Lavac popular sea toilet?

[clyst]

I know we're going against popular wisdom, but I'm strongly with John Morris on this important issue!

I've owned an embarrassing number of boats over the years, fitted with just about every marine toilet made since the 1950's.

My personal experience has been that Lavacs block more easily than Jabscos and, as John so vividly describes, the Lavacs are horribly messy to clear.

When in London, we stay on our old motor boat, sometimes for weeks at a time, sometimes with 4 adults on board (occasionally with 6). The boat has 2 Jabscos. We've had that boat for 6 years now, and we have a huge range of different people visiting. Both loos discharge to holding tanks. We have never had a blockage in either loo (I hope I'm not tempting fate!).

On our proper boat (a catamaran), we used to have a Lavac. During a 3 week cruise to Scilly a few years ago, it blocked twice. On getting home, I replaced it with a nice new, cheap, Jabsco, which has worked perfectly since.

Some years ago, we lived on a Moody 33 for two years, fitted with a Lavac. We had two memorable blockages in that time.

Close friends lived on their Invicta for the same period. I think it was in Calvi in Corsica that their Lavac blocked. Paul disappeared below, with a look of resigned determination. There followed a stream of mumbled profanities. After about half an hour, there was a very loud, very liquid sort of explosion. Paul emerged into the cockpit, smothered in brown stuff, with a big grin on his face (yes, even his teeth were smeared with the brown). He looked across, and proclaimed, "now that's what I call a fart!".

So..... I know Lavacs are highly regarded, have no moving parts, have a big pump, etc, etc......but I much prefer my collection of Jabscos, thanks!

You blocked a Lavac ???? You can get medication to solve that problem !!

 

[NealB]

Not personally.....and not medical problems, either!

 

[johnalison]

I've nothing against Lavacs but have only used them on friends' boats. Apart from the psychological problem of not knowing what is happening inside, my main grouse is that the pump handle always seems to be installed in an awkward position. On one Sadler 32 you had to pump horizontally, and even aloho2's neat installation doesn't look very easy to use.

 

[alahol2]

...and even aloho2's neat installation doesn't look very easy to use.

Just stand with back leaning on sink (to right of photo) and pump falls easily into right hand to pump up and down. It's actually easier than a 'normal' jabsco type pump if the boat is heeled and jumping about.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

I am surprised no one has raised the perrenial question regarding what would happen if you started pumping a Lavac while enthroned. It doesn't really bear thinking about.

 

[sailorman]

I am surprised no one has raised the perrenial question regarding what would happen if you started pumping a Lavac while enthroned. It doesn't really bear thinking about.

Make sure yer gob is open

 

[Tranona]

Depends on how closely your buttocks fit the bowl to create the vacuum.

 

[vyv_cox]

I have never owned a Lavac but I have used one for a couple of weeks, and found like others that they are not such a wonderful experience as some suggest. I never succeeded in blocking one but the waiting time did become tedious. Despite that, i thought about fitting one when replacing an RM69 a few years ago but found it impossible to fit the pump in my heads.

On the motorsailer I have a Jabsco, bought for £99 last year. It hasn't had a lot of use so far but it has a very smooth action and so far has coped perfectly well with everything put down it.

 

[sailorman]

I have never owned a Lavac but I have used one for a couple of weeks, and found like others that they are not such a wonderful experience as some suggest. I never succeeded in blocking one but the waiting time did become tedious. Despite that, i thought about fitting one when replacing an RM69 a few years ago but found it impossible to fit the pump in my heads.

On the motorsailer I have a Jabsco, bought for £99 last year. It hasn't had a lot of use so far but it has a very smooth action and so far has coped perfectly well with everything put down it.

our basin drains into the Lavac via a diverter valve, so its very easy to break the vacuam

 

[vyv_cox]

our basin drains into the Lavac via a diverter valve, so its very easy to break the vacuam

Doesn't that defeat the object? Surely the point of the vacuum is that it draws water through to flush the toilet?

 

[sailorman]

Doesn't that defeat the object? Surely the point of the vacuum is that it draws water through to flush the toilet?

after flushing break the seal via the valve rather than wait

 

[Tranona]

Doesn't that defeat the object? Surely the point of the vacuum is that it draws water through to flush the toilet?

The length of the delay can be adjusted by the size of the vent hole. Two sizes provided to try, but you can make your own using a biro plug. Bit of a faff, but once you get it right it is predictable.

 

[alahol2]

Why do you have to wait after flushing? A distrusting nature? By the time someone has left the loo and the next person got in, the vacuum has gone. We don't normally have a queue at our heads door.

 

[prv]

Why do you have to wait after flushing? A distrusting nature? By the time someone has left the loo and the next person got in, the vacuum has gone. We don't normally have a queue at our heads door.

You're not in the habit of deploying the brush, then?

Pete

 

[alahol2]

You're not in the habit of deploying the brush, then?

Pete

I can very honestly say we never need it. Maybe it's... no, I just can't go there.

 

[RogerMayne]

Thanks for all the replies.
I keep my boat on a drying mooring and that doesn't help as we have to use water from the onboard tank to flush the toilet when the tide is out.
I fitted the current pump about two years ago, it is the newer design with the lock on it and was an improvement over the old one.
It doesn't block constantly, but it has been a pain in the backside ever since I fitted it and I am sick of it. The handle is flimsy and the plastic threads are never going to give long reliable service.
We spend about a month a year onboard and there are up to five of us so it has had a fair bit of use.
I don't mind paying a bit more for a better toilet, as long as it will actually be better.
It will cost about £60 to put a new pump on the jabsco, I reckon I will be putting that money towards a better toilet.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thanks for all the replies.
I keep my boat on a drying mooring and that doesn't help as we have to use water from the onboard tank to flush the toilet when the tide is out.
I fitted the current pump about two years ago, it is the newer design with the lock on it and was an improvement over the old one.
It doesn't block constantly, but it has been a pain in the backside ever since I fitted it and I am sick of it. The handle is flimsy and the plastic threads are never going to give long reliable service.
We spend about a month a year onboard and there are up to five of us so it has had a fair bit of use.
I don't mind paying a bit more for a better toilet, as long as it will actually be better.
It will cost about £60 to put a new pump on the jabsco, I reckon I will be putting that money towards a better toilet.

I understand your logic, but I am interested to learn what make and model you decide will be this 'better toilet'.

A Lavac isn't much good for the use you put yours to. You need something that you can use a freshwater flush system?

I also assume that there's no-one nearby to see the toilet discharge trickling out of the boat when you are dried out or do you have a holding tank?

I am still wondering why yours blocks so easily, but that's another matter perhaps?

 

[VicS]

Thanks for all the replies.

It will cost about £60 to put a new pump on the jabsco, I reckon I will be putting that money towards a better toilet.

Some people say they are happy with the Jabscos a few even say they dont like the Lavac but I bet that if you did a survey of problems and questions on toilets on here over a few years you will find more problems with Jabscos and the like than with Lavacs ... many more!

But as said above may be difficult to arrange fresh water flushing.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Some people say they are happy with the Jabscos a few even say they dont like the Lavac but I bet that if you did a survey of problems and questions on toilets on here over a few years you will find more problems with Jabscos and the like than with Lavacs ... many more!

But as said above may be difficult to arrange fresh water flushing.

Could that be because there are vastly more Jabsco's than Lavacs around.

 

[RogerMayne]

I understand your logic, but I am interested to learn what make and model you decide will be this 'better toilet'.

A Lavac isn't much good for the use you put yours to. You need something that you can use a freshwater flush system?

I also assume that there's no-one nearby to see the toilet discharge trickling out of the boat when you are dried out or do you have a holding tank?

I am still wondering why yours blocks so easily, but that's another matter perhaps?

From the lavac blurb

"For lighter applications, the Popular has been production engineered to significantly reduce costs while maintaining the benefits of this simple and highly effective system. It is particularly suitable for holding tank applications due to its minimal use of flushing water."

Yes I do have a holding tank, the toilet doesn't block easily it is too easy to block ;-)

The general opinion seems to be that all toilets will block at some point, fair enough. My jabsco seems to be "high maintenance" I don't know if the lavac popular is better or not. It seems more ruggedly designed and the pump looks like the one I have on my holding tank which has never blocked.