System Planning Help

[drew.ward]

Hi everyone!

I'm trying to plan out my water and treatment systems for my boat as I'm getting ready to start the first bit of interior demo and rebuilding and that will include the area with the head.

I have not been able to find much out there with detailed info on how to plan out your system, placement, pumps, tanks, etc.

I have a 58' boat and plan to have one nice head in the V-birth with a shower, toilet, and lavatory. Then a double sink in the galley and a utility sink on deck for cleaning fish and such.

I would like to be able to build a pressurized water system and use a real toilet. That's really my big thing. Not to sound unclassy, but I'm a pretty big guy in certain respects and the marine heads just don't fit if you catch my drift. And, if I'm going to be living aboard my boat, I really don't want to dread that particular part of the day

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A few years ago I had read of some systems you could install that were basically self-contained sewerage systems that instead of just keeping your waste in a holding take actually treated it sufficiently so that it could be expelled as grey water. It wasn't USCG approved and the design I had seen recommended a switching system so that you could hold the treated waste when on an inland waterway. Does anybody have any knowledge of these?

Also, any recommendations on tanks sizes and manufacturers and such?

Finally this is probably a dumb question but one I can't find the answer to: Can watermakers be used in freshwater or brackish water? The websites don't say, and I am curious if algea and such in river or lake water would mess them up.

Thanks for any pointers in advance.

drew

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by drew.ward

Hi everyone!


I have not been able to find much out there with detailed info on how to plan out your system, placement, pumps, tanks, etc.



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A few years ago I had read of some systems you could install that were basically self-contained sewerage systems that instead of just keeping your waste in a holding take actually treated it sufficiently so that it could be expelled as grey water. It wasn't USCG approved and the design I had seen recommended a switching system so that you could hold the treated waste when on an inland waterway. Does anybody have any knowledge of these?


drew

Peggy Hall has written a book that might interest you Nautical Books, Cruising Guides, and Sailing Charts - Get Rid of Boat Odors - Peggie Hall She often can be found contrinuting to newsgroups. Do a Google groups search.


Raritan Engineering | Waste Treatment | LectraSan (water treatment -system) These can be used in fresh water environments by adding salt.

Jack

[Pblais]

I would like to be able to build a pressurized water system and use a real toilet.

Forget real toilets. Really. A tank full of water is just going to slosh all over the place at some time. We have a Purasan MSD treatment system and it works well. It uses an electric head that macerates the waste before it goes into a 3 gallon treatment system. This version uses fresh water and a Hypo Chloride injection system. It consumes about 5 amps of 12 volt power for 2 minutes to remove all bacteria before it dumps overboard. I hate to say it but municipal waste treatment systems don't do as well. Carrying a lot of waste around only to dump it all well ripened into a municipal system seems just plain stupid.

They make the same system that uses salt water and does not require the chloride injection too. There are a few places in the US where you can't use it but they are more rare than not.

The best part of all this is you don't ever pump out and you don't need a holding tank. You treat each "load" one at a time. The other dark side is most of the world does not care and you can just flush it overboard untreated. Removing the bacteria really is the big deal. Fish poop more than you do.

[GordMay]

Raritan’s “Hold N’ Treat” waste management system consists of a 15 gallon holding tank combined with a Type I MSD , capable of processing up to 140 gallons of waste per week.

Raritan Engineering - Home

[drew.ward]

Thanks for the info guys...looks like Raritan also makes full-sized oblong heads as well. This should work quite well.

Just curious, does anyone know where I can find diagrams of plumbing systems?

[Roy M]

Look at the Blake/Lavac toilet. I've used it for over twenty years on my liveaboard boat. Ceramic bowl, toilet seat and lid, plus a hand bilge pump. Ten pumps (or so) and the contents are sucked out and pumped to a holding tank, using Peggy Hall's guidelines for an aerobic digester holding tank and K.O. bacteria. The reason folks never seem to hear about the Lavac is because there are no aftermarket sales other than replacement seals under the toilet lid and seat (every ten years or so) and changing the minimal rubber parts on a Henderson or Whale 10 pump. That means marine stores can't gouge you (like the free razor and the pricey blades).

Isn't there anyone else here who has used this unit? Seems a shame.

[camaraderie]

This brochure from Whale has a lot of good info on individual plumbing system components as well as a diagram of a complete system and the interconnections which you may find helpful.
http://www.whalepumps.com/documents/...ducedsize2.pdf