandlers price you found is very competitive.
 
No. I have just the manual pump and I am happy with it (and being wooden on a mooring I prefer not to add to the power drain). Shame the electric pump is not available but I would have thought either (wonder if the Ebay one is actually the Lavac one) would work. The layout in the manual suggests it just pushes through the manual pump. Incidentally I added a Holding Tank (70 litres) a couple of years ago. The Lavac is dead simple with the Holding Tank although it took me to empty a full tank requiring just over 100 pumps. Not too hard to pump though.
 
Telstarr said:
Thank you, that's very kind... I have found the manual here http://www.blakes-lavac-taylors.co.uk/pdf/lavac.pdf but from what I can gather, the original Lavac electric pump is no longer available. I'm hoping the ones I mentioned above are similar and thus can be installed just as easily.

Tllergirl, it sounds like you have done the electric conversion? Happy with the results?
Click to expand...

I have the alternative electric pump and manual pump laid as as per the recommendations but have had some difficulties. The real problem is that the installation is difficult to access and the electric pump has blocked twice over about 6 years. It's a bxxxxxr to strip it all down for what has been paper blocking the non return valves on the electric pump. This winter I am going to re-lay it all out and use two jabsco Y valves so that I can switch over from electric to manual easily if I have a problem,rather than have the two pumps in line and therefore the whole system unusable. I think the Lavac toilet is great and don't really regret adding the electric pump -just make sure you can access it all easily.
 
I have some very aromatic experiences of this!!!! First, dont do it, the manual pump (henderson Mk5) is a whole different ballgame from the electric pumps which I have found require constan unblocking and repairing. I will point out that we a permanat live aboards so not just occasional use. If you feel you must do it leave the henderson in the circuit somwhere as it will save you many hours of showers and generally disinfecting yourself. Finally, having had several of both pump type in the last eight years the TMC does not block as often as the Jabsco. I would go for the manual and electric in line as the manual will probably flush out the electric one. Oh, and for a laugh ask Jabsco for the annual duty cycle on their toilets, its about 200 flushes a year as I discovered at the boat show (2 people, twice a day for two weeks and six two day weekends was what they told me when I enquired about the warranty). The original pumb was a Henderson, modified to electric by the toilet manufacturers
 
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