retsina
Well-Known Member
I still have not made a decision whether to choose a manual or electric toilet. I know that the Lavac toilets are good but, any of you chaps had problems with the Lavac Blake electric toilet? motor seize etc? reliability?
Lavac Blake manual or electric?
- Thread starter retsina
- Start date
Kilter
Well-Known Member
No experience with the electric but the manual ones are brill!
Dave_Seager
Well-Known Member
I have just fitted an electric Lavac. I cannot comment on its reliablilty yet but I can give you a few general remarks.
Firstly, the Lavac is very quiet. It uses a diaphragm pump without a macerator so there is very little mechanical noise. The motor drives a crank, rather like a windscreen wiper motor. Also, because the pump does not need to be near the toilet it can be mounted away from the accommodation. Mine is in the tank space under the cockpit and is almost inaudible, even at night.
Henderson seem to have discontinued the electric pump shown in the Lavac literature and they now use a Jabsco pump instead.
The Lavac instructions also refer to a timer unit so that you press the button and the pump runs for a preset period. This has been discontinued and Lavac just supply a simple pushbutton. This allows you to decide how long to flush depending on the contents of the bowl but for a full flush you need to hold the button for over a minute which is inconvenient. I am about to build my own timer using a kit from Maplins and will intned to have two buttons for a long and a short flush.
I will try to update this with developments if I have time.
Firstly, the Lavac is very quiet. It uses a diaphragm pump without a macerator so there is very little mechanical noise. The motor drives a crank, rather like a windscreen wiper motor. Also, because the pump does not need to be near the toilet it can be mounted away from the accommodation. Mine is in the tank space under the cockpit and is almost inaudible, even at night.
Henderson seem to have discontinued the electric pump shown in the Lavac literature and they now use a Jabsco pump instead.
The Lavac instructions also refer to a timer unit so that you press the button and the pump runs for a preset period. This has been discontinued and Lavac just supply a simple pushbutton. This allows you to decide how long to flush depending on the contents of the bowl but for a full flush you need to hold the button for over a minute which is inconvenient. I am about to build my own timer using a kit from Maplins and will intned to have two buttons for a long and a short flush.
I will try to update this with developments if I have time.
retsina
Well-Known Member
Dave, Thanks for the reply; very usuful information
Searush
Well-Known Member
On the manual Lavacs, one needs to do 2 flushes, one to empty bowl & a second shorter one to rinse it & leave a little water in the bowl. How do the electric models deal with this?
tillergirl
Well-Known Member
I've always assumed this was to stop recycling. As you pump so the vacuum is created and immediately sucks in water. If your outlet is too close to you inlet there is therefore the chance of sucking in some of what you have pumped out. I assumed the pause allowed dispersion and the second pump had a better chance of clean water.
But that's only been my assumption because the water fills on the first 'cycle'
I find the manual so easy I just can't see the point of adding an electrickery burden, either as something to go wrong or as a drain on the battery bank. But I admit this has something to do with the time I have spent trying on my neighbours boat trying to get his trice dammed useless ugly noisy inefficient electrickery toilet to work. May it be consigned to the nether regions of hell where it belongs. But then it isn't a Lavac.......
But that's only been my assumption because the water fills on the first 'cycle'
I find the manual so easy I just can't see the point of adding an electrickery burden, either as something to go wrong or as a drain on the battery bank. But I admit this has something to do with the time I have spent trying on my neighbours boat trying to get his trice dammed useless ugly noisy inefficient electrickery toilet to work. May it be consigned to the nether regions of hell where it belongs. But then it isn't a Lavac.......
Dave_Seager
Well-Known Member
I chose the electric model primarily because I do not have space for a manual pump in the heads on our boat.
The other advantage is that, with the addition of a couple of diverter valves, I can use the same pump to empty the holding tank when at sea. This takes about ten minutes and would not be very practical while under way with the manual pump. With my set up I can empty the tank without leaving the helm as the valves are within reach and I have added a switch for the pump on the dash.
Lavac do not suggest a pause in flushing on their electric models but I do not know why. Using the larger breather hole, I can tell when the flushing water has started to reach the bowl which is useful when we only ned a short flush.
The other advantage is that, with the addition of a couple of diverter valves, I can use the same pump to empty the holding tank when at sea. This takes about ten minutes and would not be very practical while under way with the manual pump. With my set up I can empty the tank without leaving the helm as the valves are within reach and I have added a switch for the pump on the dash.
Lavac do not suggest a pause in flushing on their electric models but I do not know why. Using the larger breather hole, I can tell when the flushing water has started to reach the bowl which is useful when we only ned a short flush.
samwise
Well-Known Member
I agree that there is no real need to complicate a simple, effective and reliable system with electrickery. We have a holding tank with a two diverter valve arrangement that allows pump direct to sea, pump to holding tank or pump out holding tank. I would have thought that adding a further drain to a cruising boat's precious store of amps would be counter productive.
Gwil
New Member
The great and perhaps unique thing is that you can fit a manual pump inline with the electric one, thus removing the big objection to reliance on power.
