T&T: Vacuflush Cycling

[Scott H.E. Welch]

"Brent Hodges" <vbhodges at gmail.com> writes:
>SeaLand actually makes a small tool just for cleaning that seal. It' a flat 
>plastic piece about the size of a popsicle stick with a small area of 
>abrasive  (more like short velcro) on one side.  They come with new toilets, 
>but can be bought seperately.

A few comments on this thread:

As everyone else has said, the units should not be cycling... at all. If they
are, it's a problem and it must be tracked down.

The best troubleshooting advice is to see whether the bowl is dry. If it's
dry, the leak is in the ball valve at the bottom of the toilet. In every case
where my pumps have cycled, this has been the culprit. If the bowl still has
water, the leak is downstream of the ball valve.

Notwithstanding the cleaning tool from Sealand, the best results I have had
cleaning a leaky ball valve are when I hold the ball valve open with my foot,
and then clean carefully all the way around the inside of the rubber gasket.
I just use paper towel and Sunlight. YOU DO NOT WANT A NICK IN THE SEAL!

This next part may be a bit controversial, we'll see what Peggie has to say
about it. 

I read once long ago that vinegar was good for cleaning heads. And I used to
work in a lab and we had a oily sort of lubricant that we used for O-rings
and other rubber seals. So, I got to thinking that a nice emulsion of vinegar
and vegetable oil would be good to clean and lubricate the rubber parts in my
heads. Fortunately Kraft makes a product that contains exactly these
ingredients and best of all bottle costs about $1.29 in the salad dressing
aisle at your local supermarket. So after cleaning the ball valve I go to the
fridge, find the oldest bottle of salad dressing I have, and pour about a
cupful into the head. Work the ball valve open and closed about 10 times. So
far (4 years) the results have been perfect. 

Finally, I am not keen on replacing the duckbills, so I don't put TP down the
heads. I find if you provide a little stainless-steel trash can right beside
the head you can divert most of it without a hassle. Again, 4 years and no
problems with the duckbills.

YMMV, etc.

Scott Welch
FirstClass Product Manager
www.firstclass.com

Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.