Vacuflush woes

[Bob Bradley]

I removed my toilet today to rebuild the vacuflush components in the base and found bad news. The flange at the bottom of the bowl, which attaches to the base, was badly cracked, and basically fell apart when I dismantled it. The unit's label reads Mansfield plumbing products, model 848. I believe that they were acquired by Sealand, as the boat came with a Sealand manual, in which the PO circled model 848 and made a few notes there.

Does anyone have a source for a replacement bowl for this? I can't find much online. Any chance anyone here has replaced theirs and still has the old one around for parts?

Here's what I found...

 

[Captain Ralph]

Dometic now owns the flush suckers.

Here is an IPB to help with some part numbers.

https://marinesan.com/vacuflush/vacuflush-toilet-parts-diagrams/808-847-848/

You may find some thought to get another head system.

 

[Pascal]

Rebuild it with a new bowl is going to cost you a lot more than replacing it. I got replaced two on my boat with Raritan elegance Fresh water version. No brainer

 

[Bob Bradley]

Probably will go the new route. I just hope I can find one with the same base mounting pattern so I don't have to do carpentry work on the floor. The existing studs are in good shape.

 

[brettportzer]

I am in the midst of replacing my vacuflush setup with two Raritan Elegance units.

Redoing all of the plumbing and will be getting rid of not only the toilet itself, but also a clean VG4 with a season of use and the football and pump setup from the other set.

(the first went in the dumpster, I guess I should have checked if anyone would want it!)

If you want to wait for a bit until I can verify that it is something that would work, I can send you the bowl.

My opinion is that most of the plastic stuff is too brittle to reuse, but the bowl itself may be ok.

 

[Bob Bradley]

Thanks, Brett. Do you happen to know the model of the head? If its compatible, I really could just get away with the bowl. I have all the new components to rebuild the one I have - that's why I was removing it in the first place. Other than a leaky ball, it seems to work fine. I already replaced the inlet valve back in the summer. There's not much else to break on it.

 

[brettportzer]

I think it is an 808, but with any luck I’ll check this weekend. If not, next Saturday.

These holidays have thrown off my Saturday boat work the last couple weeks!

I have a couple of spare bits too, I think I have the ball closing thing.

 

[Bob Bradley]

Thanks, Brett. I believe that is compatible with mine. I have the 848 and it appears that the only difference is that yours flushes straight down out of the pedestal and mine has a 90* outlet to flush out the back of the pedestal. The bowls appear identical. I'll pm you my contact info.

 

[cww]

I know the newer self-contained heads are simpler, but I have always liked the vacuflush system. I've had it on several boats and it's quiet and eliminates any toilet smell. If properly installed the system is very low maintenance. The ones that have issues seem to be the ones where people were trying to save money and connecting 2 or 3 toilets to one suction unit instead of having one per toilet. If I were you, I would just fix what you've got.

 

[Bob Bradley]

Good point. I replaced the original head on my last boat, a '79 43C, with an Atlantes Freedom head. I wound up replacing the computer control inside of it 3 times before I just wired around it and used the original flush button along with a double throw switch that I added. I guess that computers shouldn't control toilets.

 

[Captain Ralph]

I guess that computers shouldn't control toilets.

I really think the old Crown heads are the best single push button unit ever made. Our 43 year old Bert still has them.