Recommendations for quiet flush electric head?

[deano]

Any user reviews of quiet flush electric heads?

Fresh water vs. salt water?

We are customizing an older Hunter 45 ft with two manual salt water heads and 200 gal fresh water, no long trips planned (yet).

Appreciate any insights.

[Zach]

Raritans are the finest on which my rump has had the pleasure of being perched.

No valves, pumps or anything else. Just hit the lever and it flushes like a household commode.

I would only use fresh water through these things, lots of complex gadgetry inside. The raritans are a bit of a pain to remove and install. They are self contained, with the exception of the water line, waste line, and wiring. Which means that to service you have to unbolt them from the floor and spin them around to access anything. Unless you have a bulkhead you can cut an access hole.

Leave the hoses and such long, as the boat that had them didn't have enough room to get to the hose clamps without hugging the throne. Because they mount flush to the wall, I had a 3 inch gap to work with while standing on my head. (Flexible wire extension on a 1/4 inch ratchet!)

You'll want a ratcheting box wrench for the mounting hardware, as a socket and ratchet threaten the finish of the ceramic.

(Note: Removal was not for operational problems, but for remodeling!)

[deano]

Thank you for the recommendation, which model are you using? Do you have any opinions on the electric treatment system?

[gosstyla]

SeaLand VacuFlush, fresh water - great heads. Had 2 Raritan Electoscans removed one. Now think just holding tanks with "Y" valves for optional direct overboard discharge most convenient.

[James S]

My boat (48 ft ) is heavy (19 ton) with a long, full deep keel/bilge
My wife absolutely hates the rotten egg smell from heads when not used for a couple days.
I have a large black water tank below the water line and both electric heads drain into it…..always.
I can pump this over the side (just above the waterline when at rest) or have it sucked out from a deck fitting.
I am considering installing another tank low in my huge bilge….this tank will supply the electric heads with water on board….
This tank can be filled with fresh water (via dockside / gravity from the two side bilge tanks) when I’m coastal cruising, which is my primary use.
The tank can be filled with sea water (also via gravity) for passages.
I can fill the tank with what ever I want and add what ever.
I can even put in one of those little blue things,...green...a green blue thing, of course!
The “flush supply tank” will not be hard plumbed to the fresh water system so there would be no possibility of cross contamination.

No intake or discharge loops or siphon vents of any kind.
Just tank vents??

[bstreep]

We have 2 Jabscos - they are OK, but still a little noisy for nighttime use. The VacuFlushes are VERY noisy - just like the ones on the airplane. Mamma wouldn't like those...

Both of ours are freshwater plumbed - and that's the way to go unless you are living aboard, and using them all the time. BUT, watch where your freshwater pump is. Even though we have a VSD and it's pretty quiet, it's in our guest cabin and when we have guests, it can be heard in that cabin.

[bobfnbw]

I have a raritan elegance on order thru defender. They are in production now, but none have shipped yet. You can check out how they work on their web site.
I will pair it up with a purasan and holding tank from ronco plactics. Its in my kitchen now waiting all the parts. But I have to rewire first to handle all this extra loads and......

Peggy Hall highlly rates the raritan. She first recomended the sea era for our needs, but the elegance was coming out and seems to be a great head.

[jackiepitts]

We have the Tecma Silence toilet and am very happy with both its performance and quiteness.
They are built in Italy but there are distributors here in the US.
If you are considering a new macerating toilet they would be worth looking at.
Jackie

[CarlF]

Tecma (Easyfit or Silence) or the new Raritan Elegance should be on your short list. They are very similiar. I went back and forth between their two booths at the boat show listening to the flush (yes - I looked and felt like an idiot). In the end, I'm not sure I could name a winner. They were both real quiet - at least with the show background noise.

Both claim to be able to grind up just about anything. Both use comparitively little water. Both claim they can pump farther than the other guy. It seems that the toughest marketing competition in marine equipment are anchors and toilets.

The Elegance (when it ships) is cheaper and has Raritan behind it. Tecma is distributed in the US by Thetford and is very popular on European boats.

Carl