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07-11-2017, 18:40
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#16
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by rwidman
Yes, you can use Peggie's trick but since you actually live on the boat, it might pay to invest in a proper fresh water flush toilet and be done with the problem forever.
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It may not be all that expensive either, I first did the fresh head conversion, but my wife some how could still almost clog the thing.
Rather than fight with her about that I then converted to a macerating toilet that is fresh water flush.
I swear that thing could eat news print.
Yes it of course increases fresh water consumption, but after charging all my head hoses and a new black water tank, there is no more smell with my heads than there is in a house.
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07-11-2017, 20:44
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Des Moines and the Lesser Antilles
Boat: PDQ 44i
Posts: 290
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
The stink is usually anaerobic bacteria growing in head, hoses, holding tank. Google anaerobic and aerobic bacteria to get a basic understanding of the microbiology involved.
Your head won't stink if you do most or all of these things, viz.:
flush with fresh water or gray water. not sea water. Pour it into the bowl through the hole you sit on and use plenty of it to clear the hoses. Dish water, rain water, bath water, transom shower rinse water are all better flush water than sea water.
Some people flush their TP and some put it into a plastic bag and take it ashore with the trash. What ever you do, don't leave soiled TP in the head compartment. Get it into the going-ashore trash right away.
Rig a 12V bait tank aerator to pump fresh air into the top of your holding tank. This encourages growth of aerobic bacteria that don't stink, and the aerobes prevent the growth of anaerobes that do stink.
Rig a piece of PVC pipe full of activated charcoal as a scrubber for your holding tank air vent. Cobble it up with parts from a home store. Fresh air should be pumped in and then the tank air scrubbed and discharged constantly. There will be no stink if you do this. Change the activated charcoal a couple of times a year.
You can add chemicals to your tank if you wish, but the above measures are the essence of an odorless head.
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08-11-2017, 05:52
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: New Orleans
Boat: 1973 Gulfstar 43 trawler, 1979 Endeavour 37 A plan
Posts: 63
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
I believe I learned this from Peggy, but we put bromine tablets into the strainer and that does the trick for a couple months. You can tell when the tablets need replaced because it'll start smelling again. The bromine does not attack rubber like chlorine does. YMMV, but that was an easy fix for us and has made my wife happy for the last 7 years of living aboard
__________________
John
Boatingmadeez.com
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08-11-2017, 07:13
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Australia
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 4,578
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot
It may not be all that expensive either, I first did the fresh head conversion, but my wife some how could still almost clog the thing.
Rather than fight with her about that I then converted to a macerating toilet that is fresh water flush.
I swear that thing could eat news print.
Yes it of course increases fresh water consumption, but after charging all my head hoses and a new black water tank, there is no more smell with my heads than there is in a house.
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Don't let her eat nuts! Macerators and nuts don't mix, I know, my girlfriend likes nuts.
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08-11-2017, 11:45
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#20
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: puget sound washington
Boat: 1968 Islander bahama 24 hull 182, 1963 columbia 29 defender. hull # 60
Posts: 12,159
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Composting head all the way eliminates all the issues that can come up with a more traditional head.
No need to have 2 holes in the hull that may start leaking , no hoses to get permiated with stinky poo and need replacement, no holding tank to need pumped and take up valuable stowage space. No wye valve to switch when entering or leaving ports, no flushing toilet and all the associated stinky maintenance , no more joker valves to replace, and best of all no more clearing a clog at 3 am in a heavy seaway.
__________________
Non illigitamus carborundum
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09-11-2017, 06:16
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#21
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: North Charleston, SC
Boat: Camano Troll
Posts: 5,176
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by newhaul
Composting head all the way eliminates all the issues that can come up with a more traditional head.
No need to have 2 holes in the hull that may start leaking , no hoses to get permiated with stinky poo and need replacement, no holding tank to need pumped and take up valuable stowage space. No wye valve to switch when entering or leaving ports, no flushing toilet and all the associated stinky maintenance , no more joker valves to replace, and best of all no more clearing a clog at 3 am in a heavy seaway.
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Fine if you like emptying your litter box.
"Composting" is not entirely accurate and intentionally misleading. It takes time for poop to compost so unless you have two on your boat, there will always be some fresh poop in the "compost".
I've noticed that new boats typically have traditional toilets on them. I suspect there's a reason.
The issues you mention above with traditional heads aren't really a problem for most of us.
__________________
Ron
HIGH COTTON
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09-11-2017, 06:42
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#22
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: puget sound washington
Boat: 1968 Islander bahama 24 hull 182, 1963 columbia 29 defender. hull # 60
Posts: 12,159
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by rwidman
Fine if you like emptying your litter box.
"Composting" is not entirely accurate and intentionally misleading. It takes time for poop to compost so unless you have two on your boat, there will always be some fresh poop in the "compost".
I've noticed that new boats typically have traditional toilets on them. I suspect there's a reason.
The issues you mention above with traditional heads aren't really a problem for most of us.
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the term composting is not misleading . The toilet is just one part of a system .
Just like your toilet is just part of the sewage treatment system.
Big difference is when your tank is full you have to deal with it immediately.
With a composter ( if you prefer desiccating) toilet you have much more flexibility as to when you deal with your deposits.
I do have two compost holding containers on my boat . It also allows me to just empty compost about every 5 or 6 months ( just me on the boat.)
__________________
Non illigitamus carborundum
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09-11-2017, 08:25
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#23
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Morro Bay, CA
Boat: Herreshoff 28 modified ketch- wood
Posts: 379
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
What Newhaul says.
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20-11-2017, 07:49
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#24
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 54
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by newhaul
Composting head all the way eliminates all the issues that can come up with a more traditional head.
No need to have 2 holes in the hull that may start leaking , no hoses to get permiated with stinky poo and need replacement, no holding tank to need pumped and take up valuable stowage space. No wye valve to switch when entering or leaving ports, no flushing toilet and all the associated stinky maintenance , no more joker valves to replace, and best of all no more clearing a clog at 3 am in a heavy seaway.
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@peghall
Peggy, what’s your take on composting toilets for marine usage?
__________________
"There's nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats." -- River Rat, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
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20-11-2017, 09:52
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#25
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,018
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffH
@peghall
Peggy, what’s your take on composting toilets for marine usage?
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Those who have 'em have become a cult, true believers who are as committed to making as many converts as the most dedicated Jehovah's Witnesses are! To them I say, whatever floats YOUR boat for YOU is fine with me.
But I'm not a fan. Except for a couple of versions that are actually just litter boxes, they're a very expensive way to avoid the minimal maintenance that easily prevents 99.9% of problems with traditional systems if the system is installed correctly.
To each his own.
Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein
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20-11-2017, 12:20
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#26
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southport, NC
Boat: Pearson 367 cutter, 36'
Posts: 657
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
What NewHaul says.
It's not a cult, sorry. It's just a whole lot easier and cheaper.
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20-11-2017, 15:33
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#27
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cat herder, extreme blacksheep
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
i have found the folks who have reeky heads donot know how to use em. must flush many gallons of water thru every couple of days. not enough water thru , peeyooo.
also--for closed systems, odorlos enzyme additive. is only thing not skanky in holding tank. out in open ocean use vinegar--just donot mix with odorlos as it will kill enzyme. enzyme is awesome for no skank whatsoever.
do learn how to use a proper marine head.
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20-11-2017, 16:26
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#28
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Miami Florida
Boat: Ellis Flybridge 28
Posts: 4,058
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
I've always thought composting toilets would be greatly improved if you used clumping kitty litter in them. Then you can poop and pee in the same container.
__________________
Retired from Hopkins-Carter Marine Supplies
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20-11-2017, 16:30
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#29
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by HopCar
I've always thought composting toilets would be greatly improved if you used clumping kitty litter in them. Then you can poop and pee in the same container.
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You know I hadn’t thought about that before, but if they are so good, why not use a composting head for a cat litter box?
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20-11-2017, 16:41
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#30
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007
Boat: TRT 1200
Posts: 7,271
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Re: The odoriferous marine toilet...
I have found that 99% of the people who dislike composting heads have never owned one and 99% of the people who own composting heads have owned the traditional marine head and prefer composters, speaks volumes I believe. We are not a cult just trying to educate that their is another viable option.
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