Noisy loo

[drawp]

I am under pressure from SWMBO to replace my twenty year old Baby Blake with a toilet that doesn’t wake half the marina every time it is used at night. The loo is still in good condition but when it is pumped with too much enthusiasm, it does make a lot of noise (in a 35ft wooden boat). Is it possible to replace the traditional two pumps with an alternative pump that is quieter? Or what are the alternatives? Can anyone recommend a marine toilet that operates quietly. I did suggest “bucket and chuck it” to my dear lady but she thought I was only joking.

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[HeadMistress]

Try lubricating your toilet. It's amazing how much noise rubber--especially salt encrusted rubber--can make scraping against the inside of a pump housing without any lubrication.

Additionally, enthusiastic pump is usually much less efficient at moving bowl contents than slower more deliberate pumping.

If neither of the above suggestions lower the volume sufficiently, you COULD just put the lid down and wait till morning to flush overnight "deposits." That became the rule on one of my boats on which the remote electric pump was under the berth...damn thing was loud enough to wake the dead!

<hr width=100% size=1>Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987

 

[Gunfleet]

If you do go this route I will happily buy your baby blake!

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[bob_tyler]

Put the radio on loud

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[drawp]

Believe me I have tried everything. I strip and lubricate the pumps regularly and they work fine. If the crew would all use slow even strokes with the pumps it would not be too bad. But turning the radio up loud at 02:00hrs would not be a good idea.

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[HeadMistress]

In that case, your best choices are: 1. re-educate the crew to pump with less noise...2) re-educate the crew (male members anyway) to use the lee rail at 0200...or 3) new rule: don't flush in the middle of the night...wait till morning.

'Cuz you're not gonna find a manual toilet of the quality of the Baby Blakes for anything close to a reasonable price...some may be a little quieter, but you'd only be swapping noise for increased maintenance and repair...that is, unless you want to convert to an electric toilet designed to use pressurized flush water. They are VERY quiet. And the power consumption isn't all that bad either...draw is only about 10a flush for 7-12 seconds. The major downside to pressurized flush water toilets is the increased demand on the fresh water supply.

<hr width=100% size=1>Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987

 

[drawp]

You're right. The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to do away with the Baby Blake and I do not like the implications of an electrical unit. Speaking for myself, I quite enjoy going to look at the stars at 02:00hrs.

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[billskip]

If its the squeek noise causing your problem squirt a small amount of lube into the bowl b4 you retire as already said...I had this problem with charters...to stop the "banging" of the pump stroke I fitted 2 thick soft rubber washers on the shaft..one inside the pump and one under the handle..stops the plunger banging on the up stroke and stops the handle banging on the down stroke

<hr width=100% size=1>Bill

 

[PhilF]

peggy, Hi, was that moving bowl or bowel

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[HeadMistress]

I don't recall mentioning either specifically...for good reason!

<hr width=100% size=1>Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987

 

[drawp]

Thanks Bill. Will try the rubber washers.

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[rlw]

Bottle of cheap kitchen oil. Pour in bowl once a day to lubricate the toilet.
Last one lasted me a season. The difference is staggering.

Rob

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