Vacuflush Pump Help

[insp58255]

I have a 1989 Trojan 10 meter international. The vacuflush pump needs to be replaced. My question is can I replace this pump with a Macerator pump?

[P-Dogg]

How about an introduction?

Can your macerator pump make at least 10" of Hg vacuum? I doubt it. Regardless, owning two of them, I cannot recommend anything other than a direct replacement.

[Big D]

....The vacuflush pump needs to be replaced. My question is can I replace this pump with a Macerator pump?

NO. I doubt it can build the necessary vacuum. Even if it could build vacuum, the macerator pump is impeller driven and cannot be run dry, so you'd toast the impeller every time it tried to build a vacuum as there wouldn't be any waste/fluid in the lines at that stage of the cycle.

[insp58255]

so the head does not work like a regular gravity toilet then?

[Flyboy]

No it does not. What does not work on your Vaccu Flush, No water, No Vacuum, Pump not running, pump running all the time. There are multiple things that can cause the unit not to flush properly. Need more information. We can surely help but need to know the symptoms.

[P-Dogg]

so the head does not work like a regular gravity toilet then?

http://www.marinesan.com/VacuFlush-Toil ... -s/214.htm


Another post and no introduction?

[insp58255]

Ok here is my intro. My name is Frank I am from MS bought this 10 meter from guy in NC. The boat was sitting up for 5yrs or so.

Flyboy, the pump was disconnected and was missing parts and wires were cut.

[Flyboy]

If you have the pump housing (that is the expensive part), the pump motor, bellows and duckbill valves are relativly inexpensive to buy. Try seacoastservices.com, they have all the parts and are experts on the vaccuflush. George is the man, 516-809-7837. I have messed with everypart of my vaccuflush, if you have quetions let me know.

[Trojan dream boat]

Have used parts if needed

[Misty]

You CAN if you completely ditch the vacuflush system! Which many choose to do, especially those new to boating that find it too finicky and unreliable. Still, the pumps can definitely be rebuilt. Get a pdf manual. You will need it to maintain it properly.

[P-Dogg]

Before you chose to ditch Vacuflush, consider this. When you flush, the goods literally get sucked into the waste pipe.* The advantage of this is that no odor is able to makes its way out of the sewage system, at least inside the boat. I had Sealand Traveller heads when I bought the boat. When you flush these, the goods drop into a small holding tank below the bowl, before eventually being transported to another holding tank. That means that an equivalent amount of vapor escaped with each flush. This was the worst part of boating for us. I made the investment to move up to Vacuflush to improve the smell of my boat, trading increased complexity for higher performance.




*not really. What actually happens is that the column of air above pushes the contents toward the area of low pressure.

[Flyboy]

I agree with P-Dogg. The Vaccuflush never smells and uses very little water to flush. It also uses fresh water which keeps the smell in the holding tank down.
They are simple systems and once you replace the bad parts you will have a great system. If you have any mechanical aptitude at all they are very simple to work on.

[WayWeGo]

One of the best benefits of the Vacuflush system is that you get more flushes before you have to pump out. That is a big bonus if you have a small holding tank.

We currently have a type I MSD with no holding tank. When we start cruising longer distances and want to go into NDZ's, we will be adding a small holding tank and I will most likely convert over to a Vacuflush system at the same time to extend the time between pump outs.

[El L Sea]

I agree with P-Dogg. The Vaccuflush never smells and uses very little water to flush. It also uses fresh water which keeps the smell in the holding tank down.
They are simple systems and once you replace the bad parts you will have a great system. If you have any mechanical aptitude at all they are very simple to work on.

I concur. The only thing I did was add a filter to the holding tank vent line. And changed the waste level monitor to a 3 step. For the record, opening the holding tank is never fun.