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Question for Peggy

All right, now, I need the straight poop here! (Pun intended, of course)

Looking at marine heads, it looks to me like I should replace my current
"pumper" with either an electric SeaEra or an electric Lavac. I don't quite
understand how the Lavac works . . . but they are supposed to be "the most
trouble-free" available.

Any comments? Peggy, help!!!

Question for Peggy

Drumm Law wrote:
All right, now, I need the straight poop here! (Pun intended, of course)

Looking at marine heads, it looks to me like I should replace my current
"pumper" with either an electric SeaEra or an electric Lavac. I don't quite
understand how the Lavac works . . . but they are supposed to be "the most
trouble-free" available.

It's the manual Lavac that gets all the rave reviews. If you want "push
button convience, go with the SeaEra.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

Question for Peggy

I've had an Electric Lavac for 5 years (including a one year cruise with a
child) and have mixed opinions, though I'm mostly positive.

The Lavac has airtight seals on the seat and lid so that when the pump runs (a
Henderson, now Whale, Mk 5 modified with a motor) a vacuum pulls the waste out
and pushes it off to the holding tank. The vacuum will also pull some seawater
into the bowl. The vacuum gets released by a small hole in the intake line that
must be adjusted for the geometry of the system.

Pros:
There are no moving parts in the toilet itself.
The pump can be located in an easily accessible location.
If jammed, the pump can be stripped down, cleared, and put back together in
about 30 minutes.
If the seals are worn, or if it is otherwise unable to draw in seawater, water
can still be added manually, and it can still be flushed.
The pump can be set up as a bilge pump.
If everything works properly, little water gets used.

Cons:
If the vacuum does not release, a child (or guest) cannot lift the seat. Maybe
this year I can teach my daughter (soon to be 9) how to do it. Although the
vacuum should release in a minute or so, I've never been able to adjust to do
this consistently.
The seals can come loose and a guest won't figure it out.
While the pump can handle a lot, it can still get jammed. Care must still be
taken, as with any marine head.

The electric version has a few quirks. I'm not sure how well it would do in
continuous duty, so I would hesitate to rely on it as a bilge pump. However, it
would be good to have a manual Mk 5 as a backup.

The electric has an odd timer switch that can be adjusted for about 30 seconds.
I added a manual bottom so it can be run for 10 seconds for liquid waste. The
switch cost $60, and can break.

The flapper valve on the electric is different from the manual version - it has
to be weighted, probably because the electric starts slowly and is too gentle on
clogs. Using the manual version of the valve will result in daily clogs. Trust
me - that's how I know I can field strip it in under 30 minutes.

All in all, I would still recommend it unless you have small children or
frequent guests.

"Drumm Law" wrote in message
...
All right, now, I need the straight poop here! (Pun intended, of course)

Looking at marine heads, it looks to me like I should replace my current
"pumper" with either an electric SeaEra or an electric Lavac. I don't quite
understand how the Lavac works . . . but they are supposed to be "the most
trouble-free" available.

Any comments? Peggy, help!!!

Question for Peggy

The model is the Head Mate, still available from WC, see their web site.
Not sure how compatible their current rebuild kits are for the models dating
back to
1979 but I did replace a 1980 CS27 head with a new off-the-shelf WC Head
Mate
this summer, it was virtually part by part compatible on the outside, did
not disect it.

- Dave

"Dave" wrote in message
...
I'm going to have to put a rebuild kit in the head on my 1979 CS27. It has
a
Wilcox-Crittendon unit that looks like it was OE, but there is no
indication
of the model, so I can't tell which kit to get, or even whether a kit is
available for it. Can you give me a clue as to how to tell?

Dave

Dave wrote:
I'm going to have to put a rebuild kit in the head on my 1979 CS27. It has a
Wilcox-Crittendon unit that looks like it was OE, but there is no indication
of the model, so I can't tell which kit to get, or even whether a kit is
available for it. Can you give me a clue as to how to tell?

Most likely Dave is right...it's the Headmate--the "budget" model W-C
toilet. If it is, unless it has a bronze pump cylinder and base, after
25 years I'd replace it instead of rebuilding it...'cuz over time
pumping wears the pump cylinder and other parts that aren't in the
rebuild kit.

To be sure which one you have, go the W-C website at
http://www.wilcoxcrittenden.com/sanitation.asp?bid=
and check it against the photos of their toilets. If it's not the
Headmate, you definitely want to rebuild it...'cuz their top of the line
toilets are built to last 100 years with minimal maintance and have
purchase prices in excess of $700.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1

Dave wrote:
On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:00:22 -0500, "Dave Nickerson"
said:

The model is the Head Mate, still available from WC

Thanks, Dave. Nice to see you here as well as in the owners' group forum.

Dave

I rebuilt a '76 model (San Juan 26') headmate about 5 years ago with the
standard off-the-shelf kit and had no compatability problems.

Keith