Marine toilet

[davelef]

Have just bought a new 25ft quarter tonner and am having trouble figuring out how the manual toilet works in terms of which valves to open at which time - i.e. when to open inlet/outlet - as it sometimes seems to suck water out without pumping water in and other times does the opposite! Can anyone please provide any help? Thanks in advance.

 

[Skyva_2]

What type of toilet is it? a Jabsco?

 

[l'escargot]

Open both seacocks when using the toilet. You don't say what type of toilet you have, but most common types with the up and down pump have a lever which you push one way to pump the toilet dry and the other way to pump water in. There are other types that operate differently using various pumps and levers, does yours have a name/make on it?

 

[Hardley]

It would help if you stated the make of your toilet, but normally you open both inlet and outlet, pushing handle towards toilet ( half inch or so) and pumping up and down, pumps water into the bowl and discharges, with the handle in its normal resting position, pulling handle up and down, but not below horizontal, empties the bowl.

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

If its the Blakes lavac type, ( small round bowl with 4 bolts through a flange in the base), and bulkhead mounted pump, typically Henderson type, while it is pumping out the waste it creates a vacuam in the bowl, which sucks fresh ( sea ) water in to flush it, so you will need to have both valves open when using it.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

How to use a marine toilet -

As stated open both sea cocks, many people open them when they get on board and close them when leaving the boat. Personally I go for leaving them open unless at sea when they are only opened for use. It is possible for a toilet to back-fill and this can happen out of sight if you are up at the helm. There are safeguards, such as breathers in the pipes or ensuring your crew always leave the lever in the empty position (though this is not 100%), but I find it much more comforting to know the bog is turned off. We also turn off if leaving the boat, even for a short time and when we go to bed, it is not a big problem to do this IMO.

Before using the bog try to ensure there is water in the bowl, this can help with bad odours in the heads and also stops skid marks, much like the U-bend at home. To get a little water in the bowl, turn lever to wash and do some short pumps, if you are too vigorous you will empty as fast as you fill, you'll get the idea. When you have enough water in the bowl, turn the lever to empty, you should see the flow stop immediately.

Afterwards, with the lever on empty start pumping until the waste has nearly disappeared into the pipe, at this point turn to wash and wash the whole lot through, make sure you pump enough water though to completely clean the pipes of all waste, this obviously depends upon the length of your pipe (easy!) how much this takes. Now switch the lever to empty and pump out the clean water until it leaves just enough in the bowl for the next use.

Hope this is not teaching you to suck eggs.

 

[davelef]

Thanks for replys - not sure of make - will check tomorrow - but it has a lever (like on a fruit machine!!) rather than a handle. Any further tips on how I tell when valves are open or closed as not immediately obvious?

 

[Skyva_2]

Usually the sea cocks will be open when the handle is aligned in line with the outlet at the hull. If at right angles it is closed - and the toilet will not work!

 

[davelef]

Thanks to all - I will try out tips tomorrow and hope to have a successful no. 2! One further query: Is it possible that toilet waste discharges straight into the sea or is it always the case that there is a holding tank - and if so how do I go about finding it and emptying it!!? Cheers.

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
...but it has a lever (like on a fruit machine!!) rather than a handle....

[/ QUOTE ]
That sounds like the type Hardley describes - straight up and down to empty the bowl, up and down with slight inward pressure towards the toilet to pump water in. The pump is a small circular bilge pump affair down behind the bowl. Does it look like this:

If so, I can scan the instructions for you

 

[davelef]

Yes - looks exactly like that. Instructions would be much appreciated. Also any idea about the holding tank query? Many thanks.

 

[Skyva_2]

Holding tank is not likely on a quarter tonner - follow the toilet exhaust pipe to the hull seacock.

if the boat is new why not ask the manufacturer?

 

[l'escargot]

Instructions are here. Follow the bigger diameter pipe round from the toilet, if it goes direct to a stopcock and out through the hull, there is no holding tank. There are diagrams of both set ups in the instructions - holding tanks can be flexible but more often rigid, you won't miss it if there is one.

 

[Niander]

yeah i have the same as well and also im not sure about it i tried to pump it the other day it didnt seem to do much,exept make gurgling noises .. the previous owner had the bad habit of always leaving the stopcocks on and they are well seized up!
what make is that?
could you put instructions on here ?...
cheers...follow the pipes if the pipes go to the hull then the sea is your holding tank!

 

[davelef]

Boat is only new to me - actually 33 years old! Oh that I could afford a new one!

 

[davelef]

Thanks very much for the instructions lescargot. Never have I had so much interest in my toilet activites so I will keep you all informed of progress!!

 

[ShipsWoofy]

sorry about the bum steer, I described a different, but more common bog found on-board boats.

 

[davelef]

Not at all - all help gratefully received. Cheers

 

[Niander]

Ah yes i see youve done it thanks....Simpson.Lawrence ,i see
thats the one...good i was wondering about that on t old folkboat.

 

[smeaks]

thats my toilet!!!! could you possibly send a copy of the destructions? I have been looking for ages!

thanks