marine toilets

[Whiffle English]

anyone have any experience with lavac heads? Never heard of them until recently, but understand they have been around quite a while and are supposed to be a high quality unit. I'll be very curious to hear anything about them.

[Whiffle English]

anyone have any experience with lavac heads? Never heard of them until recently, but understand they have been around quite a while and are supposed to be a high quality unit. I'll be very curious to hear anything about them.

[Whiffle English]

anyone have any experience with lavac heads? Never heard of them until recently, but understand they have been around quite a while and are supposed to be a high quality unit. I'll be very curious to hear anything about them.

[Stiletto]

I've got one on my boat, installed in 1973 when she was built I think. It works simply and well, with minimal maintenance compared to the more common designs. The bowl on mine is aluminium I think, and the finish is coming off. I think it is probably repairable if i were to dismantle it and resurface with epoxy paint or somesuch.

The diaphragm pump which operates it looks like it would serve as a bilge pump in an emergency.
I've never needed parts for it so dont know if they are available or not.

[Stiletto]

I've got one on my boat, installed in 1973 when she was built I think. It works simply and well, with minimal maintenance compared to the more common designs. The bowl on mine is aluminium I think, and the finish is coming off. I think it is probably repairable if i were to dismantle it and resurface with epoxy paint or somesuch.

The diaphragm pump which operates it looks like it would serve as a bilge pump in an emergency.
I've never needed parts for it so dont know if they are available or not.

[Stiletto]

I've got one on my boat, installed in 1973 when she was built I think. It works simply and well, with minimal maintenance compared to the more common designs. The bowl on mine is aluminium I think, and the finish is coming off. I think it is probably repairable if i were to dismantle it and resurface with epoxy paint or somesuch.

The diaphragm pump which operates it looks like it would serve as a bilge pump in an emergency.
I've never needed parts for it so dont know if they are available or not.

[paladin]

First class toilet second only to a Baby Blake...parts still available.....

[paladin]

First class toilet second only to a Baby Blake...parts still available.....

[paladin]

First class toilet second only to a Baby Blake...parts still available.....

[Whiffle English]

Thanks for the feedback. The more I read about and hear about these heads, the more they impress me. A little more research and then I'm very likely to buy one. I've had a couple of cheapies in the past and have generally been put off by them; ready to try something new ...er..old!
thanks again.

[ 11-06-2005, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: Whiffle English ]

[Whiffle English]

Thanks for the feedback. The more I read about and hear about these heads, the more they impress me. A little more research and then I'm very likely to buy one. I've had a couple of cheapies in the past and have generally been put off by them; ready to try something new ...er..old!
thanks again.

[ 11-06-2005, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: Whiffle English ]

[Whiffle English]

Thanks for the feedback. The more I read about and hear about these heads, the more they impress me. A little more research and then I'm very likely to buy one. I've had a couple of cheapies in the past and have generally been put off by them; ready to try something new ...er..old!
thanks again.

[ 11-06-2005, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: Whiffle English ]

[Ian McColgin]

I've lived with LeVac's on Goblin and then Granuaile for a total of twenty three years. I'll not waste any money on anything else in next boat.

'Nough said.

[Ian McColgin]

I've lived with LeVac's on Goblin and then Granuaile for a total of twenty three years. I'll not waste any money on anything else in next boat.

'Nough said.

[Ian McColgin]

I've lived with LeVac's on Goblin and then Granuaile for a total of twenty three years. I'll not waste any money on anything else in next boat.

'Nough said.

[willmarsh3]

I bought a cheap head in 2000. It had a design problem such that waste water leaked on the deck when the hose connection flexed. I then learned about Blake Lavac here (http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=010354&p=) and bought a "popular". A dry deck in the middle of the night is more than worth the higher cost of this head. Also it has fewer moving parts - less that can go wrong or clog.

Will.

[willmarsh3]

I bought a cheap head in 2000. It had a design problem such that waste water leaked on the deck when the hose connection flexed. I then learned about Blake Lavac here (http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=010354&p=) and bought a "popular". A dry deck in the middle of the night is more than worth the higher cost of this head. Also it has fewer moving parts - less that can go wrong or clog.

Will.

[willmarsh3]

I bought a cheap head in 2000. It had a design problem such that waste water leaked on the deck when the hose connection flexed. I then learned about Blake Lavac here (http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=010354&p=) and bought a "popular". A dry deck in the middle of the night is more than worth the higher cost of this head. Also it has fewer moving parts - less that can go wrong or clog.

Will.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

What Paladin said.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

What Paladin said.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

What Paladin said.

[ErikH]

Awesome heads. However, they require different plumbing installations than 'standard' heads to work so you should be aware of that when considering one.

I thought that the 'lid closed' flush method was nice, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I used more water that I would have with a normal 'fill bowl and pump out' unit.

Perhaps I erred, though, and didn't place my diaphragm pump in the right spot. As I said, installation is critical and--unlike a 1-piece head--the flexibility means that you can install it 'wrong' more easily.

But it never clogged and always worked. I would still buy one again, in a heartbeat. I especially appreciate that (with some chernobyl-like plumbing) you can use one bilge pump both for flushing and for manually pumping out your tank at sea. I didn't do it, but I might on my next install.

I also liked that you could rebuild the included pump easily by removing the faceplate (though I never had to), and that you could theoretically use ANY appropriately sized diaphragm pump as a replacement if you couldn't find parts.

[ErikH]

Awesome heads. However, they require different plumbing installations than 'standard' heads to work so you should be aware of that when considering one.

I thought that the 'lid closed' flush method was nice, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I used more water that I would have with a normal 'fill bowl and pump out' unit.

Perhaps I erred, though, and didn't place my diaphragm pump in the right spot. As I said, installation is critical and--unlike a 1-piece head--the flexibility means that you can install it 'wrong' more easily.

But it never clogged and always worked. I would still buy one again, in a heartbeat. I especially appreciate that (with some chernobyl-like plumbing) you can use one bilge pump both for flushing and for manually pumping out your tank at sea. I didn't do it, but I might on my next install.

I also liked that you could rebuild the included pump easily by removing the faceplate (though I never had to), and that you could theoretically use ANY appropriately sized diaphragm pump as a replacement if you couldn't find parts.

[ErikH]

Awesome heads. However, they require different plumbing installations than 'standard' heads to work so you should be aware of that when considering one.

I thought that the 'lid closed' flush method was nice, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I used more water that I would have with a normal 'fill bowl and pump out' unit.

Perhaps I erred, though, and didn't place my diaphragm pump in the right spot. As I said, installation is critical and--unlike a 1-piece head--the flexibility means that you can install it 'wrong' more easily.

But it never clogged and always worked. I would still buy one again, in a heartbeat. I especially appreciate that (with some chernobyl-like plumbing) you can use one bilge pump both for flushing and for manually pumping out your tank at sea. I didn't do it, but I might on my next install.

I also liked that you could rebuild the included pump easily by removing the faceplate (though I never had to), and that you could theoretically use ANY appropriately sized diaphragm pump as a replacement if you couldn't find parts.