I am preparing to remove the Lectra san unit from my 1968 Pearson 35 and install a Jabsco manual head straight to a holding tank. Two questions have arisen: 1. How to best remove the Lectra san so as not to get waste all over? Have thought about cutting a hole in the top of the chambers and pumping out into a bucket with a manual bilge pump. 2. The holding tank is plumbed with PVC and is mounted above the head, probably 3 and a half to 4 feet from the bottom of the head. Is that too high to lift the contents of a flush? I'm not looking forward to this task but it will be nice to get it done and have a working head on board.
Lectra san removal
- Thread starter gregstokes
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Why trashing the San? Generally they are quite repairable and do yeoman work with minimal maintenance....especially when compared to the holding tank and pump out...
but that was not your question...I would look for a used shop vac or buy a really cheap one, as it may not be useful when you are finished...Use the vac to remove the really bad stuff, then spray everything with some clorox/water mix and then cut the pvc in to pieces that will fit in a garbage bag for transport to the dumpster.
best of luck, it is a dirty deal, so dress appropriately disposable coveralls and gloves at least...
but that was not your question...I would look for a used shop vac or buy a really cheap one, as it may not be useful when you are finished...Use the vac to remove the really bad stuff, then spray everything with some clorox/water mix and then cut the pvc in to pieces that will fit in a garbage bag for transport to the dumpster.
best of luck, it is a dirty deal, so dress appropriately disposable coveralls and gloves at least...
Does it work at all? If so, just cycle it 3-4 times and purge the contents. You can also just pump the equivalent of 3-4 flushes with fresh water added to the bowl and a bit of Clorox. That will purge it as well and sanitize it. I would not destroy it as it does have value at a swap meet or Craig's List.
NEVER flush bleach or any other household chemical cleaning product into a Lectra/San or ElectroScan! That will destroy the electrode pack. It doesn't need "sanitizing."
Sorry to pull you out of retirement Peggy. I thought it made bleach (hypochlorus acid) when it worked. Still don't want to see one destroyed.
It does create chlorine (hypochlorus acid...bleach is a 5-7% solution of sodium hypochlorite) by charging the ions in salt water with electrical current...that's how it kills bacteria--with chlorine. BUT--unlike bleach or swimming pool chlorine--the solution created by the electrodes immediately reverts to salt water when the stimulus (electrical current) ceases. Bleach, otoh, is highly corrosive also highly damaging to the electrodes and other components in the treatment unit.
In fact bleach doesn't belong ANYwhere on a boat, especially not in any part of a sanitation system because it's so destructive to the rubber parts in toilet pumps (also sump pumps and bilge pumps) and breaks down hose resistance to permeation. The ONLY use for bleach on a boat is in recommissioning the fresh water system.
Thanks for the input. The Lectra San has never powered up since I've owned the boat and leaks as well. I am still wondering if the height of the holding tank will be an issue with the new manual head. I guess its time to get nasty.
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