New Toilet from Raritan- PH SuperFlush

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by peghall

I THINK Groco offers a household size bowl to fit the HF...it's worth asking.
410-604-3800.

Thanks. Called them a few minutes ago but they were in a meeting or something. From past experience I can say that Groco, in addition to making good products (through hulls and more as well as the toilets) has good customer service.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by skipmac

It's not really an issue as far as getting a head with different bolt patterns secured, it's cosmetic. Sure you can fill the old holes with whatever if the new holes don't line up but then, unless you're really lucky and the old holes are hidden by the new installation, you have obviously patched places where the old holes were filled.

I guess I could sand and paint the whole area (pun intended) or try to match the gelcoat where the old holes show but it is a lot easier if you don't have to make new holes.

The PHII has a skirt around it, hides everything. I think the new one does, too, IIRC from seeing the Raritan website the other day. NOT an issue at all, unless you're on your hands & knees in the head scouting out those so important kinda details.

[peghall]

It's not really an issue as far as getting a head with different bolt patterns secured, it's cosmetic. Sure you can fill the old holes with whatever if the new holes don't line up but then, unless you're really lucky and the old holes are hidden by the new installation, you have obviously patched places where the old holes were filled.

If you can't match the gelcoat with a little touchup paint, make a nice teak, mahogany or even polypropylene "tile" to set the toilet on that covers any extra holes too. If the toilet sits on a raised step, cover the entire step. Of course you'd have to drill holes in it to match up with the holes in head sole.

[pitlaw]

Just had a new Super Flush installed. It replaced an old Wilcox - crit. The holes didn't match but filling and drilling was no problem. It works so much better and it has the household bowl which is worth the price of admission. The bigger problem was removing and replacing 6' of old, nasty discharge hose which I highly recommend. This may be one of the more satisfying upgrades you can make!

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by HopCar

It's been a long time since I've seen a Brydon Boy but I don't think the mounting holes are the same. Peggie will probably know for sure. At some point Jabsco made major changes to the base and I think they had to move the mounting holes. You should be able to salvage the bowl which will save you a few bucks.

Originally Posted by Peg Hall

The Brydon Boy was a Canadian version of the Par/Jabsco manual toilet, made under a licensing agreement with Jabsco. Brydon went out of business in the early '80s. Jabsco continued to support it--and the Mansfield/SeaLand 751 & 752 manual toilets, also discontinued in the early-to mid '80s--with a "universal" service kit. They discontinued it in the early '90s.

No...the mounting bolt patterns for the current Jabsco manual will not fit the Brydon....they don't fit most, if any, of the previous Jabsco manual toilets either. So the new Raritan manuals won't fit your existing pattern either. However, filling the existing holes and drilling new ones is a fairly easy job.

There are only two U.S. toilet mfrs left who build equipment that isn't "disposable"...purposely designed and mfr'd to last only a few years...Groco and Raritan. Wilcox-Crittenden is gone...and Jabsco now makes everything in Mexico using parts and components sourced from China and other offshore countries. Which doesn't really make 'em any different from most of the mfr's of everything else these days.

Hop/Peg--

Thanks for your responses. I suspected as much vis-a-vis the bolt hole pattern but I thought I'd ask. Frankly, I cannot complain about our heads as 30+ years is a pretty good run. Hop, I'll contact you in "Real Time" concerning a Raritan Kit so we can keep the old bowel et al. For the sake of a "clean install", I'll fill the old bolt holes and have a piece of 1/4" starboard cut to match the platform the head is mounted on as a base under the new head kit. Another 1/4" of height won't be noticeable but will make a tidy install.

svHyLyte...

[JD-MDR]

Does anyone know How much the Raritan PH Superflush cost? I can't find the price. I'm replacing my jabsco now. I tried installing a used one I bought from a neighbor But after I installed it I noticed it had the same problems - cracked at the mount brackets and it leaks. I hate that. I had to drill a hole under to access the bolts. I want a new mount bracket as well

[a64pilot]

Look at the "fresh head" before you buy, I converted my 30 yr old PHII's to fresh heads as soon as that kit became available, and I do not want to go back, fresh water flush has completely eliminated head odors for us, and the bowl stays cleaner, longer.

[ErikFinn]

Originally Posted by JD-MDR

Does anyone know How much the Raritan PH Superflush cost? I can't find the price. I'm replacing my jabsco now. I tried installing a used one I bought from a neighbor But after I installed it I noticed it had the same problems - cracked at the mount brackets and it leaks. I hate that. I had to drill a hole under to access the bolts. I want a new mount bracket as well

Raritan Marine Products

[peghall]

Does anyone know How much the Raritan PH Superflush cost? I can't find the price.

Defender has it for for $295. Defender.com Search Results: ph superflush

Ask HopCar (who started this thread...he owns Hopkins-Carter marine and is a major supporter of this forum) for a quote...his will be very close to that.

I had to drill a hole under to access the bolts. I want a new mount bracket as well[/QUOTE]

You shouldn't have had to drill any holes to access anything. Marine toilets don't have mounting "brackets"...the base is bolted down using lag bolts (no nuts, just back out the bolts), the pump and the bowl are bolted to the base. The new toilet will come with installation instructions...'twould be a good idea to read and follow 'em.

[peghall]

Originally Posted by Sailgirl58

Is it possible to change from the sea water SeaEra to freshwater SeaEra? Would it be difficult?

You'd have to replace the sea water "lower unit" (everything south of the bowl) with the pressurized fresh water version...see the SeaEra "conversion" here: SeaEra Conversion Kit Not difficult at all...just follow the instructions.

[peghall]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Look at the "fresh head" before you buy, I converted my 30 yr old PHII's to fresh heads as soon as that kit became available, and I do not want to go back, fresh water flush has completely eliminated head odors for us, and the bowl stays cleaner, longer.

The Fresh Head FRESH_HEAD Promo Sheet is definitely a very cool toilet...the only MANUAL toilet designed to be connected to the onboard potable water supply. However, unless you carry enough fresh water to have enough to spare for toilet flushing, are a coastal cruiser who can fill up your water tanks easily, or have a watermaker, it may not be the best choice.

[a64pilot]

Peg,
I have already obligated us to a watermaker, but if you needed to ration water, I see no reason why you could take a bucket of sea water to flush a fresh head with? Not the most convenient thing obviously, but if water supply is short, why not?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Peg,
I have already obligated us to a watermaker, but if you needed to ration water, I see no reason why you could take a bucket of sea water to flush a fresh head with? Not the most convenient thing obviously, but if water supply is short, why not?

I have the same question.

Alternatively, if you already have a sea water flush toilet why can't you use a bucket or hand shower on a hose to pour fresh water from the tank into the bowl for flushing?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I have the same question.

Alternatively, if you already have a sea water flush toilet why can't you use a bucket or hand shower on a hose to pour fresh water from the tank into the bowl for flushing?

A "normal" head's pump is actually two pumps, one pumps out the head, the other one pumps water into the head. I believe that long term use of just using the one to pump out the head will wear out the other half of the pump, Peggy will clarify.

The "Fresh Head" is different though, it has only one pump. A rather simple diaphragm pump pumps out the head, water is added through a manually operated lever valve that adds fresh water from your pressurized fresh water supply, so if you dumped water from another source into a Fresh Head it won't harm it over time as all it does is pump out.
Having only one pump and it a diaphragm pump makes pumping much easier, but you only pump anything on the down stroke, the upstroke fill the pump

[peghall]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Peg,
I have already obligated us to a watermaker, but if you needed to ration water, I see no reason why you could take a bucket of sea water to flush a fresh head with? Not the most convenient thing obviously, but if water supply is short, why not?

Not a reason in the world why you shouldn't do that, even if the toilet is a VacuFlush. Unfortunately, it never occurs to many boat owners to do that.

Alternatively, if you already have a sea water flush toilet why can't you use a bucket or hand shower on a hose to pour fresh water from the tank into the bowl for flushing?

That can be a different matter, depending on the type and make/model of the sea water toilet and how often you may want to do that. If it's an electric toilet that has intake impeller, closing the seacock and adding water to the bowl manually will create dry friction heat that will "fry" the impeller if you do that more than very occasionally. It's not that good for the diaphragm intake pump in the SeaEra either. Water just added to the bowl of a manual toilet only goes through the bottom of the pump, leaving the upper half of the pump dry, which isn't good for the seals, gaskets and o-rings in it.

However, a new intake impeller or a toilet rebuild kit isn't THAT expensive. So in an emergency--shallow sandy waters (sand does NOT improve the performance or lifespan of ANY toilet!) or finding yourself in skanky waters that you'd really rather not pull into the toilet, do what works...and pouring water into the bowl from the sink works.