Toilet Engineering

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by peghall

It's Lavac toilets, not VacuFlush, that have sealing lids.

Ah, thanks, I was confusing them.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Actually it is a PHII but that's no biggie..

The other thing about Raritan is the outrageous price for parts. That pump shaft cartridge cost $35. Injection mold it for pennies, add a $1.00 lip seal and charge $35 for it. Want just the lip seal? That's $12.

I don't actually think that's all that bad. The cost of stocking and distributing parts for low volume devices like marine toilets is huge.


Jabsco parts are not cheaper.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I offered the compost(ing) head option a bit tongue-in-cheekly. I'm pretty sure DH has expressed his views on these heads in the past. Hey... they're not for everyone.

But quite honestly, they solve all the issues you mention DH. The only thing is, they might be mismatched for your normal crew compliment. They really are designed for two to three adults, full time.

Yes, we've had this conversation before. I believe you completely, but they're not for me. All the more because I sometimes have 6 or 7 people on board, recently 6 people for almost 8 days nonstop.

[malbert73]

Raritan elegance. 7 years part time use and flawless so far. Google it and you’ll see a lot of happy folks

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I don't actually think that's all that bad. The cost of stocking and distributing parts for low volume devices like marine toilets is huge.


Jabsco parts are not cheaper.

I have to disagree. The whole marine industry is pricing itself out of existence. Boats have become so expensive that few sailboats are being built today. The industry is literally chasing away it's new potential customers. We as boaters seem willing to accept outrageous priced for many items that are not even made for the marine industry. Slap the name boat on an item and triple the price.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, we've had this conversation before. I believe you completely, but they're not for me. All the more because I sometimes have 6 or 7 people on board, recently 6 people for almost 8 days nonstop.

Yes, definitely not appropriate. Sorry again for the drift. I'll sign off now.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yes, definitely not appropriate. Sorry again for the drift. I'll sign off now.

Of course it's appropriate. Your comments are always interesting, even when you repeat yourself. Like I never repeat myself

[CarlF]

Another vote for the Raritan Elegance. I've had it for 8 years (after a Lavac that never broke or clogged but several times needed seat seal and pump valve replacement)

For the Elegance - one replacement of the joker valve (it has two joker valves in line so no need to change it until both fail). No other repairs or maintenance. Never a clog - even with lots of guests. No TP rules.

8 years.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by stormalong

I have to disagree. The whole marine industry is pricing itself out of existence. Boats have become so expensive that few sailboats are being built today. The industry is literally chasing away it's new potential customers. We as boaters seem willing to accept outrageous priced for many items that are not even made for the marine industry. Slap the name boat on an item and triple the price.

I've analyzed some marine businesses. There is no way to keep a business going, which makes and supplies and distributes the stuff we need, with Walmart pricing. Stocking and distributing goods to this tiny market demands a certain markup, even if the item itself is not specifically made for marine use. That's just basic economics. I think players in the market often even UNDERcharge, because so many of them do it out of irrational love of the sport and stay in business and compete even when they're not making profits. Making and supplying stuff for small yachts to really cheap customers is a TERRIBLE business.

[s/v Jedi]

We had the Raritan PHII and they were a PITA. Not only the moving parts wearing out and leaking, but the stink from rotting sea water was horrible and discharge plumbing gets scaling like crazy when flushing with seawater.

In 2005 we replaced them with Raritan Atlantes and until 2 years ago we had zero maintenance. That is 15 years full time use, no maintenance!

Now they are basically worn out and we’ll be replacing with the Raritan Elegance or maybe VacuFlush.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by stormalong

I have to disagree. The whole marine industry is pricing itself out of existence. Boats have become so expensive that few sailboats are being built today. The industry is literally chasing away it's new potential customers. We as boaters seem willing to accept outrageous priced for many items that are not even made for the marine industry. Slap the name boat on an item and triple the price.

That's why they invented hardware stores and tractor dealers.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

That's why they invented hardware stores and tractor dealers.

Indeed. If you don't want to buy it from a chandlery or marine supplier, with the markup required to keep those businesses open, then do your own scrounging in cheaper places (as I do myself sometimes). That markup is what you pay to be supplied at the harbour, and for a business to keep stock of low turnover items. That costs money. I never knew anyone who became a millionaire running a chandlery.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

Personally, I would actually consider one if I were long distance or full time cruising, but for the majority of folks who have not experienced “issues”, the simplicity of opening a valve once offshore, vs strolling down the public dock with your liquid bucket, or your “compost” makes a compost toilet seem crude. Like has been said, to each their own.

Actually, for weekenders they are great. They really do have time to do the composting.

Up north, emptying the solids is often a once a year thing. If you do it in the spring before launch, it really is a composted completely.

If the liquids really do bother you, it would be easy to set up a pump into the old holding tank but with no solids, blockages are much less of an issue and with no flush water, you are probably looking at 2-3 times the duration between pump outs...so if you don't make it pas the 3 mile limit very often, you don't need to find a pump out.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Who thinks nothing about that? Never met such a person. Hold up your hand; I want to hire you.

Then what is your issue.

I'm assuming with 8-10 people on board for a week or so, you have multiple heads and holding tanks. With multiple composters, you would just start a large group trip with an empty system and getting a week or two out of them would be viable...you would just need to empty the solids after the trip (assuming you get a relatively calm day shortly before ending a passage, just dump it overboard outside the 3 mile limit...it's really pretty easy.).

I would at least consider switching one of them over to have a viable toilet if the traditional style fails. Then you can wait until you are secured in port to tear apart the sewage system.

[Phantom Jim]

[QUOTE: valhalla360
I would at least consider switching one of them over to have a viable toilet if the traditional style fails. Then you can wait until you are secured in port to tear apart the sewage system.[/QUOTE]

Different toilets if you have the space seems like a reasonable idea. If the compost toilet becomes overwhelmed, bag it with more medium and keep on going. It will fit into a 5 gallon bucket.