And Peggie admitted She didn't know much about them.
Really...Where did I say that??? In fact, you've misquoted me in every post you've made to this thread! Fwiw, I was a distributer/dealer for nearly 10 years and the toilets on my last two boats were V/Flush...I'm INTIMATELY acquainted with them!
25 years ago, VacuFlush was the "only game in town" if you wanted a toilet that used less than 1-3 gallons of flush water, could use pressurized fresh water instead of sea water, and drew less than 30-50 amps. It was and still is a very good toilet. At the time I installed the last one on my own boat, it was still the best toilet on the market. However, But by the early 90s, macerating electric toilet technology had made the VacuFlush obsolete...now every mfr has several models that use no more water than the VacuFlush actually NEEDS (never mind what they claim), draw only 10-15 amps, and also use pressurized flush water...all without components scattered all over the boat, and for a fraction of the VacuFlush price. So--as I have posted many times--if I were looking at used boat on which a VacuFlush were already installed, I'd be gld to have it, but I would never buy another one to retrofit another of my own boats because there are so many other better, MUCH less expensive choices today.
All of which is a long way from my "not having anything good to say about it."
One good thing about it: the owners manual includes a trouble shooting guide that includes just about every possible symptom, cause and cure that a V/Flush can develop. What's more, the V/Flush has changed so little since it was first introduced in the late 1970s that it doesn't matter old or new your toilet is, the manual from any year will have the same trouble shooting guide...so if you don't have one, call SeaLand at 800-321-9886 and ask for one.
However, 99% of problems with it can be laid right at owners' feet...the following should help you learn how to prevent most of 'em:
VacuFlush 101, Part I--How it Works
It's a 3 component system--the bowl assembly, the vacuum accumulator tank (not to be confused with a holding tank) and a vacuum pump. In newer systems the vacuum tank and vacuum pump may be a combined gizmo called the "vacuum generator," but it works the same way as separate vacuum tank and pump and includes both. And that’s ALL there is to the VacuFlush toilet system. The holding tank is NOT part of the VacuFlush toilet system...nor is the overboard discharge pump to dump the tank, nor is any vent line filter. SeaLand just bundles all those things with the toilet and calls the whole thing a “system,” causing a great deal of confusion for many owners.
The vacuum pump has TWO functions: it suctions the air out of the plumbing between the toilet bowl and itself while simultaneously pushing the flush the rest of the way to the tank, treatment device or thru-hull. The vacuum tank has a switch and a sensor on it that starts the vacuum pump when there's a loss of "vacuum" (toilet is flushed or an air leak in the system) and turns it off when the correct amount of negative pressure has been reached. How long it runs depends on the distance from the pump to the bowl...the shorter the distance, the shorter pump run time. The accumulated "vacuum" only pulls the bowl contents TO the pump..the pump has to push it the rest of the way.
Air leaks are the only thing that will cause the vacuum pump to cycle between flushes for no reason. The most common source of air leaks is worn out duckbill valves in the vacuum pump 4 of 'em--2 in, 2 out...so if it does start cycling for no reason, first thing to do is replace 'em. They should be replaced about every two years as preventive maintenance...even annually if you live aboard.
As duckbills become more worn, the pump will cycle more often and will run longer and longer each time. A failing vacuum tank switch can also cause the pump to run longer--till eventually it won't turn off at all unless you turn it off at the breaker--but that will NOT cause the pump to cycle for no reason.
VacuFlush 101, Part II —Actual Flush Water Requirement
SeaLand's claim that the V/Flush can use "as little as" 1 pint of flush water is VERY carefully worded…If only urine is flushed...no water added to the bowl first, no TP either...then yes, you CAN get away with that little, at least for a few flushes. But if you do much of that, unless you want odor, at least once a day you need to run at least half a bowl of clean water through it to rinse out the system. It's also advisable to add at least half a bowl of water ahead of solids or any TP (iow, every time a female uses the toilet)...that's a quart or more. It's also essential to leave the pedal down for at least 7-10 seconds after the bowl is empty to rinse out the pump and duckbills--to prevent a buildup in the pump or bits of waste or TP from becoming stuck in a duckbill, creating one of those pesky air leaks that causes the pump to cycle for no reason...at least another quart. And if you don't want permeated hoses, it's a very good idea--last thing before the boat will sit (or at least once a week if you're living aboard)--to fill the bowl to the rim with clean water and flush it through to thoroughly rinse out the vacuum tank, hoses and pump...'cuz suction splatters waste all over 'em and the flush water flow isn't sufficient to completely fill the hoses. So, averaged out over a week, the VacuFlush actually NEEDS about the same amount of flush water as most other toilets that use pressurized flush water: about .5 gal. If you already have a VacuFlush and you're using much less than that, you're asking for problems.
After 15 years here, I retired but can't quite resist the urge to lurk occasionally, which is how I happened to see this thread...so this will be my only post to it. If you still have questions about it--or any other sanitation or odor issue that hasn't already been answered here at least 5 times in the last 15 years, you're welcome to email me (EMAIL please, not private message)...I'm always glad to help.
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