Head that is easy for kids to flush?

[peghall]

It's important to always add water to the bowl ahead of solids--at least a quart/liter MAYBE two, but a bowlful is waaaaay overkill. To get an idea of how much, pay attention to the level in the bowl any time you use a toilet on land. Doing that leaves the bowl clean with far less flushing. A single full bowl after use is all you should need...3 just wastes fresh water. Again, check the bowl to see how clean it is next time you use a toilet on land. If your toilet isn't designed to bring in water and hold it in the bowl, use a cup from the sink..

Adding water to the bowl with the shower head only rinses the bowl and toilet discharge line...the water would have to recirculate--something you definitely DON'T want to happen--to rinse out the intake line, channel in the rim of the bowl and the pump. A slight modification the sea water toilet's plumbing provides a very easy way to rinse all the sea water out of the entire system as often as you like: reroute the toilet intake line to tee into the head sink drain line. The tee needs to be below waterline, as close to the seacock as possible...this allows you to continue flushing with sea water. To rinse the sea water out of the entire system, close the sink drain seacock, fill the sink with CLEAN (never use gray water) fresh water...flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed the toilet will pull the water out of the sink. Adding a cupful of distilled white vinegar to the water in the sink at least once a week will also prevent sea water mineral buildup in the plumbing and bowl--something else that just putting it in the bowl and flushing can't do. The ability to flush with water from the sink also makes winterizing very easy: just pour the antifreeze down the sink--with the drain seacock closed of course--and flush.

All that said, it does require that the head sink be on the same side of the keel as the toilet and that its drain thru-hull be below the waterline.

--Peggie

[Neziak]

Originally Posted by peghall

It's important to always add water to the bowl ahead of solids--at least a quart/liter MAYBE two, but a bowlful is waaaaay overkill. To get an idea of how much, pay attention to the level in the bowl any time you use a toilet on land. Doing that leaves the bowl clean with far less flushing. A single full bowl after use is all you should need...3 just wastes fresh water. Again, check the bowl to see how clean it is next time you use a toilet on land. If your toilet isn't designed to bring in water and hold it in the bowl, use a cup from the sink..

Adding water to the bowl with the shower head only rinses the bowl and toilet discharge line...the water would have to recirculate--something you definitely DON'T want to happen--to rinse out the intake line, channel in the rim of the bowl and the pump. A slight modification the sea water toilet's plumbing provides a very easy way to rinse all the sea water out of the entire system as often as you like: reroute the toilet intake line to tee into the head sink drain line. The tee needs to be below waterline, as close to the seacock as possible...this allows you to continue flushing with sea water. To rinse the sea water out of the entire system, close the sink drain seacock, fill the sink with CLEAN (never use gray water) fresh water...flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed the toilet will pull the water out of the sink. Adding a cupful of distilled white vinegar to the water in the sink at least once a week will also prevent sea water mineral buildup in the plumbing and bowl--something else that just putting it in the bowl and flushing can't do. The ability to flush with water from the sink also makes winterizing very easy: just pour the antifreeze down the sink--with the drain seacock closed of course--and flush.

All that said, it does require that the head sink be on the same side of the keel as the toilet and that its drain thru-hull be below the waterline.

--Peggie

“A single full bowl after use is all you should need...3 just wastes fresh water.”

Depends on how long your discharge pipe is. Our aim is to not leave any solids in the thinner pipe between the head and the tank where blockage is most likely to occur. 4m of 1.5” tubing is just over 4.5 litres of water which is just under 3 bowl flushes of around 3/4 full. Thereafter it goes into the tank and gravity feeds to a wider pipe so less concerned about blockage.

“Adding water to the bowl with the shower head only rinses the bowl and toilet discharge line...”

Our aim of flushing fresh water down a salt head is to prevent scaling in the most vulnerable part of our system - the thinner pipe between the head and the tank. Urine + saltwater = scaling + smell. As there should be no urine upstream of the bowl, we don’t see the need to rinse.

We carry 1000l of water so we don’t mind wasting small amount to minimise the risk of having to do an unpleasant unblocking job, which I am sure will happen to us one day, however careful we are!

Any thoughts on the solenoid Peggy?

[peghall]

Our aim of flushing fresh water down a salt head is to prevent scaling in the most vulnerable part of our system - the thinner pipe between the head and the tank. Urine + saltwater = scaling + smell.

A weekly dose of vinegar flushed through to the tank once a week, followed by a bowlful of FRESH water after 45-60 minutes will prevent any scaling in the discharge line.

As there should be no urine upstream of the bowl, we don’t see the need to rinse.

If urine were the only source of odor in sea water toilets, you'd only need to flush once daily with a bowlful of fresh water. But it's actually the micro- and not so micro-organisms in sea water that die and decay in the INLET side of the toilet that create odor when you flush the toilet after it's sat awhile...and it's also the sea water calcium carbonates, salt and other minerals in sea water that can buildup in the inlet side of the toilet, reducing hose diameter and blocking the holes in the rim of the bowl and encrusting the rubber parts in the pump. Water poured into the bowl only goes through the bottom of the pump. All the care in the world won't prevent problems if it isn't care that can prevent them.

Any thoughts on the solenoid Peggy?

Jabsco solenoids have short lifespans...so I'd replace it to see if that cures the problem. If it does, before tossing out the old one I'd inspect carefully to see if there's any hard water mineral build up in it that's preventing from working as it should. If there is, clean and keep as a spare.


--Peggie

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by peghall

(never use gray water) fresh water...flush the toilet.
--Peggie

Hi Peggie
What is the danger of using Grey Water to flush out toilet?

I have a Tecma and on occasion after a shower with basin I would flush the soapy water down the toilet.
Always thought that would help clean the plumbing

[peghall]

Gray water isn't just soapy...and even that isn't good for the rubber parts in marine toilets unless you only use something comparable to dishwashing liquid 'cuz most bath and face soaps have fats and/or moisturizing ingredients in 'em. It's also full of everything you wash off your face and body...sweat, body oils, dirt, maybe makeup--all the stuff that clogs up shower sumps and causes 'em to stink, none of which is good for toilet pumps.


--Peggie

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by peghall

Gray water isn't just soapy...and even that isn't good for the rubber parts in marine toilets unless you only use something comparable to dishwashing liquid 'cuz most bath and face soaps have fats and/or moisturizing ingredients in 'em. It's also full of everything you wash off your face and body...sweat, body oils, dirt, maybe makeup--all the stuff that clogs up shower sumps and causes 'em to stink, none of which is good for toilet pumps.


--Peggie

Thanks Peggie, I always thought that my idea with cleaning agents in the grey water "helped" to keep the hoses clean.

Our shower sump is low, right at the turn of the bilge with a long run to diaphragm pump for discharge.

Some Grey Water would sit in that hose section and smell, so I got into the habit of standing in a basin when washing and direct discharging via the toilet the soapy water.. ..always followed by a fresh water flush so the toilet never smelled.

My final shower rinse cycle went via the grey water pump and that cut down dramatically on the sump smell.

Have been doing that for 12 years and the Tecma toilet has never given me a problem.

During refit in 2016 I removed hoses to run additional fresh water plumbing to stern and was amazed at how clean and supple toilet discharge hose was. Did not need to clean.

Now I'm a bit worried as I have no spare parts for Tecma Sikence. I'm in a good place to pick up spares, what would you suggest?

[peghall]

Only thing I'd recommend is a rebuild kit. You might ask Thetford (they own Tecma) for any other recommendations.


--Peggie

[oval333]

We have a composting toilet set up which uses peat moss, not water. Odor free, and environmentally friendly. Easy for children and adults to use.

[sailingunity]

Originally Posted by oval333

We have a composting toilet set up which uses peat moss, not water. Odor free, and environmentally friendly. Easy for children and adults to use.

We've actually given this option some serious thought, but remains to be seen if we can fit it in our head.

[mtompson]

I have to recommend a composting loo, we have a Natures head. We have 3 kids, we liveaboard full-time and have no problems, next to no smell, its great, I wouldn't have believed it, but after more than a year, very happy.

[Jimmyhenry]

We have used the TMC basic electric toilets for the last 30 years. Never had a blockage. Simple to use. Just hold down the button. I have tried to block them by stuffing in too much toilet paper.
Downside they do not like tampons or handy towels. We have a sign saying everything going in must have been eaten. Or TOILET paper.
TMC basic cost around $NZ400.00
Bullet proof.

[Boater Brad]

I put two Raritan Marine Elegance toilets in our boat a couple years ago and my wife and guests could not be happier. It looks like a real toilet and the electronic controls make it easy and functional. Possibly the best upgrade we ever made to our old 1986 boat. The only downside is that people are so happy using it that we have to do pump-outs more often, but it sure beats running to the shore potty due to "head fear"!

[RSH]

Originally Posted by Boater Brad

I put two Raritan Marine Elegance toilets in our boat a couple years ago and my wife and guests could not be happier. It looks like a real toilet and the electronic controls make it easy and functional. Possibly the best upgrade we ever made to our old 1986 boat. The only downside is that people are so happy using it that we have to do pump-outs more often, but it sure beats running to the shore potty due to "head fear"!

We're putting two of those in our boat. I wanted to do it as soon as we bought it last November, but my husband wanted to wait and live with the boat as is for a while before we prioritized changes. I agree that this is a wise course of action, but my nose was like, do it now, man! We don't live on it, so I can be patient.

He agrees that the Jabsco toilets are a total PITA and we have toilets now #1 on the list. Followed closely by aircon.