What kind of head do I have?

[JiveMiguel]

I have a '92 Formula F36 Express. I just got the keys yesterday, and I'm new to boating (at least to boats that have heads!)

My question is: Do I have a vacuflush or some other kind of head? There are two switches on the panel: one for the head and one for the sanitation system (tells you the status of the black water tank, I think). So I'm pretty sure this indicates a vacuflush head, right? Does it have it's own seacock? The previous owner didn't show me one, but he almost forgot to show me the seacock for the A/C unit! From what I can tell, most valuflush systems get their water from the fresh water tank. Is this correct? If anyone could shed light on this, it would be much appreciated. The wife and I 'held' it last night because I just wasn't sure!

 

[estebanj]

Flush it and if you get a swish and suction sound, it's a Vacu-flush. Is there a pedal on the toilet? Or a manual pump you need to operate? Or a push button?

Normally (always?), Vacuflush toilets get water from the fresh water tank. It then goes to a holding tank for storage until pump out or overboard discharge 3 miles offshore. Look in the bilge and follow the hoses going into the tank.

There should be one large diameter for the pump out deck fitting. There should be a small one for the vent on the side of the boat (it may have a filter in it). And there should be another big one coming from the toilet. If you have overboard discharge, there should be one more large one going to a macerator and through hull with seacock on the bottom of the bilge. This one may be on its own from the tank, or from a Y splitter from the deck pump out one. Also, this seacock may (should) have some type of lock mechanism (cable tie) to keep the seacock "securely" closed.

Esteban

 

[JiveMiguel]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I've determined that it's a Vacuflush that uses water from the fresh system to flush. It does not have a sea cock.