Toilet replacement

[CaptTom]

The PO's question has been answered, and Peggy has spoken.

Now the thread drift can start...

Peggy offered an interesting statistic: 2 liters/flush with an electric macerating toilet.

I'd be very curious to hear what a manual pump toilet uses, on average.

I'm quite sure I use a lot more with an electric, especially for #2. Then again, I'm not average

[peghall]

Peggy offered an interesting statistic: 2 liters/flush with an electric macerating toilet. I'd be very curious to hear what a manual pump toilet uses, on average

About the same amount--or even less if you learn how to use the "dry mode" to do more than just push the last bit of water out of the bowl...AND add water to the bowl ahead of solids. Please don't post "but manual toilets--and basic electric macerating toilets too--can't bring water in and hold it"...I know that! But they can hold water poured into the bowl using a cup from the sink. About a quart--a couple of beer cups full--is about what household toilets hold...all but eliminates skid marks and greatly reduces the amount of flush water needed to move the flush to its destination.

Most people don't realize that any manual toilet that's working anywhere near factory specs can move bowl contents up to 6 linear or 4 vertical feet in the dry mode...even further with help from gravity if your run to the tank is downhill. So try pumping only a couple of times to bring in a little flush water, then switch to "dry" to move the flush up to 6' before switching to "wet" to rinse behind it an push it the rest of the way.

A word about "working to factory specs"...that does require a joker valve that's still capable of closing tightly. Most people think that blocking backflow is a joker valve's only function...but it's actually the most important replaceable rubber part in a manual toilet...here's why:

On the discharge side of the pump, on the upstroke of the piston, a vacuum is created in the area beneath the piston. This causes the joker valve to close tightly, and the flapper valve beneath the pump to open, allowing some of the contents of the toilet bowl to be drawn into the bottom half of the pump. Then, on the down stroke of the piston, the flapper valve is slammed shut, and the effluent is forced out of the bottom of the pump, through the joker valve, and off down the line. But when the joker valve becomes worn and/or there's a buildup of sea water minerals on it, it can no longer seal tightly on the upstroke of the piston...less vacuum is generated when you pump it. And as it becomes more worn less and less vacuum, till finally the bowl contents simply move up and down a bit, but don't go anywhere. Sometimes the flapper valve needs to be replaced too, which is why toilets should also be rebuilt at least every 5-6 years as PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.

You prob'ly won't notice the loss of efficiency at first because it's so gradual...same as we don't see that we've gotten a little older than we were yesterday when we look in the mirror each morning. But I guarantee you that if it's been two years or longer since you replaced the joker valve, you need to pump the toilet at least 50% more times to move the bowl contents to the tank or all the way out the thru-hull....IF they're getting there at all any more.

(Shameless pomotion warning)...my latest book is full of useful information like this...see link below. (end of shameless promotion).

Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein
http://www.amazon.com/New-Get-Rid-Bo...dp/1892399784/

[a64pilot]

My 5th wheel had a regular porcelain house flush toilet, it sat directly over top of the holding tank so it dumped right in.
It was astonishing how fast the holding tank would fill up not even a full weekend. However it was great for living in the camper with it connected directly to a septic tank.