Raritan Electro Scan

[bobconnie]

We have had two of the older units in the past ! worked great ! never a problem in over 10 yrs. Just the abilty to not have to find a pump out or go offshore to dump is great at least to me !If our new boat(when we find it) is a holding tank boat it's the first thing to be replaced with a new MSD of one type or another ! Down here in Louisiana, almost all the houseboats must have a MSD of some type and the electro san-scan work the best ! even a lot of the homes down the Bayou have Modad Systems for sewage treatment ! very little if any discharge of untreated sewage in the Bayous anymore !! Just our 2 cents ! Bob and Connie

[smj]

We had 2 Lectra Sans and had nothing but trouble with them. Since then we have switched to composters and had no trouble.

[peghall]

I'm on your side 100%...but there are a couple of minor points you didn't quite get right:

Although the law only requires that a Type I MSD macerate to "no visible solids" (puree), the discharge is actually so highly diluted that it really can't even be called a slurry, much less sludge. What you'd see if you were under the boat next to the thru-hull when the toilet is flushed is something that looks like skim milk that's been cut about 50-50 with water and had a few grains of instant coffee added.

And unless the EcoNazis have changed course a second time (they tried going after the bacteria till they found out that, while the LAW only requires that a Type I reduce bacteria count to a maximum of 10/100 ml, the LS, PS and ES actually reduce it to <10/100 ml), it's not the suspended particulate matter from a LectraSan they're after...they're convinced--despite incontrovertible proof to the contrary--that if all boats with toilets installed treatment device the BOD (bio-oxygen demand) level would result in entire coastal regions exploding into algae blooms. The FACTS are, the BOD from a LectraSan, ElectroScan or PuraSan is equivalent to that of 4 oak leaves falling off a tree and being washed into the water. But...since the LAW only says "no visible solids," it's entirely possible that they're changing course again.

Type II (for boats 66+' LOA) are a different matter...they have to reduce bacteria count to max of 200/100 ml (which is the federal water quality standard for swimming) and reduce suspended particulate matter to be not greater than 150 milligrams per liter (think, 100 grains of instant coffee in a half cup of water). That's VERY close to potable.

[peghall]

Actually the power consumption looks like a lot more than it is. A draw of 37A is scary, but the actual daily consumption for a cruising couple continuously aboard is less than 20 AH.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by peghall

Actually the power consumption looks like a lot more than it is. A draw of 37A is scary, but the actual daily consumption for a cruising couple continuously aboard is less than 20 AH.

I never could find a runtime per use in their literature. Other than the Cost and still Needing a small holding tank this is looking a little better.

[Geoduck]

Ok - here's one for you!
How about someone coming up with a way to pump poop into an internal combustion engine on the power stroke and burning it in while running?
It would probably be a good source of lubricant and might even boost our fuel economy!!!!

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Geoduck

Ok - here's one for you!
How about someone coming up with a way to pump poop into an internal combustion engine on the power stroke and burning it in while running?
It would probably be a good source of lubricant and might even boost our fuel economy!!!!

Just like water injection on an old radial aircraft engine

[peghall]

It's been done...sort of. About every 10-15 years somebody comes up with an inspiration to use the engine EXHAUST system to remove sewage from the boat. The first ones showed up in in the 70s or 80s in the RV market...and might have worked if it hadn't been for two li'l problems:

The animal fats in waste clogged up catalytic converters....and the ODOR out the exhaust was totally unbearable for the occupants of vehicles following a coach with that system installed, especially going up a long hill.

The idea went dormant just long enough for a couple of Italians to believe they'd thought of it all by themselves in the '90s...they were gonna revolutionize onboard waste disposal in the marine market (for a price that makes an Electrosan a MAJOR bargain!). They too overlooked something important:

It only could work on DRY exhausts...but 95% of boats have wet exhausts, and wet exhausts dont get anywhere NEAR hot enough to do the job. The Italians were forced to go back to earning a living under the Tuscan sun on land.

The latest inventor to ignore the lessons of history is this guy: The ZLD This one even won awards for "innovation." But it seems to followed its predecessors into oblivion.

However, you'd be the first to try to actually try to power an engine with human guano. It wouldn't work, but there could be a little profit from sales of a docu-drama/comedy of your R&D efforts.

[Geoduck]

My full intention in this thread was to instill a little humor on a really shitty subject.......I think I will eat less and drink more while sailing in the future and I believe I'll keep my bucket handy in case all else fails!
Tomorrow is another day - my birthday, in fact!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO ME!!!!(maybe I'll get a new bucket?)

[peghall]

In honor of your birthday, I'm happy share with you these 15 things that it took me YEARS to learn:

1. Never, NEVER... under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. (This one is very important)

7. Never ever... lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice person..
(This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

15. Never be afraid to try something new. .Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

[dandrews]

Peg...truly outstanding words of wisdom! and funny too :-)