Head Games/Waste Woes/Crapper Cracks

[Paul and Valery]

tossed my head in ct

Hi Elizabeth,Forget jabsco. Over the years I have been through several heads on various boats. We live aboard year round and last year tossed our wilcox critiden after two rebuilds and went with a blake levac> No joker, choker, springs or flappers. Nothing!!!! One bowl, one whale 1 1/2" waste pump to the holding tank. I swear the head is amazing. We purchased ours at Defender Industries in Ct. I believe you can find info on the web. If you don't have any luck I'll fax or email the owners manual to you.Do your self a favor, which ever head you go with replace all hoses, elbows ect or at least remove and realy clean them. they can narrow in the most interesting places. Good luck!Paul and Valery

 

[Sam Lust]

Cricket not so good

I had a Cricket for a season and disliked it intensely. Mounted below the water line it would not function AS CLAiMRD in the advertising, and this was confirmed by the tech staff at Raritan, who by the way were very nice to deal with. The Cricket simply will not pump dry as they claim when mounted below the water line. You are forced to lean over the bowl even with the (Free if you complain) extension wand. Not pleasant. The Cricket takes up the same "real-time" footprint as the PH II due to the the configuration of the pump handle. The PH II wil actually fit into a slightly narrower space. In addition, to rebuild the pump you must remove the entire toilet and flip it upside-down. My PH II has made 3 seasons so far with no more attention than sitting on it occasionally.The Cricket would be fine for a powert boat where it is above the water line in a nice large room where you van get to it.

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Sam, what ARE we gonna do with you?

I dunno who at Raritan told you that the Cricket won't pump dry when installed below the waterline, but when it's installed correctly, that just ain't so...there are a LOT of Crickets installed below the waterline, on both power and sail boats (where did you ever get the idea that powerboat toilets are above the waterline???). I have NO idea what your problem was with the dry/flush extension...it works well for everyone else. As for having to remove the entire toilet to rebuild it--yes, that's true. But because the pump is a diaphragm pump, there aren't any moving parts in it to wear and require period rebuilding as piston/cylinder pumps do. The "rebuild kit" is actually the entire pump assembly except for the housing and is only needed as often as it would be necessary to replace an entire piston/cylinder pump--which also requires removing the bowl and pump from the base--or about every 7-10 years."...fine for a powert boat where it is above the water line in a nice large room where you van get to it."You didn't by any chance spend the afternoon taste-testing new egg nog recipes, did you Sam...your typing seems to have deteriorated a bit since your J-clamp post.... )

 

[Terry]

OUCH! I WONDER IF WE WILL EVER HEAR...

from Sam again.Terry

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Don't worry, we will...

We go through this every time anyone mentions the Cricket...at least 3 or 4 times so far. And I'm sure we will again 'cuz Sam does NOT give up easily. I honestly don't know WHY he had so many problems with it, 'cuz it really is an excellent toilet--and that's not only my opinion--Practical Sailor recently rated it right up there with the PHII as the two best manual toilets.

 

[Sam Lust]

I do NOT give upeasily!! --- And I'm a LOUSY typis

t. That night one of my two typing fingers was bandaged from a nasty cut from a sharp sliver of bronze on a Sloan flush valve. Now there's a REALLY good flusher! Complete rebuild in under 2 minutes for $11.02, standing upright like a human being! My posts on the Cricket and for that matter the morse "J" clamp are based on my experience. The guy at Raritan said it didn't work as I required below the water line as mine was. I believed him and didn't bother to question the technicalities. (Probably had a bandaged up finger at that time also).I have nothing but good things to say about Raritan though. What other company can you think of who would accept back a USED crapper and exchange it for a brand new one just to keep a single customer, no matter how nutty or demanding of his equipment, happy? And for the record? My wife, the General, disliked having to grope around the bowl for the dry flush valve. The extension provided very little help on that. Believe me. Exchanging the toilet and going through a more or less complete new installation was better than listening to the alternative!