Vacu-Flush toilets getting a bad rap...

V

Vic Willman

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I see here lately on the board, that there are a few VacuFlush haters turning up. This seems to be mostly from people who have bought used boats that already had VacuFlush toilets installed. Unless detailed maintenance records are provided to the new owner of the boat, there's no way of telling whether or not the toilets were properly maintained. So it becomes similar to buying a used car... If the toilets were used and abused for years without being properly maintained, it isn't the toilet's fault - it's the user's (or former user's) fault.

You'll hear similar complaints about Jabsco toilets, Raritan toilets, Wilcox-Crittenden toilets or any other brand. That doesn't mean that the products aren't any good; it just means that in their present state, they may not be any good.

It's all a matter of how they were installed, how they were used, and how they were maintained. Some are better than others for a specific application. But the fact that it doesn't do what you think it should do, isn't always the toilet's fault.

VacuFlush toilets, if properly installed, properly used, and properly maintained, are as good or even better in some cases, than any of their competition. As Billy III has noted a number of times on this board, they will not pass golf balls - but they weren't designed to pass golf balls!

I received back last week, an Atlantes electric toilet that had a toy Tonka truck jammed in the macerator! The owner wasn't aware of it, and complained that the #$%&* toilet had "failed for no reason." No reason? Guess again...!

Pascal has used VacuFlush toilets for many years - and loves them. But he knows how they are installed, how they operate, where the weak points are, the maintenance schedule for the toilet, etc. Anyone else who has a toilet on their boat should have the same knowldege - or they shouldn't complain when it doesn't work.

If you purchase a 20 year-old boat that has a toilet installed, and it doesn't work, even though the seller claimed it does, look into the situation a little more thoroughly. Remember, his objective was to SELL the boat; not to spend a lot of money on fixing the things that are wrong, or are just marginal, on the boat. So before knocking a product, do a little homework and find out how it is installed, how it works, how it is supposed to work, and what state of repair - or lack thereof - it is in.

Repeat after me.... "PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE"
 
Good Post Vic,
Vic,
I have a Par-Quiet, when I bought the boat, too upgrade to a Vacu-Flush would have been the same price if I did it after-woods, so I stuck with the Par-Quiet figuring if I didn't like it I would change it out down the road. I was interested in the Vacu- Flush because it uses less water, plus all my other boats had one and I liked it.

Other than dislodging stuff that should not have been flushed, the Par-Quiet has worked fine for the last 7 seasons. I am interested in knowing what kind of preventive maintenance should be done with this brand?

Thanks
Walter

Thanks
 
That was a classy post Vic, coming from a class guy who works for a first class company. And of course it happened to be dead on correct, facts wise.

George
Hatteras 56MY, (3 Vacuflush heads for full time live aboard use for three years)
Boston Whaler 130 Sport
 
quote:
Originally posted by pdecat

Vic:
So many of the folks buying boats these days done have a clue about much of anything ...........
Click to expand...


And it's far too easy to jump on the Internet and complain. They don't have to be fair, they don't have to be honest. Just have access to the Internet.
 
For the record Vic and or anyone. I am not anti VacuFlush. I bought a complete new set up right down to having all the hoses replaced and my holding tank. Had the installation certified. It just didn't work with my wife's medical conditions.
Bill
 
27 year old boat and vacuflush system.

no problems in 9 years of ownership.

replaced head seal, valve and all hoses during 2005 refit.

If I was ordering a new boat today, I would spec a new VF!

RWS
 
quote:
Originally posted by RWS

.........

If I was ordering a new boat today, I would spec a new VF!
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I can get a really ggod deal on the top of the line, slightly used Marine Elegance from a boat that may be donated to charity because of other issues. I am friends with the owner and the installer.

I'm going to my boat today to measure. It may be too big.
 
Vic, perhaps a post on what "preventive maintenance" is needed would be of help.
 
Nice objective post Vic!

if you look at what's on the market today, VF, Altantes, Raritan, etc... i dont' think any is better or worst than the others, they all work well and are well built quality product.

in about 50 head years (nr of heads x nr of years, owned or captained), i probably had 3 clogs to clear. one was a kid flushign a bunch of bounty paper towel... another one was a "white tailed mouse", and the third was "something" caught at the bottom of the bowl, cleared in seconds with a wire hanger.

otherwise, one burned up motor, a few duckbills, 2 vac switches, and something like 5 bowl seals (those where for the most part preventive maintenance).

and keep in mind, 2 of the 3 VF on my boat have been seeing daily use, year round, for the past 7 years. not the occasional week end flush in summertime.

as to preventive maintenance, there is really not much to do unless the pump starts cycling or water doens't stay in the bowl. If you really want to, you could replace the DBs every 2 or 3 years and maybe the bowl seals every 5 years but they often last a lot longer than that.

one last thing... Vic may be more familiar with sales numbers but Vacuflush have been the standard OEM head in so many boaats over the past 20 years that statisticaly you have to see more complaints about them than other brands.
 
I agree completely withy everything Pascal had to say. One thing however, with his toilets being used on a daily basis, you can pretty much make book that they will last a good while. Lack of use is a death sentence to just about any onboard equipment, including the toilets. The less a head is used, the more problems you'll have with it.
 
Hogan, the preventive maintenance varies from brand to brand. Follow the recommendations in the Owner's Maual for the head. If you no longer have the Owner's Manaul, contact the manufacturer and get one from them. In most cases, they'll send it out for free.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Vic Willman

I agree completely withy everything Pascal had to say. One thing however, with his toilets being used on a daily basis, you can pretty much make book that they will last a good while. Lack of use is a death sentence to just about any onboard equipment, including the toilets. The less a head is used, the more problems you'll have with it.

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you have a point. more wear but lack of use is the silent killer! that's why for instance genset and mains impellers last 4 or 5 years down here.
 
On the VF you should also clean the bowl seals from time to time. As well as lube the pivot points on the pump.

You can flush a gallon of straight white vinegar down each head once a month or so to help keep the minerals from building up on the hoses and choker valves.

They also make a vacuum gauge that fits down into the bottom of the head bowl that's handy to have from time to time as a diagnostic tool.
 
I've never had a problem with mine (10 years old), but lately I can hear the pump running every so often throughout the night. I've never done any preventative maintenance and it doesn't get used much. What is leaking that makes the pump cycle and is that an easy fix?
 
Mark, if the unit is 10 years old, and has never had any maintenance done to it, I'd start by replacing the duckbills in the vacuum pump. It takes 4, two in the input to the pump and two in the output from the pump. If they have any mineral buildup in them, or have simply gotten hard with age (the reverse of what happens with men [:-smirk]), they can leak just a little and not hold the vacuum in the line from the toilet pedestal. Then the vacuum pump kicks on every now and then, for just a few seconds, to replace the vacuum that was lost.

That's the most common problem and the easiest to repair. See our other VacuFlush threads here on the Forum, for instructions on replacing them. Pascal spelled it out pretty thoroughly on one of the other threads.

http://www.boatfix.com/shop3/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=28712

Call and check with Les (603) 856-8841, ext. 252; I thought they came (2) in a pack, but the way it's written up, it looks like you have to buy them individually.
 
As always Vic, I great post.

The only issue I ever had with my 10 year old VacuFlush heads was when I first got the boat 5+ years ago I had intermittent vacuum problems with the starboard head- Found a 3-4” ball of TP as hard as a rock in the Vacuum generator tank. Once it was removed no problems at all- I replaced all the Duck bills at that time as well. I’m a big fan of the system.

quote:
Originally posted by Vic Willman

…. I received back last week, an Atlantes electric toilet that had a toy Tonka truck jammed in the macerator!

Click to expand...

MAN, that must have really hurt passing that toy truck![:-bigeyes] [}:)]
 
I've had two, one on this boat when I bought it and I had one installed on my last one. On this one, the first winter I had the boat I had the hoses, seals and db valves replaced. The only maintenance I have had to do since is to replace the db valves this season which I did myself. And yes, you need four and Sealand packages two per package.
 
Thanks Vic. It looks like my pump is a Sealand but I couldn't read the part number. Is there only one size that fits all?
 
Mark, SeaLand is the parent company of VacuFlush (actually it was taken over by a European-based company - Dometic - several years ago, and they're gradually getting rid of the SeaLand name and using Dometic in place of it). But I'm fairly sure that the vacuum pumps have become a "two sizes fit all" in recent years; as long as you get the voltage correct (most likely 12 volts).

If the pump is part of a vacuum generator, you get one pump; if the pump is connected to a separate vacuum tank, you get another. the pumps are basically the same, but the fittings for connection are different.
 
I'm pretty sure the pump is part of the vacuum generator but I guess I will breakdown and take the dreaded reading glasses with me this weekend and double check the part numbers. Thanks for all the help!
 
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