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Old 25-08-2012, 11:02   #91
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

Thanks for the info, guys! I definitely think upgrades in the head will be good investments for my liveaboard experience.
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Old 26-08-2012, 12:16   #92
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Originally Posted by lorenzo b
My 2c
Jabsco electric are great
if you jamb it up, reverse the wires to run the motor backwards for just a second
do not put anything in the toilet other than what comes out of your body
do not use toilet paper, wash yourself with a small spray on a hose [ imagine how pleasant it would be if instead of bathing people would just wipe themselves with a piece of dry paper once or twice a day ]
plumb your toilet directly to a large holding tank and pump out only where appropriate
Hey, Lorenzo! My wife and I got a chuckle reading your note, I love your cavalier attitude to 'just take of business'. My wife suggested a bidet......
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Old 26-08-2012, 12:48   #93
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Originally Posted by Dockhead

Ooooh, lots of reasons:

1. Because hand pumping (at least the Jabsco type) can break your bloody arm.
2. Because no one ever pumps enough by hand to get everything through a high antisiphon break if they have to do it by hand, and leaving pee standing in the pipes causes calcium deposits, and leaving any waste in the pipes eventually causes stink.
3. Because maceration reduces the likelihood of clogs.
4. Because reducing the likelihood of clogs is really important if you have non-sailors on board on a regular basis like I do.
5. Because macerated waste is more easily absorbed by the environment.

Running a bit of wire is a very, very small price to pay for all of these advantages.

Just electrified the forward head in our boat -- and praising the lord every day. In my opinion, electrified toilets are a watershed of civilization on board, kind of like pressure water systems.
Hey Dockhead, I like your attitude. My wife & I are going to live aboard in a few years when I retire, so I'm trying to learn everything I can to be as prepared as possible. An electric macerated head can be plumbed directly overboard?. I don't want to have depend on getting to a dock to pump out. Does that seem like the best option in your opinion? Thanks a bunch.
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Old 26-08-2012, 14:55   #94
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Originally Posted by Scott Berg
Disclaimer: I used to sell and install heads, lots of them. After fixing and installing probably every model ever made we have standardized on three.

Manual: Lavac... period. If you can find one and repair parts the Skipper from W/C was amazing but with no rebuild parts it's Lavac. If you must have electric plumb a Sealand T pump in series with the Henderson pump and install a button

Electric:

Vacuflush: if you have the room; amazingly effective and use very little flushing water, perfect for holding tanks

Raritan Marine Elegance: As noted, this is a well designed, flexible installation with a powerful flush engine and can be either salt or fresh water flush. It is easy to maintain and the electric control panel saves a LOT of water.

We've found these three to be the best of breed and have many happy customers... Our boat has a Vacuflush and a Lavac; both see daily duty and do what a head should do <grin>

YMMV but the Marine Elegance, especially for the money, is very hard to beat

Scott
Scott, you sound like the guy to talk to. Had two vessels in the CA delta, always hassling with trying to find a pump out. I didn't realize that I could have direct discharged. So we're gonna be back there living aboard in a few years. Does the Marine Elegance have a built-in macerator? I'd be interested in installing a Y system to either pump into holding tank or direct discharge. I would also have a macerator for the holding tank to a direct discharge, also. What's your suggestion for the best way to do this? The other thing I was considering was to plumb both heads into a Sani-flush or Lectra-San......
I appreciate your thoughts,
Jim'N'I III
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Old 28-08-2012, 19:25   #95
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

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Originally Posted by jmcdboater View Post
Hey Dockhead, I like your attitude. My wife & I are going to live aboard in a few years when I retire, so I'm trying to learn everything I can to be as prepared as possible. An electric macerated head can be plumbed directly overboard?. I don't want to have depend on getting to a dock to pump out. Does that seem like the best option in your opinion? Thanks a bunch.
Really?!?!
If you and your wife are going to live aboard as my wife and I do...get a composting toilet!!!!!!
We have a Natures Head and we'll never go back. No pump out to worry about ever again.
Awesome.
Not to mention you won't be like a mini 3rd world country that thinks it's okay to pollute our oceans with your sewage.
If you don't think it is...dump a pail of feces in your neighbors pool and see if they think it's ok to swim in because it's diluted.
Composting toilet my friend...no negatives!!!
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Old 28-08-2012, 19:38   #96
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

OK, down to the brass tacks..... I helped a friend I stall a composting toilet in his hunting cabin, and then maintain it. Really nice as far as odors, VERY impressed. But, and I'm admitting openly that I know very little about these, big bags of compost to dump in the thing??? Too much storage on a vessel this size.... I'm sensitive about the environment, but life is full of limitations and this may be a limitation that just isn't realistic.
Heads aside, I do appreciate your reply, I enjoy sharing knowledge.
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Old 28-08-2012, 19:47   #97
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

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Originally Posted by Mule View Post
My experience exactly..Nature Head is the answer if you live aboard and are alone most of the time, male and generally pee overboard. That is the max I would deal with. A weekender with more than one is OK for a NH but beyond that I will pass. I sold mine a few weeks back, bit the bullet and bought a raritan for over a thousand bucks and still have that much to go + for the electro scan, holding tank and hose, so obviously I feel rather strongly about it, but I do live aboard.
Now that the NH is gone I have for sale all 4 portlights for a MK1, a 107 gpm 11amp 120volt electric submersible pump. More stuff keeps popping up, stay tuned as the refit continues.
We cruise the Great Lakes. Total zero discharge. Treatment systems are forbidden. We installed the Airhead specifically for our cruise area. We did 3-1/2 weeks (1200 nm) in the Canadian NORTH CHANNEL where it is normal to have also TOTAL Zero pump-out options. I found that it is important to use the recommended filler material to maximize the time between service. Two of us aboard necessitated about a two-week service interval using only dry leaves and peat from the forest as filler. Clean out is a dinghy ride with the base and a spade to bury in the woods. A bit tedious but way better than a full holding tank at anchor in a place you don't want to leave. There are two other heads on the boat. Both are vacuflush. One is to a holding tank or direct out and the other is direct discharge. Both discharges are locked. I find the Airhead easier to manage in this zone.
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Old 28-08-2012, 20:07   #98
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

We live on Lake Ontario. Pumpout during winter months can be tense to say the least. As Nicholson says...zero pumping overboard (which should be the standard Round the world if you ask me).
The clincher for going to the Natures Head was the wife. She is sooo happy with it and that's what matters. If you can get the wife happy enough to live aboard year round...and she's ok with the composting toilet...how can you go wrong?!?
I'm probably going to replace my 2nd Jabsco with another Natures Head and get rid of those bloody holding tanks.
Great place for a battery bank to have hooked up to a wind turbine and solar panel if you ask me!!! ;-)
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Old 28-08-2012, 21:34   #99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EighthWonder

Really?!?!
If you and your wife are going to live aboard as my wife and I do...get a composting toilet!!!!!!
We have a Natures Head and we'll never go back. No pump out to worry about ever again.
Awesome.
Not to mention you won't be like a mini 3rd world country that thinks it's okay to pollute our oceans with your sewage.
If you don't think it is...dump a pail of feces in your neighbors pool and see if they think it's ok to swim in because it's diluted.
Composting toilet my friend...no negatives!!!
Millions of fish poop in the ocean every day.
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Old 29-08-2012, 15:04   #100
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmcdboater View Post
OK, down to the brass tacks..... I helped a friend I stall a composting toilet in his hunting cabin, and then maintain it. Really nice as far as odors, VERY impressed. But, and I'm admitting openly that I know very little about these, big bags of compost to dump in the thing??? Too much storage on a vessel this size.... I'm sensitive about the environment, but life is full of limitations and this may be a limitation that just isn't realistic.
Heads aside, I do appreciate your reply, I enjoy sharing knowledge.
Coir bricks, available in hardware stores, garden supply and hydroponics or where worm box supplies are sold.

Neat, compact, biodegradable, renewable, cheap. Bricks fit in any old space until you need them. Wet them to unshrink them and you are good to go.
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Old 29-08-2012, 15:38   #101
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

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Originally Posted by RunningRabbit View Post
The boat I am most likely getting currently has a manual Jabsco installed and a 13 gallon holding tank... I'm a little worried about how frequently I'd need pump out (even with using the marina facilities frequently) and with a manual system, since I will definitely have guests aboard. I like KISS, few-moving-parts-to-break concepts, but the disposal of compost is not realistic for me.

Any thoughts/tips on how often a 13 gallon tank would need pumped out for a single liveaboard? Any thoughts/tips on whether I'd get more bang for my buck upgrading to a larger holding tank or a new head first, insofar as I'm on a budget?

If I stuck with manual but upgraded, I'm thinking the Lavac seemed to be a simple, vacuum system and well-reviewed. However, I would likely prefer the convenience of electric. I have never used a manual system, so--like my guests--I worry about "user error."

I'm seeing some different model numbers on the Raritan SeaEra electric... Rebel Heart: do you happen to have the model number you would share? HopCar: PM a quote if you have a chance.
I've had a Lavac since the mid 1990's so I consider myself pretty familiar with the toilet. As for user error, I've wondered about that myself. When I spotted a Lavac on a charter boat that had many non-sailing guests, I asked the captain if he had problems with guests messing it up. To my surprise he said no.

Keep in mind that if you have a guest who isn't very saavy, you can just have them pour water and pump. On our boat we flush with fresh water unless we're on a passage so we don't use the vacuum at the dock. We just have a shower spigot on a hose. Works like a charm and fresh water is so much easier on the system.

Another thing you can do is tee the intake into the sink drain, fill the sink and use that to flush. You have to close the seacock for the sink drain of course.
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Old 29-08-2012, 16:11   #102
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

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I bought one of jabsco new computer flush heads at west marine Looked great in the store It is plastic on the outside porclein on the inside Very quiet Problem is when flushin I spits back at the end of cycle kinda gross when flushing solids Anybody else have experience with this?
Spoke with a jabsco today He said that early model of that head did that ( purchased in jan) He is sending me a complete new head no cost
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Old 29-08-2012, 16:19   #103
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

AirHead or other composting toilet for me, but if you have to have a flusher/holding tank/slash plumbing, the Lavac is definitely the way to go. The toilet itself is basically foolproof. Set it up so that the separate pump is easily cleaned and accessible, because you will occasionally have to do so.
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Old 03-09-2012, 19:04   #104
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Re: The Best Marine Toilet

Just updated our blog with our opinion/review of the natures head, definitely not for us, now looking to buy the raritan marine elegance and go back to the holding tank...
**** Happens – A Nature’s Head composting toilet review! | searavensailing
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Old 03-09-2012, 20:05   #105
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I had a lavac, then a natures head composting, and now have a raritan seaera electric. Only had it a few weeks but so far, so good. With a wet system half the problem is the hoses and holding tank so those need to really not be afterthoughts.
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