Raritan Head-Ache

[Tom Hadoulias]

Peggy, I recently installed a Lectra-San MSD with a brand new PH-IIE tiolet after removing my perforated holding tank from my 37cutter. Until I got the full electrical system hooked up to the soleniod driving the head pump, we would start the Lectra-San and manually pump the head during the 30 second start-up period. It worked fine as we would start in the flush position and pump the bowl dry when we neared the start up cycle of the MSD. I then got the soleniod and hooked up the entire system to run off the Lectra-San. The electric pumping action is totally different than manually pumping and most of the time, unless you have some start-up water in the bowl it won't suction enough water in to flush the contents even set for maximum flush time of 20 seconds. This is quite frustrating as it takes unbolting the electric motor from the pump to revert to manual operation again. I called Raritan and was basicly told that the electric flush on the PH-IIE is not equivalent to the manual flush. I finally overcame the problem by leaving the intake valve in the flush position only with about two cups of water in the bowl and I never dry flush or I in essence have to reprime the system. This appears to be a poor design as you generally have to run through two cycles or use the reset override to get all the contents to the MSD so you can treat it. I would appreciate your comments as I did not feel I got the help I needed from Raritan. We are liveaboards and the head is a necessity. One more question? What is the best de-oderizing product to use continuosly with the Lectra-San that will not affect it's operation that can be injected or poured into the bowl.Thanks,Tom

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

I'll answer your last question first

Do not use ANY chemical products in the toilet if you have a Lectra/San. Chemicals can damage the electrodes. The only bowl cleaner safe for use in it is Raritan C.P. Cleans Potties, which is a non-chemical bio-enzymatic cleaner. However, there should be no odor from the Lectra/San if it's installed and operated correctly...the Lectra/San kills 99.9% of bacteria, and without bacteria, no odor is possible. The only possible odor source is stagnant sea water trapped in the head intake. If you have odor from the Lectra/San something is wrong. Now to your major problem: something is causing your toilet to lose its prime between uses, which shouldn't happen. Because the electric motor provides a shorter faster pump stroke, it's not able to overcome it, but the longer slower manual pump stroke IS able to re-establish prime. So the cure is: find out why your toilet is losing prime and correct it. It could be debris caught in the pump...if you have a strainer on the intake line, it may need cleaning more often...if you put a vented loop in the intake line between the thru-hull and the pump, that would do it...a vented loop in the intake line goes between the pump and bowl. Something may be preventing the ball and spring from seating properly... If the water in your marina is shallow and/or "gritty" (bottom stirred up, storm runoff etc), it's even possible that you've managed to score the inside of the pump housing--especially if you've been flushing on "dry." With a Lectra/San, there's no reason to use "dry"...just set the timer to put no more than about half a gallon through the toilet. In fact, going to "dry" doesn't put enough flush water through the toilet to completely rinse behind the bowl contents--and that could be the reason for any odor problems: waste is remaining in the head discharge hose.So get out your toilet owners manual and look for what could be causing your toilet to lose prime...fix that, and you solve your problem.

 

[Tom Hadoulias]

Thank You, But...

Peggy,  Thanks very much for you prompt reply. I have in-fact incorporated all of your suggestions from the get-go. Vented loop after the pump, strainer on the intake side cleaned weekly needed or not, water in the marina pretty clean and water depth is over 10' so I don't see that as the problem. I will look at the spring and valve on the intake side of the pump. What actually happens is the pump seems to overide the input of raw water in the flush mode and it pumps the bowl dry. The pump then seems to be unable to put in additional raw water unless I put a cupful or two of water in the bowl. This apperently seals the lower section of the pump and it starts up fine again until either it pumps dry or two much additional water builds up and I have to switch to dry to remove the excess.Thanks again for your help!Tom

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

You may have a defective toilet

Or at least a defective part in it. 'Cuz SOMETHING is causing your your toilet is losing its prime between flushes, and that shouldn't happen. Talk to Vic Willman at Raritan. He's the tech support mgr, and has forgotten more than most people--including me--will ever learn about the causes of Raritan toilet failures.