Lectra-Scan waste treatment systems?

[TooCoys]

Originally Posted by Guy

We used one for several years. The first thing to fail was the Ti element, deep inside. That is a very expensive part, several hundred $$$ if I remember. So fun to change too. Then one of the motors quit, Finally the automatic timer system quit. I used it manually for a bit then something else quit. I left next to a garbage can in Belize, it was gone later that day.

How do you know if it's NOT working correctly?

[peghall]

Originally Posted by TooCoys

How do you know if it's NOT working correctly?

Odor is your first clue 'cuz treated waste doesn't create any.

[peghall]

It is certified by the USCG to discharge anywhere...

...Except in waters that have been designated ,NDZ ("no discharge zone") by the EPA and/or state and any private property (i.e marina).

[Tx J]

Used to sometimes work remote radio and comms switching sites, some had the standard outhouse. But other sites used a neat electrical incineration commode called an Incinolet.
Dump, stomp the lever, press the button, and bzzzzzt, all gone in a short time. Can even be used while 'bzzzzzting' (mind the danglers tho ).

I just looked it up and they're still making them, marketed for land or sea.
Pricing is comparable to the better marine heads, including those Lectros I guess (under $2K). They seem to be approved by almost all the authorities.

Installation looks bog simple, and they're quite compact; they look about the same size of a standard head, or a composting head. And with the elimination of all the plumbing and tankage, quite space-saving on net, I think.

Link and pics below.
These units only need 4 inputs, no water or plumbing needed whatsoever.
The inputs are:
1. A disposable liner.
2. Your 'deposit' (and crew's, including pets I guess).
3. Some air.
4. A modest amount of electricity. A 20A 120V (or 240V models) AC circuit, used intermittently for 45-120 minutes per load (per a skim of the downloadable pdf inst manual).
The outputs are just two: waste air vented outside, and some leftover ash (disposed of periodically).

For a smaller boat with limited power, one of these may not work out on the hook (but no prob in a marina w/power), but I'm thinking most mid-to-larger boats have more than enough power available afloat (via inverter or gen) for these Incinolets, especially bigger sailboats, trawlers and powerboats.

I really see no disadvantages to these heads, particularly compared to all the hassles one reads about for the other head types around here (and elsewhere). Maybe a slight odor from the stack?

Just needs one electrical feeder, and a vent stack (technically "plumbing" I guess). How much simpler can it get?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incinerating_toilet

Just think about it, no plumbing, no valves or seacocks, no water, no overboard, no holding tanks, or compost containers/pee buckets. No hassles, about as simple as it gets, probably trouble-free for years, with a little care and good installation practices.

Czech 'em out (Incinolets are made in the US, this method per the Wiki is big in Europe, so probably lots of mfrs). Don't think I've seen them mentioned, but I think I've written of them before (no connection whatsoever, other than using them).
Looks like a great, simple solution for many.

https://incinolet.com/

[model 10]

Originally Posted by TooCoys

How do you know if it's NOT working correctly?

There is the smell and the voltage drop, relay noise, pump noises etc.

[peghall]

Incinolet.
Dump, stomp the lever, press the button, and bzzzzzt, all gone in a short time.

Weeelllll...not quite. It can work in some applications, but not very practical for use on boats. For one thing, they need 120v AC power (some models need 240). For another, the burn time is considerably longer than bzzzzzt. From the owners manual:

"When you push the start button, heater and blower both come on. Heater alternates off and on for 1-1/4 hours. Blower stays on for an additional 10 to 45 minutes. YOU CAN USE INCINOLETANYTIME DURING THE INCINERATIONCYCLE. Push start button after each use."

You can read the complete manual here: http://incinolet.com/wp-content/uplo...let-Manual.pdf

[Tx J]

Originally Posted by peghall

Incinolet.
Dump, stomp the lever, press the button, and bzzzzzt, all gone in a short time.

Weeelllll...not quite. It can work in some applications, but not very practical for use on boats. For one thing, they need 120v AC power (some models need 240). For another, the burn time is considerably longer than bzzzzzt. From the owners manual:

"When you push the start button, heater and blower both come on. Heater alternates off and on for 1-1/4 hours. Blower stays on for an additional 10 to 45 minutes. YOU CAN USE INCINOLETANYTIME DURING THE INCINERATIONCYCLE. Push start button after each use."

You can read the complete manual here: http://incinolet.com/wp-content/uplo...let-Manual.pdf

Weeelll, Peg,
I'll respectfully disagree to some (large) extent.
Most (NA) boats now have 120V AC power, whether from an inverter or genset, and of course shorepower.(Granted, the Incinolets I used before were backed up by mega-KW diesel or Solar gas turbine gensets ;] .)
The "bzzzzttt" was just kidding, although I did mention the cycle time needed, but wrote 45min when the minimum is 75 minutes of burn time, per manual. The blower, which has a longer cycle time, uses a very small amount of power.

Total draw when running/burning is about 15-16 amps/120V, as much as a mid-larger size air conditioning unit, which presumably runs much longer in a 24/7 mode, and consumes more total power by far, over time. Most boats (in the South anyway) have aircon to some degree, of some type. *

Per the manual (which I cited above a little), the power draw is:
"Power Consumption
One complete cycle uses about 1 1/2 to 2 kilowatt hours of electricity. Because you can use INCINOLET any time during
the cycle, your “per use” cost is lower."

A 2KWh/75-120minute cycle isn't a LED reading light draw, but like I mentioned, many boats could handle this intermittent load in most conditions (I would carry a camping porta-potty as a backup anyway).
And the manual describes how multiple back-to-back (or bu..2bu..?) uses will result in a longer run time, but use less power than separated uses. So synchronize...

Per the manual, these units do have some specific operating 'rules', but still far simpler than a wet head, or even a composting one.

On further reading, odor shouldn't ever be a problem, as they use a catalyst (even 'cleanable', like a filter) in the exhaust air stream. The exhaust is a standard 4", I assume metallic, perhaps a SS dryer-type (they don't seem to specify this).

The company's website and lit needs a rework, but there are several models available, one apparently designed specifically for boats (the WB model?). The WB and RV models even come with a mounting floorplate.

Again, if a given boat can supply enough power easily, this looks like a far superior head installation than all those other much more complicated and trouble-prone systems involving all those additional (leaky, smelly) components. No dumping into the water, no pumpouts, no huge holding tank, nada.
Need more power to run one? Think of all the space now available for a few more batteries without a holding tank.
Heck, the head could now have it's own batt bank, with room left over (a house bank and head bank ).

Just use the Incinolet, press the button, and wooofa, some air goes out the stack, and every few days (or week+?), you empty a small ash tray, BFD.

Yeah, I read the mtce in the manual, just a little more to it of course, but compared to the whole forum sections here and elsewhere devoted to thousands of head problems, no contest, IMO. An electrical connection and a vent, that's it. (I would put a cutoff breaker right next to it, just for safety)

In using these Incinolets long ago, never encountered any need for maintenance, just look out for the rattlers, ants, scorpions, etc. (and one of my grandparents had a standard outhouse at the lakehouse)

* (Been meaning to write about that, aircon, too, I've been using very simple, incredibly inexpensive, small portable units for years (listening, Zee?). Where can you get an easily mountable, stowable 12.5K BTU [1 ton+] A/C-HP unit of cold aircon [and 3.5KW of heatpump heat], for ~$250 clams? Or an 8K BTU for $160. Compare them to complex 'marine' units for $2-6,000 clams, and their headaches. Aircon is aircon, cool is cool. Suspect they use the same compressors. I'm waiting to take one apart and see if I can mount it in a cabinet They even have remotes. A breakdown? Haven't had a failure yet in several years (yes, I 'marinize' the electrics). If one does break, just get another whole replacement unit for a few peanuts. Not as efficient, whatever.)

Simplify...

[peghall]

I'll respectfully disagree to some (large) extent.

Then you're disagreeing with Incinolet 'cuz my post was copy/pasted from the owners manual (page 3).

[a64pilot]

Many boats can handle the power requirement, large Sportfishermen and other boats that crank the generator before disconnecting the shorepower etc can.
However just to think about it, my entire boats load on shorepower as many sailboats are, is limited to a total 30 amp draw, that electric toilet draws 20, leaving less than 10 for everything else, cause anyone that has shorepower cords knows, you don't want to max them out, you end up with burned out ends if you do.
So for me to use it would require me to crank the generator and run it for over an hour for each use, or If on shorepower tell the Wife she has to do without air conditioning and not run much of anything else like an air conditioner, not realistic at all for majority of sailboats

[TooCoys]

How'd we get on the subject of an Incinolet, isn't that a totally different technology that I didn't ask about?

[peghall]

It's called "thread drift" and has been steering discussions off course for as long as the internet has existed..usually by people who haven't figured out the difference between having something to say and having to say something.

[jdazey]

Peggie, you're just wonderful - calm, knowledgeable, clear, and on point.

Now I'm off to Amazon to get your book.

Cheers,

[Leo Ticheli]

Of all the excellent sailing advice I've been given and of all the authors of useful boat books I've read, Peggy Hall is at the top of my list of gratitude.

Thank you, Peggy.

Fair winds,

Leo

[Maka]

I have one on my boat and LOVE it.
My Marina lets me dump it there.
Im in fresh water so add 1 oz. salt every flush. Keep a can of Morton Salt and a one oz. jigger on the head sink shelf. Other salts harden up in the humidity.
The Electrosan runs off my house battery, which is charged by the shore power or engine and solar panels when sailing.
Easy Peasy.

Now I need to find a maintenance chart for it. Any ideas where I can find one?

[WSMFP]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Many boats can handle the power requirement, large Sportfishermen and other boats that crank the generator before disconnecting the shorepower etc can.
However just to think about it, my entire boats load on shorepower as many sailboats are, is limited to a total 30 amp draw, that electric toilet draws 20, leaving less than 10 for everything else, cause anyone that has shorepower cords knows, you don't want to max them out, you end up with burned out ends if you do.
So for me to use it would require me to crank the generator and run it for over an hour for each use, or If on shorepower tell the Wife she has to do without air conditioning and not run much of anything else like an air conditioner, not realistic at all for majority of sailboats

The Lectra-Scan is a 12v system. Why would you need to crank the generator? Ours draws very little current (I don't remember the specific amps of the top of my head) and the draw is very short. Maybe 20 seconds. It's a good system.