XM Electric toilet

[MIKE_MCKIE]

Have currently a VERY aged Lavac, which while very good, recently nearly flooded the boat when the little bleed hole clogged up & gave a very good syphon effect on the inlet sea suction! My sailing colleague nearly had a heart attack as the loo (fortunately in "cleaned" mode) continued to fill (and overflow) at a rate of knots, but had the presence of mind to close the sea valve before we filled the bilges!
As a concession to the distaff side (a final attempt to bribe them to come sailing with me), I am now looking to maybe replace with the XM electric loo, but possibly short on space.
Is there anyone in Brighton who has one that I could take some measurements from please, or anyone know where I can get same from? Also any comments on installation, as I gather from previous posts that such details are fairly sparse from the makers?!?
TIA
Mike

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[LORDNELSON]

Pity to get rid of a working Lavac and take on the complexity of an electric loo! Can you not make a higher loop for the Lavac and insist on a regular hole cleaning regime?

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[sailorman]

Hi
the 2 pipes should BOTH "loop above "the w/line.
as long as u maintain the lid / seat seals + check the bleed hole u mention,
the whole thing will be trouble free,also keep an eye on the pump & carry a service pack for it.
dont even concider an electric loo, remember KISS
keep it simple stupid

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[roni]

Dear Mike, you can buy electric loo that replace/ instade the macanic one, no cange in place.Last time i watch the catalog is was about 100$-300$.

happy new year

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[Trevethan]

I have an XM seems pretty good. quite powerhungry and for some reason the water flow doesn't shut off so we always have to shut the seacock. IA good habit anywat) I had to move the motor to one side and may not have reconnected the hoses properly..

a;sp\gpt a bit stinky in the summer when the water was warm.

I am going to relocate it to the forward heads and move the motor back to the normal orientation.

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[HeadMistress]

A simple solution to intake odor

The solution is in rinsing all the seawater out of the system with clean fresh water...however, just pouring water down the toilet doesn't work, because nothing poured into the bowl is recirculated (thank God!) through the intake and the channel in the rim of the bowl. But there is a way to flush out the whole system:

If the head sink drain and the head intake are on the same side of the keel, it's usually a simple matter to reroute the head sink drain line to tee it into the head intake line (this also has the advantage of eliminating one thru-hull, and in fact, some sailboat builders use the same thru-hull for both the sink drain and the head intake). To rinse all the sea water out of the head, close the seacock...fill the sink with clean fresh water. Flush the toilet. Because the thru-hull is closed, the toilet will pull the water out of the sink, rinsing the whole system--intake hose, channel in the rim of the bowl, as well as the head discharge hose.

If the locations of the head sink drain and head intake thru-hulls make this impractical, there is another way: Tee a short section of hose into the head intake line in a readily accessible location...the tee must include a shut-off valve. Close the seacock, stick the end of that hose into a gallon milk jug or bucket of clean fresh water...flush the toilet....because the seacock is closed, the toilet will pull the water out of the jug or bucket.

Simple, effective, no chemicals required...and inexpensive.

Btw...it's also a very good idea to follow the rinse with a cupful of undiluted white vinegar down the bowl...Vinegar dissolves sea water minerals in the head discharge hose, preventing buildup, and should be used once a week. A cupful--two at most--is all that's needed...more is a waste. Flush it through, do NOT leave vinegar standing in the bowl...vinegar will cause soft rubber (i.e. joker valve) to swell and distort when left to soak in it. However, vinegar will cause no harm if it's flushed from the bowl and pump completely.

Btw...that your flush water doesn't want to shut off most likely means that the solenoid has failed...or if there is no solenoid, that the intake impeller in the pump may have been run dry long enough to completely destroy it--iow, your intake pump isn't pumping any more, water outside the boat is now just flooding the bowl each time the seacock is open. However, those are just guesses...the XM is not a brand sold in the US, so I'm not familiar with exactly how it's designed. If you can tell me who makes it and refer me to a website that has a drawing--better yet, a manual--I'd have a better chance of trouble-shooting it for you.

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

 

[MIKE_MCKIE]

Thanks for all the advice, I have now established beyond all doubt that there is no bleed hole on my installation, due to previous owner replacing the inlet hose & not the bleed hole. Blakes/Lavac/Taylors have been extremely helpful, & advised that I drill a small (1/8") hole in the top of the loop, put a piece of gaffer tape over it & using a small needle remake a bleed hole. They say that installing a fullblown syphon break will be too much (air & money!) and this is the simplest & cheapest way to overcome the problem.
Main reason for thought of changing to elec was to remove the need to manually pump, (SWMBO is not even vaguely technically minded!) and also to gain the resulting extra shoulder space in what is a fairly small compartment. The syphon problem was the kick up the bum to get something done. (Definitely pun intended!)
However now I know what the problem is, & how easy (& cheap) it is to fix, I see no reason to go spending nearly 200 squids to replace something that will work perfectly well for another 30 years, very likely well outlasting me!
Thanks again for the advice,
Wish all our readers a very happy & prosperous New Year, with fair winds throughout!!
Mike

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[Trevethan]

Re: A simple solution to intake odor

Thanks for teh advice. We are in fresh water, well frsh -ish)

We are moving the electric head forward so will try some kind of fresh water flush system.

As for teh leakage The water dribbles into the bowl when not in use and flows fairly swiftly when pumping. It's been like it from new so will send it back.

Thanks again for all the advice

Regards,

Nick

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[HeadMistress]

Flush water

I'm not sure what you mean by "try some kind of fresh water flush"...I hope you're not thinking of connecting it to your onboard potable water system. 'Cuz NO toilet--manual or electric--that isn't specificially designed to use pressurized water should ever be connected to the potable water system...it cannot be done without risk of polluting the potable water, damage to the toilet or both. If you want to use fresh water to flush a raw water toilet, there are only three safe options: a separate dedicated flush water tank, water drawn from the sink by plumbing the drain as I described earlier, or keep the seacock closed and pour it into the bowl with a cup.

The last option is not recommended for electric toilets that have integral impeller intake pumps...flushing the toilet with the intake closed will destroy the impeller from dry friction heat.

I asked earlier, but apparently my question was overlooked: who makes the XM toilet? It's not a make or model sold in the US, so I'm not familiar it--at least not by that name. Is there a website anyone can refer me to?

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

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Flush water

There is an XM website, but it doesn't appear to be working
http://www.seamarknunn.co.uk/catalog/subcat346.htm

<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate

 

[HeadMistress]

Thank you Brendan

Even though the XM website isn't wokring, I was able to see enough in the photos on the Seamark-Nunn site to get a very good idea of what they are and how they work...very similar in fact, in both design and price to Par/Jabsco. Thanks much...I appreciate the information.

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

 

[philmarks]

I have an electric XM which I haven't yet fitted. Chandler advised me to be careful fitting it - the outlet connection from the pump has a tendency to break off if too much force used when attaching outlet pipe - the lead of the pipe should be fair also, and not impose (excessive?) side force. Also I think he said that the on/off switches tended to fail (or was it that the seat hinges were weak?). Sorry - I can't remember all details, must get round to fitting it, I've been carrying it on a locker for a year now. I plan to carry the manual one as a spare....

Reason for purchase was that SWMBO has a shoulder problem, otherwise I would KISS.

<hr width=100% size=1>Rgds
Phil

 

[Trevethan]

Re: Flush water

No.. I would'n't connect to my potable water supply. But I have an unused 12 gallon tank that used to be the drinking water source, but is no defunct and not part of tghe current setup

I was thinking of connecting that via a shut off valve to choose seawater or tank water for flushing.

As for who makes XM I am not able to say. The supplier will be calling back today and I will enquire.

Thanks again.




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[HeadMistress]

Re: Flush water

Sounds like a good use for that tank. Seawater inshore is a lot more "organic" than it is a couple of miles offshore. So my suggestion would be to use the tank while inshore, switch to seawater while at sea...and then use the fresh water in the tank to flush all the sea water out of the system before closing up the boat. Even inshore, if you'll be away from the dock long enough to make fresh water conservation an issue, flush with raw water...using the fresh water supply only to rinse out the system once a day.

Btw...you or someone mentioned that the XM is a bit power hungry...what is the amperage draw?

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

 

[Trevethan]

Re: Flush water

The wiring calls for 30 amp cable -- I run the thing off a tired old 70 amp hour battery that doesn't form part of the boat's electrical system until we decide where we want to install it.

I tend to plug in a little car charger ever two or three weeks to bring it back to charge.

The head gets used maybe 5 times a day in that period, running maybe 1 minute each time.

We got it becuase my wife was unhappy with the old Brydon manual heads we had, and while looking for a service kit, which is really pricey I figured we could switch to electric. We have a second manual one, which I think we will put in the aft heads and shift the electric one forward where it's noiise will be less of an issue.

Regards,

Nick

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