Narrow toilet drain?

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MCNav

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Hey folks,

New boat owner here with a quick question about the head. This may seem a bit awkward but the escape drain of the Jabsco electric toilet seems a bit narrow. Is there any device in the hole that helps drain the toilet when the vaccum activates during flushing? We haven't used the head too much yet but I already have nightmares about servicing it.
 
There's a macerator just below the exit hole in the pan, so it does a reasonable job of clearing waste. As this is already a slightly indelicate topic, there's nothing to be gained by circumlocution. You'd have to drop a real log before the thing wouldn't be able to chew its way though it. My lad did manage it once, and I had to dispatch it with a dive knife, but it was OK from there on.
 
Wiggo said:
There's a macerator just below the exit hole in the pan, so it does a reasonable job of clearing waste. As this is already a slightly indelicate topic, there's nothing to be gained by circumlocution. You'd have to drop a real log before the thing wouldn't be able to chew its way though it. My lad did manage it once, and I had to dispatch it with a dive knife, but it was OK from there on.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wiggo! A real log summarizes my fears pretty well esp with a few guests on board. I was suspecting there was a macerator in there due to the sound when flushing but wasnt 100% sure.

Is the correct procedure to add water, then flush/macerate, add more water to rinse the bowl and then another flush?
 
I can see that you missed part of the dazzed kipper course.

Hang a belt and vernier in the bog, with instructions.

First fasten belt tightly round tops of legs, this will reduce diameter. Measure with vernier. If measured dimensions are greater than pipe. Put it back and try again.
 
Wiggo said:
You'd have to drop a real log before the thing wouldn't be able to chew its way though it. My lad did manage it once, and I had to dispatch it with a dive knife, but it was OK from there on.
Click to expand...

Always an arkward issue.......

A humurous post on PBO a while back on this subject came up with the use of a 'death stick' to reduce the size of those occasional super logs.
 
MCNav said:
Thanks Wiggo! A real log summarizes my fears pretty well esp with a few guests on board. I was suspecting there was a macerator in there due to the sound when flushing but wasnt 100% sure.

Is the correct procedure to add water, then flush/macerate, add more water to rinse the bowl and then another flush?
Click to expand...

Mostly, but depends on your switch arrangement. We have a 'fill', 'empty' and 'both' switch. Normally, the 'both' switch is all it takes, but if one feels that one is sitting on a bit of a horse's head it makes sense to but a bit of water in first, or even a few sheets of bog paper. Having 'dropped the kids off at the pool' the 'both' switch should take care of things nicely. If for whatever reason it leaves too much clean flush water behind, just use the 'empty' switch to lower the water level.
 
MCNav said:
Hey folks,

New boat owner here with a quick question about the head. This may seem a bit awkward but the escape drain of the Jabsco electric toilet seems a bit narrow. Is there any device in the hole that helps drain the toilet when the vaccum activates during flushing? We haven't used the head too much yet but I already have nightmares about servicing it.
Click to expand...

I agree all wiggo's excellent advice and following his suggestion not to circumlocute I'd say the following:

1. Remember that logs, whether super or not, come in two consistencies: soft and hard
2. The jabsco is fine even for hard logs becuase the macerator is right there and onto the job immediately, but the small diameter that you mention means a hard superlog has to be broken up with a death stick (qv) else it will block the hole and never even get to the macerator
3. The vacuum loos by Sealand are very good for soft logs in all sizes, but they block if you try to flush a hard super log. They have a small dia exit hole through which the log is pushed by air pressure (cos there is vacuum downstream of the log) and the vac is not strong enough for a very hard (non-deformable) superlog that will not squash through the exit hole
4. The Tecmas solve all the above. They have a large diameter outlet hole (getting on for 50mm) and a macerator just below the toilet bowl. Therefore even hard superlogs, up to 50mm dia, can get down the wide bore hole, and to the chopper. It is very rare indeed for a Tecma to block and require a death stick. I'm talking about the current generation of Tecmas, as of about 3 years ago; before then they blocked more easily

I've owned all 3 types mentioned above and am pretty sure the Tecma is the answer to logging problems. I'll be speccing them on next boat for sure. About £450
 
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jfm said:
I agree all wiggo's excellent advice and following his suggestion not to circumlocute I'd say the following:


4. The Tecmas solve all the above. They have a large diameter outlet hole (getting on for 50mm) and a macerator just below the toilet bowl.
Click to expand...

Significantly bigger than my outlet hole. If I managed to block a Tecma, I'd be more concerned about corrective surgery than the boat plumbing...
 
jfm said:
I agree all wiggo's excellent advice and following his suggestion not to circumlocute I'd say the following:

1. Remember that logs, whether super or not, come in two consistencies: soft and hard
2. The jabsco is fine even for hard logs becuase the macerator is right there and onto the job immediately, but the small diameter that you mention means a hard superlog has to be broken up with a death stick (qv) else it will block the hole and never even get to the macerator
3. The vacuum loos by Sealand are very good for soft logs in all sizes, but they block if you try to flush a hard super log. They have a small dia exit hole through which the log is pushed by air pressure (cos there is vacuum downstream of the log) and the vac is not strong enough for a very hard (non-deformable) superlog that will not squash through the exit hole
4. The Tecmas solve all the above. They have a large diameter outlet hole (getting on for 50mm) and a macerator just below the toilet bowl. Therefore even hard superlogs, up to 50mm dia, can get down the wide bore hole, and to the chopper. It is very rare indeed for a Tecma to block and require a death stick. I'm talking about the current generation of Tecmas, as of about 3 years ago; before then they blocked more easily

I've owned all 3 types mentioned above and am pretty sure the Tecma is the answer to logging problems. I'll be speccing them on next boat for sure. About £450
Click to expand...

:D A great combination of fact, physics, economics and humour.....:D
 
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