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Old 28-07-2020, 17:53   #16
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

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Hmmmm,.......... motors, electrical connections, switches, battery supplied power cables - all operating in a wet marine environment, and most buried in the bilge. Tell me again where the simpler stuff is?

It's an extra breaker in the panel, a bit of wiring, a switch, and a motor. Given good parts and installation, that's all stuff that will last many years. Excluding the power feed to it, the toilet itself is far simpler with less moving parts, less things to clog, etc.
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Old 29-07-2020, 05:10   #17
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

Raritan PHII. Reliable, effective, easy to maintain, with the option to go electric if you desire in the future.
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Old 29-07-2020, 05:20   #18
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

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Raritan PHII. Reliable, effective, easy to maintain, with the option to go electric if you desire in the future.

I used to have a pair of those (still have 1). They're not bad, but they're not great either. Easy enough to work on, but they needed at least something every year and they never seemed to handle solid output from humans very well, especially if not freshly rebuilt. And the electric conversion on them is kinda lame, just a motor strapped on to pump for you. Plus, the electric version is just as expensive as the better working SeaEra.
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Old 29-07-2020, 05:32   #19
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

Name a better manual head for the price?
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Old 29-07-2020, 05:37   #20
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

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Name a better manual head for the price?

There probably isn't much better for the price. But once you spend a little more than the PHII / PH Superflush costs, you're into the price range that will get you a good electric.
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Old 29-07-2020, 05:53   #21
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

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Originally Posted by rslifkin View Post
It's an extra breaker in the panel, a bit of wiring, a switch, and a motor. Given good parts and installation, that's all stuff that will last many years. Excluding the power feed to it, the toilet itself is far simpler with less moving parts, less things to clog, etc.
Any electric head is simpler than any household toilet.

Ever wonder if the folks who prefer simple toilets use a bucket at home because it’s “simple”?
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Old 29-07-2020, 06:00   #22
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

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and here I just posted we use maybe 15 gal/wk with our freshwater head

in fact when we were in Bahamas were found that a 50 gal tank only lasted 6 days instead of the 7 days we used to get back in the manual head days

But you know what you do when you have a fresh water flush head and you get low on fresh water and need to conserve? You get a bucket of seawater and pour it into the bowl and flush it.
Or have a selector valve like we do. Our heads and anchor washdown pumps can run off fresh or salt water.
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Old 29-07-2020, 06:22   #23
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

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Originally Posted by S/V Illusion View Post
Any electric head is simpler than any household toilet.

Ever wonder if the folks who prefer simple toilets use a bucket at home because it’s “simple”?
Hey don't rag on the bucket- was on a passage and both our heads failed, the bucket became the way of life!
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Old 29-07-2020, 07:57   #24
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

On my boat we would not go back to manual flush.

I know some have a policy of you clog it you unclog it, but that never really happened in my experience. The fact that it is macerated at the toilet has also meant no problems in other areas of the system. Don't downplay the importance of that.

We have ours labeled with what button to push, and have never had to explain anything to guests. The worst I have had as far as issues has been the occasional yell of "Daaaaad, turn on the power to the toilet!"

While I do keep a bucket onboard for any contingencies I have not needed it in 2 years we have had electric toilets and mostly use it for scrubbing down the deck.

I think the case where you would need a manual head is where your power budget would not allow for it. Personally with solar panels helping keep us topped off I hope that these cases somewhat rarer.
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Old 29-07-2020, 08:00   #25
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

Its quite obvious that any head is fantastic as opposed to not. unless of course the head is not of sufficient quality, then it could leave the person in need of such head in dire straits.
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Old 29-07-2020, 09:29   #26
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

I change my children's electric head to a manual because of.....
I think electric heads are great for people that know how they work and won't abuse them. I have alot of guests on the starboard side of the boat and find it easier to fix or repair if a landlubber has problems with a manual head versus an electric head. When a electric head has a problem (feminine product), they just keep flushing until the problem goes away. Well......that leads to big problems and big mess.
At least with a manual head, the problem is easier to fix.

If a person can't figure out a manual head, they won't know how an electric works. Just my opinion.
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Old 29-07-2020, 09:32   #27
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

KiSS applies here. Our Lavac vacuum head is that in Spades. The only problem we occasionally have is replacing the rubber on the Whale pump every three years or so. But that is simple to do. That pump is separate from the head so the head itself with vacuum pulling in the flushing water couldn't be simpler. 25 years of daily use and counting.

I would not consider going electric.

Jim sv GAIA
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Old 29-07-2020, 10:44   #28
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

I'm about to dump ( no pun intended) my manual sea water Jabsco for a Raritan Elegance electric fresh water model. The issue here is trying to get a qualified technician to preform the necessary needed work.
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Old 29-07-2020, 10:51   #29
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

Perhaps my best upgrade was from a manual Jabsco compact seat to an electric Jabsco electric flush with "household" seat. The larger seat is terrific and I like the electric operation. Did it a little over a year ago so no maintenance issues yet for me.
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Old 29-07-2020, 10:58   #30
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Re: Manual Head vs electric

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Originally Posted by Rubicon King View Post
Its quite obvious that any head is fantastic as opposed to not. unless of course the head is not of sufficient quality, then it could leave the person in need of such head in dire straits.
I should have put a smiley face after this post to see if anyone picked up on my crafty use of the English language.
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