Mansfield Vacuflush
Hello all,
Our Hatteras has 1983 vintage Mansfield Vacuflush heads. Vacuflush heads
are a new experience for me so please forgive this elementary question. All
three work, but one looses pressure if the plunger is maintained in the on
position and causes the pump to cycle to build up the pressure every so
often. Incidentally, the bowl holds water for weeks when we are gone from
the boat, the pressure builds up normally when the pump is turned on and the
flush is strong. The easy fix is to pull the plunger only when a flush is
needed. However, to be proactive, I would like to fix it when the "fix" is
relatively easy. What is the most likely source of this loss of pressure
and is there a place on line where I can look at diagrams of and
instructions for these heads and their components? Thanks for your
thoughts!
Jim Laudermilch
Hatteras 1983 motoryacht
"Snail's Pace"
jim laudermilch jj.calendar@gmail.com wrote:
All
three work, but one looses pressure if the plunger is maintained in the on
position and causes the pump to cycle to build up the pressure every so
often. Incidentally, the bowl holds water for weeks (endsnip)
First, I'll say that these are fairly simple toilets and I love them. I've
had a pair that I installed new about 7 years ago with almost no maintenance
and they work great. Low maintenance, low water usage, last forever.
You just have a small vacuum leak, and it's more than likely just old
duckbill valves in the pump letting pressure leak by. They are simple to
change. In toilets the age you probably have there are three components, the
toilet itself, the vacuum tank, and the pump. The duckbill valves are in
each end of the pump, two at each end, for a total of 4. You'll need 2
duckbill kits as they come in two packs. I would change them out first, if
that doesn't fix it, you just have a small leak in a fitting, hose, toilet
base gasket, etc. Just have to play with it till you find it. The good news
is that when these units leak, they leak air IN, not "stuff" out!
You can go online and search for Sealand Vacuflush and find manuals,
drawings, etc.
It can also be the seal at the toilet. Hold it completely open and wipe the
opening with a paper towel to make sure it's clean, then wipe a little
silicone grease around the opening. That used to solve my vacuum leak
problems.
Keith
jim laudermilch jj.calendar@gmail.com wrote:
All
three work, but one looses pressure if the plunger is maintained in
the on position and causes the pump to cycle to build up the pressure
every so often. Incidentally, the bowl holds water for weeks
(endsnip)
First, I'll say that these are fairly simple toilets and I love them. I've
had a pair that I installed new about 7 years ago with almost no maintenance
and they work great. Low maintenance, low water usage, last forever.
You just have a small vacuum leak, and it's more than likely just old
duckbill valves in the pump letting pressure leak by. They are simple to
change. In toilets the age you probably have there are three components, the
toilet itself, the vacuum tank, and the pump. The duckbill valves are in
each end of the pump, two at each end, for a total of 4. You'll need 2
duckbill kits as they come in two packs. I would change them out first, if
that doesn't fix it, you just have a small leak in a fitting, hose, toilet
base gasket, etc. Just have to play with it till you find it. The good news
is that when these units leak, they leak air IN, not "stuff" out!
You can go online and search for Sealand Vacuflush and find manuals,
drawings, etc.
As others have mentioned, they are simple. If you are having trouble finding the leak, and it is even more frustrating if there are more than one, they sell a vacum guage that can be used to isolate the leak(s).
Any vacum guage will work, but the one they sell (used to be 60$) has an 14" tube with a soft plastic cone-shaped plug at the end that is sized to fit any of the openings that it will need to be plugged in to... nifty little device, wish I had purchased it years before I did. Really makes solving problems like yours faster and with less guess work.
Also, not mentioned so far is the mechanism at the base of the toilet that the pedal attaches to. It can leak also. However if it is leaking, you can usually hear it if you can get your wife's ear forced down there close to it.
If you want to get by without buying their vacum guage, let me know and I'll let you borrow mine. You pay freight both ways, put a 1000$ deposit down and then please forget to send it back. (grin) Just kidding, you are welcome to borrow it for the cost of freight and, if necessary, repairs.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
He mentioned that it held water in the toilet, so that eliminates the ball
seal. There is, however, a floor seal that can leak, but not all that
common. By the way, they make a ball seal cleaning tool. Looks like a
plastic popcicle stick with tiny bristles on one side of one end.
You mentioned that they hold water for weeks while you are off the boat. I
highly reccomend turning your pumps off when you leave the boat for extended
times. I always turn mine off, and flush to releave the vacuum. No point in
it stressing while you're gone, or something breaking and it pumping for
days.
Brent Hodges
It can also be the seal at the toilet. Hold it completely open and wipe the
opening with a paper towel to make sure it's clean, then wipe a little
silicone grease around the opening.
Thanks to all for responding:
Actually, I do push the plungers in every time I leave the boat. Also, most
times after each flush. Our MO is to pump them up while using them and then
flush and finish by pushing in the plunger to shut off the pump. I guess if
you look at how we use them, why worry about fixing it now? I am mainly
interested in why one does not hold the pressure for an extended period of
time while the other two do. My point about holding liquid in the bowl was
that it does not drain out while we are gone which leads me to believe that
the seal in the toilet bowel seems to be OK.
Jim Laudermilch