Thread: Lavac Heads
View Single Post
  #7   Report Post  
posted to rec.boats.cruising
Jeff
 
Posts: n/a
Default Lavac Heads

capt.bill11 wrote:
Rich Schultz Wrote:

I am considering replacing a POS Raritan head with the Lavac Vacuum
System.
Does anyone have any first hand experience with them?

Rich



They're very good and expensive. And parts didn't aren't readily
available.


Defender stocks the parts, and Blake's in England is helpful. As it
turns out, there aren't many failure modes to worry about. The seat
seals can wear down - they take about 30 seconds to replace. I had a
seat hinge break (they're plastic) but was able to jury rig while
awaiting a replacement. The head will function without a tight
vacuum; it just won't pull in replacement water efficiently. The only
other part is the pump, a fairly standard bilge pump, though some of
the parts may have been modified for waste. If it does clog, it can
be stripped down quickly - if its mount with good access you can even
open a hatch on the pump. After about 5 years I replaced the rubber
parts, because it seemed about time.