Raritan PHII leaks EVERYWHERE! Alternatives?

[Celestialsailor]

Regarding the inlet leak...if you are using the white, stiff PVC hose, I find heating it with a heat gun to make it manageable, with the clamp already on it, then push it on and tighten the clamp down while hot, works pretty good.

[AuroraGH]

Originally Posted by Mithril Bham

It's a good head. Take it apart and rebuild with new hoses or pay someone to do it.

I’m not rebuilding a new had that has seen 50 flushes

[MJH]

Originally Posted by AuroraGH

This thing has probably handled all of 50 loads of that but it leaks constantly from the pump base, the hose fittings, and the water inlet fitting at the back of the bowl which finally sheared off after I apparently overtightend it in my 8th time trying to get it to stop leaking, this time bedding it in silicone sealant. To “fix” it is gonna require a new bowl at this point.

I’m done with this model. Recommend me another brand/model that doesn’t keep my bilge pump busy and my head floor wet. Could be manual, electric, atomic powered, I don’t care as long as it doesn’t leak all the damn time and fits in roughly the same footprint.

I have had one of these on two different boats. On both of them I replaced the pump assembly and my problems went away. No need to buy a new unit, the rest is just the bowl.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[donradcliffe]

I feel your pain. My boat came with two PHII heads. After repeated problems with the pump shaft seal, I sprang for two new pumps with the new seal design. After 2 years of full time use, one of the bases cracked and leaked everywhere. I replaced the toilet with a Jabsco which cost less than a new Raritan pump. Two months later the base on the other Raritan cracked in the same spot, and I was done with Raritan forever.

[Georgieboy]

Yes - Lavac - simple, mechanic/hydraulic, never fails, easy to clean and maintain, Henderson hand punmp can be mounted in most convenient space. Had one for 18 years. Spare gaskets still available


https://www.svb.de/de/marken/lavac.html


.......... and enjoy every s****.

[twig]

Just buy a new pump.

[gonesail]

toss it out. doesn't sound like you are capable of maintaining it. good luck with your next one.

[AuroraGH]

Originally Posted by twig

Just buy a new pump.

I will also need a bowl because the plastic fitting for the water inlet that threads into the bowl sheared off just inside and I silicone sealed it into place in my nth attempt to get it to stop leaking. Not getting it apart.

Reason I suspect the bowl is defective in that the threads molded into the bowl are rough porcelain and not smooth glazed. It never seated well and that rubber gasket around it leaked constantly.

I’d caill it a total loss. If I’m starting over, I’m not tossing another $500 away on this weak design. Seems the Lavaci is simpler and only about 20% more.

Sold. Ordering tomorrow.

[Marathon1150]

We have two boats and hence two heads. One is the Raritan model that the OP has and the other is a Jabsco something or other. I much prefer the Raritan - it is more powerful and better built. We never flush paper down either of them so the comparison is a fair one. The admiral, for some inexplainable reason prefers the Jabsco.

A new Jabsco on sale is about the same price as a new Raritan pump (my last rebuild of the Raritan head after 10 years involved a new pump rather than a rebuild kit, for about the same price).

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by AuroraGH

I will also need a bowl because the plastic fitting for the water inlet that threads into the bowl sheared off just inside and I silicone sealed it into place in my nth attempt to get it to stop leaking. Not getting it apart.

Reason I suspect the bowl is defective in that the threads molded into the bowl are rough porcelain and not smooth glazed. It never seated well and that rubber gasket around it leaked constantly.

I’d caill it a total loss. If I’m starting over, I’m not tossing another $500 away on this weak design. Seems the Lavaci is simpler and only about 20% more.

Sold. Ordering tomorrow.

If all else fails try here. I buy from them, they ship to USA.

https://www.sparesmarine.co.uk/websh...ndFilter=Lavac

[AuroraGH]

Originally Posted by hpeer

If all else fails try here. I buy from them, they ship to USA.

https://www.sparesmarine.co.uk/websh...ndFilter=Lavac

Incredible price. I'm in Mexico so hoping they'll ship here. Thanks for the tip.

[Bowdrie]

None of the plastic toilets are that great.
A new Groco K costs a lot but you only cry once, however they show up used once in a while, mainly, (I surmise,) from the boat being upgraded to an electric of some persuasion.
With a good rebuild and a few parts you can have one that will give years of service at low operating costs.
Nice electrics are "nice", I guess. They're not "bulletproof" and use all kinds of molded hoses that are easily damaged, access is difficult, and they need good power supplies and good pressure/flow rates from either sea or onboard water.
They are kind of like the marine version of a "Sloan" valve toilet in your high school, so no cheating on the water supply.
A marine toilet of any operation is still a contraption that will at some point require work of the most odious kind.
The Lavac? I can't speak directly to them; they have lots of fans, although sometimes vacuum is harder to generate then pressure.

[peghall]

I found an email in my files from another PHII toilet owner also had a problem with a leaking pump body:

Part # 1203B in the exploded drawing is an o-ring that fits on the top of the valve body and seals between the valve itself and the cap. Raritan has had some tolerance issues with it and sent him a replacement "1203B1" o-ring that's slightly fatter...Once he replaced the original o-ring with that one, the toilet began pumping perfectly with NO leaking.

So before you toss the top rated manual toilet you might want to give Raritan tech support a call. 800-352-5630. Ask to speak to Greg Morales...he was the tech who solved the problem for that owner. And if you ask nicely he might even send you a new inlet fitting for no charge.


--Peggie

[sinnerman]

This may be a dumb question: but are you using raw water or the boat's fresh water to flush it?

If the later, maybe your freshwater pump is over pressurizing the toilet?

I am curious what you find wrong with it, as I am considering the same toilet for my boat and do not want any headaches (the easy install option is JABSCO, but they are not very robust...)

thanks

cheers

[David B]

Originally Posted by AuroraGH

I will also need a bowl because the plastic fitting for the water inlet that threads into the bowl sheared off just inside and I silicone sealed it into place in my nth attempt to get it to stop leaking. Not getting it apart.

Reason I suspect the bowl is defective in that the threads molded into the bowl are rough porcelain and not smooth glazed. It never seated well and that rubber gasket around it leaked constantly.

I’d caill it a total loss. If I’m starting over, I’m not tossing another $500 away on this weak design. Seems the Lavaci is simpler and only about 20% more.

Sold. Ordering tomorrow.

Good luck with the new toilet, but remember:

Tightening until something breaks doesn't fix a basic 'O' ring or seal issue.
Applying silicone sealant doesn't fix a basic 'O' ring or seal issue.

If there is a problem, identify the problem, or get in someone who can.

Not meant to be harsh - just facts.

I have been around long enough to see plenty of examples of premium products being described as rubbish, when a simple component failure or owner issue is all it is.