Faulty macerator toilet

[Christine Burton]

Does anybody know of someone who could convert a jabsco macerator toilet to a ‘ normal’ drop through toilet or one with a manual pump ? 
happy to have jabsco again but finding it hard to find anyone interested in doing the job 

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, Christine Burton said:

Does anybody know of someone who could convert a jabsco macerator toilet to a ‘ normal’ drop through toilet or one with a manual pump ? 
happy to have jabsco again but finding it hard to find anyone interested in doing the job 

 

Not surprised as a dump though sits on to of the tank and your tank is remote. I suspect the best you could do is with a proper sea toilet emptying into the tank but then you may find it uses more water than is ideal.

 

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, Christine Burton said:

Does anybody know of someone who could convert a jabsco macerator toilet to a ‘ normal’ drop through toilet or one with a manual pump ? 
happy to have jabsco again but finding it hard to find anyone interested in doing the job 

 

 

As Tony's post implies but doesn't actually say, I think the problem is you're work description is wrong, which is possibly why everyone is backing away. I think the work that needs doing would be better described along the following lines:

 

"Disconnect and remove existing Jabsco macerator toilet and remote storage tank. Construct/install new dump-through black water tank and install dump through toilet pan."

 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

Baby Blakes manual sea toilet with a small tank holding the grey water from the basin as flushing water or take the water from outside.  Dumping into existing loo tank.   Sorted.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Tracy D'arth

[MtB]

There ya go, Tracy will do it for you!! 

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Baby Blakes manual sea toilet with a small tank holding the grey water from the basin as flushing water or take the water from outside.  Dumping into existing loo tank.   Sorted.

 

That was my line of reasoning, mainly because of the cost of a new tank and cosmetic work to cover it. Except I was thinking of a header tan with ball valve. The OP may object to flushing with born canal water once a few boats have gone past

Edited March 3, 2022 by Tony Brooks

[Guest]

Or do what we did, ditch the macerator loo, the pipe work the tank and fit a............ cough.........cassette.

[Tracy D'arth]

2 minutes ago, MtB said:

There ya go, Tracy will do it for you!! 

What!  Work at my age, south of Watford,,,,,,,,,,,!)&&8!!!!!  No Chance!

[Christine Burton]

Hi guys 

thanks for your replies so far but it doesn’t really help me 

I would be grateful for some serious replies please which could help as otherwise I can’t use my boat 🥲

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Christine Burton said:

Hi guys 

thanks for your replies so far but it doesn’t really help me 

I would be grateful for some serious replies please which could help as otherwise I can’t use my boat 🥲

 

Er, you have been given serious replies.

 

Not mine perhaps but it is never the less something worth considering.

[Tracy D'arth]

6 minutes ago, Christine Burton said:

Hi guys 

thanks for your replies so far but it doesn’t really help me 

I would be grateful for some serious replies please which could help as otherwise I can’t use my boat 🥲

I was perfectly serious, why would you think otherwise?

It would be a perfect solution to your problem, retain your pump out tank and you would never have a problem with it again because the Blakes is the finest marine toilet available.

But if you want to be snotty, ask somewhere else please.

[Tony Brooks]

I am sorry if you do not think all but one reply was serious.

 

I note you do not even give a rough location for the boat but someone has mentioned London and if that is correct then your answer may be right there. I gave up dealing with London traffic congestion and charges years ago and I think may others have done the same. There is reputably a London Facebook group who may help.

 

If you are nit in London the give us a clue as to where the bat is located. I am sure many proper working boatyards could do the job but you will have to take the boat to them and I think you may find their quote unacceptable.

 

I trust you are aware that maceraters regular jamb up but normally only need the macerator cover removing and clearing of the paper/rags/crystals that has jammed it. How ever f you want advice on doing this we need the symptoms of the fault.

 

 

PS - you have received exceptionally similar advice from two of the more experienced members of this forum that should help you clarify what you need doing and what is arguably the most economical way, save the Potapoty suggestion, to do it.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Tony Brooks

[Christine Burton]

39 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I was perfectly serious, why would you think otherwise?

It would be a perfect solution to your problem, retain your pump out tank and you would never have a problem with it again because the Blakes is the finest marine toilet available.

But if you want to be snotty, ask somewhere else please.

 

[jonathanA]

Hi Christine and welcome to the forum.

 

I can't comment on jabasco macerator toilets but we've had a sanimarine one for over 12 years and the only problem has been daughter in law putting ladies sanitary  items in it necessitating a strip down and clearing the blades.  In my opinion much more civilised than the dump thrus that we used to get on hire boats. 

So if the issue is with the jabesco I'd look at replacing that as a straight forward swap for another macerator unit. 

[Christine Burton]

Hello 

boat based near a Lichfield in Staffordshire 

not being snotty Tracy but there was some not so serious reply not yours though 

don’t know much about Blake’s toilet 

boatyard hasn’t suggested that

synptoms of problem are to be graphic it doesn’t evacuate anything from toilet bowl ! 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Christine Burton said:

Hello 

boat based near a Lichfield in Staffordshire 

not being snotty Tracy but there was some not so serious reply not yours though 

don’t know much about Blake’s toilet 

boatyard hasn’t suggested that

synptoms of problem are to be graphic it doesn’t evacuate anything from toilet bowl ! 

 

Then a strip down and fix is likely to be cheaper than a whole new system.

 

Macerator loos are notoriously fussy about what goes down them. Poo, wee, soft loo roll fine. (We used the cheapest most flimsy supermarket loo paper.)

 

Anything else down there will cause an issue. 

[Tracy D'arth]

7 minutes ago, Christine Burton said:

Hello 

boat based near a Lichfield in Staffordshire 

not being snotty Tracy but there was some not so serious reply not yours though 

don’t know much about Blake’s toilet 

boatyard hasn’t suggested that

synptoms of problem are to be graphic it doesn’t evacuate anything from toilet bowl ! 

This is the Blakes site   https://blakesandtaylors.co.uk/blakes-marine-toilets-7-c.asp

 

[Alan de Enfield]

We have a Blakes type toilet (well four of them actually - 2 on each boat) the water supply is from the 'outside' so doesn't consume any of the valuable drinking water. The 'effluent' is then piped either into the holding tank or directly overboard (where this allowed)

 

It is a simple and (so far) idiot proof system.

[David Mack]

Where is the existing holding tank in relation to the toilet? Can you locate a drop through toilet directly above the existing tank? Or is there space for a new toilet tank directly beneath the existing loo position, and can that space be extended under an adjacent bed or into a cupboard to increase the tank size?

Post some photos of your existing installation and we may be able to comment on how feasible your proposed change is.

Be aware that anything that involves moving the holding tank is likely to require quite a lot of woodwork, as well as plumbing (including maybe relocating the pumpout and vent fittings), so is unlikely to be a cheap job. Which is probably why nobody is interested in doing it.

As others have said, learning how to use your existing toilet so it doesn't block, persuading visitors to follow those rules, and then learning how to unblock it when the inevitable happens, will be much cheaper.

[cuthound]

17 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Then a strip down and fix is likely to be cheaper than a whole new system.

 

Macerator loos are notoriously fussy about what goes down them. Poo, wee, soft loo roll fine. (We used the cheapest most flimsy supermarket loo paper.)

 

Anything else down there will cause an issue. 

 

Indeed, when I got my boat 8 years ago, I was advised to "test" the proposed toilet paper before using it. The test is to put a sheet in a glass of water and stir it. If it doesn't begin to disintegrate, then it is likely to jamb the macerator blades.

 

This precludes most of the "soft and strong" toilet papers.

 

As you say most supermarket own brand toilet papers are fine.

 

Touch wood we have never had anything jamb in the macerator blades 

[Alan de Enfield]

14 minutes ago, cuthound said:

As you say most supermarket own brand toilet papers are fine.

 

Also allows you to 'reach your inner man'

[Christine Burton]

David Mack

yes very happy to learn how to use current toilet etc but at the moment it’s not working at all so something has to be done anyway ? 

[Tony Brooks]

3 minutes ago, Christine Burton said:

David Mack

yes very happy to learn how to use current toilet etc but at the moment it’s not working at all so something has to be done anyway ? 

 

You do realize it could just be a fuse or a switch turned off somewhere? Have you checked there is voltage at the toilet control. Does your control have any warning lamps and if so do they light up. Any other electrical things now not working? Turn a light on close to the toilet and try to flush it, does that lamp dim?

 

 

[Christine Burton]

Well the boat is with a boatyard at the moment 

it has been there for about 7 weeks and that’s why I am despairing of anything bring done

presumably they would have done those checks that you mention ? 

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, Christine Burton said:

presumably they would have done those checks that you mention ? 

 

I wouldn't presume that at all. There is a HUGE spectrum of abilities in boatyards. If it has been there 7 weeks waiting for this to be looked at (and is in there for nothing else), I'd suggest they don't want/don't fancy the job so simply haven't looked at it.

 

Where boatyards are concerned, being there/turning up regularly to see progress can be a Really Good Idea, when nothing seems to be happening. 

 

Not all boatyards are badly organised, some are right on it but plenty do need closely managing.