Raritan Purasan EX

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Think about all the bacteria that make it from shower water right out the thru hull from the shower drain. Yep .....and based on some boaters, reaching and cleaning certain parts of their body well before they reach the shower is doubtful.

Or, certain clothing washed in an onboard washer......

Or hands washed in a sink after changing diapers....

I could go on.....but seeing how rediculous this all is unless every boater is a germophobe....

Keeping bacteria out of the water should be everyone's best effort ....but will ultimately lt be less than perfect without major changes to even gray water laws.

New Boat Ad:

"Amenity" 34' Trawler

- Twins
- Features a Tow Behind 1,750 gal gray water tank
- Planing hull - 18 knot cruise / 25 knots @ WOT
- With full gray water tank - 6 knot cruise / hull speed @ WOT

:whistling:
 
Our Tolly’s two matching toilets: Raritan Crown Head – Model XCM / Series 0690 / 12 V / Centrifugal Discharge Series

4/15/13: From The Great HeadMistress – on a Trawler Forum post – In answer to my questions about toilet type listed above that is on our 1977 34’ tri cabin Tolly, “The Office”

Your toilet is the Raritan "Crown" Head that's been around for 40 years...Raritan still makes it...the CD version is the current version. Raritan Engineering | Crown Head II™ Electric Toilet
("sleek appearance" is achieved by a plastic shroud wrapped around the base.)

It's prob'ly the only toilet for a work boat--tug, fishing trawler, ferry -- 'cuz it's a real workhorse, but it's also a dinosaur that draws 36 amps (compared to 10-15 for more modern toilets) and uses 1-3 gallons of flush water with each flush AND makes enough noise to wake the dead, making it a bit problematic on recreational boats. If you can live with all that, it's a great toilet. If you can't, you might want to swap out the "lower unit" (everything south of the bowl) for a SeaEra "conversion." Raritan Sea Era Raritan Sea Era Conversion

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Soooo Far… In five years before the above… and… three years since… we’ve had no probs with either head functioning well. Noise bothers us not – cauz – we try to never need to flush at night. And if we should – for that reason! – then we would use the forward head with doors closed between there and rear master stateroom. Big enough House Batt Bank so the large amp draw is no issue.

Regarding the multi gallons per flush mentioned above. Years ago I put readily accessible ball valves in the flush water lines to each toilet. This enables to instantly lower the flow to a trickle or for full-on water flow or for water flow volume anywhere in between. Don’t know exactly – but my guess in only one to a max of four quarts for a #2. Pint or two for #1. I get these guesses by watching the bowls when flushing and by # of flushes before our 30 gal holding tank needs to be evacuated.

Important: If you follow my mode of water saving operation – never let the incoming water get completely shut off while using the flush mechanism. Pump impellers always need at least some water passing while they turn… or else the impeller life-span could become drastically reduced. Water-flow is a basic lubricant to impeller edges as they skim over pump walls.

Happy Tottie-Flush Daze – Art :D

PS: Peggies new and improved book is a gasssssss! Err, I mean it’s a truly “full-flushed” representation for what human-systems have surely yet to evolve beyond! I strongly recommend purchase, and, have already reviewed it cover to cover. The last section gives a plethora of contacts for all sorts of marine sanitation needs.

Thanks, Peggie!! :thumb:
 
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Our Tolly’s two matching toilets: Raritan Crown Head – Model XCM / Series 0690 / 12 V / Centrifugal Discharge Series

Art, We're talking about two similar but different toilets. XCM is a Crown Head II model, not a Crown.

There have been only three versions of the Crown Head. The original, introduced in 1968, was named the "Standard," which every marine retailer mistakenly assumed was not the model name, but meant the same thing as normal or regular, and so only stocked rebuild kits for it, even long after it had been replaced by the "DD" ("Deep Draft") followed by the "CD" (Centrifugal Discharge) models. The CD, introduced in the late '80s, is still in production.

The Crown II was introduced sometime in the mid-'90s as a response to increased demand for toilets that use onboard pressurized fresh water (it's available in both fresh and raw water versions)...it's really a "first cousin" to the Crown...a good toilet, but not the robust "work horse" the Crown is.
 
So if I was to add a Purasan to an existing system, I would need to buy a Purasan and a hold n treat control system. What else? Do I need to get a transfer pump to go from the holding tank to the Purasan? Do you need another thruhull for the Purasan output?

You'd need to add the "hold 'n' treat" controls only if you want to be able to use the PuraSan to empty the tank. In that case, you'd also need a transfer pump, but if you have a macerator pump to dump the tank, you already have one. The PuraSan can use the same thru-hull provided it's installed within the prescribed distance for it, which for most toilets would be no more than 6' from the toilet, no more than 6' from the thru-hull. Those distances can be a bit longer if your toilet is one of the luxury all-china "thrones" that have more powerful pumps capable of moving bowl contents further.
 
Our Tolly’s two matching toilets: Raritan Crown Head – Model XCM / Series 0690 / 12 V / Centrifugal Discharge Series

Art, We're talking about two similar but different toilets. XCM is a Crown Head II model, not a Crown.

There have been only three versions of the Crown Head. The original, introduced in 1968, was named the "Standard," which every marine retailer mistakenly assumed was not the model name, but meant the same thing as normal or regular, and so only stocked rebuild kits for it, even long after it had been replaced by the "DD" ("Deep Draft") followed by the "CD" (Centrifugal Discharge) models. The CD, introduced in the late '80s, is still in production.

The Crown II was introduced sometime in the mid-'90s as a response to increased demand for toilets that use onboard pressurized fresh water (it's available in both fresh and raw water versions)...it's really a "first cousin" to the Crown...a good toilet, but not the robust "work horse" the Crown is.

Damn - Peggie. You really are great! I learn more bout "heads" every timed I hear/read items from you! :socool:

How do you keep all this important shat together in your head?? LOL :rofl:

Anyway - Robust is a good word (comforting too, when discussing marine heads). Work Horse is name o' da game for nautical totties and the word Crown tain't nutten ta sneeze at! :thumb:

We love our goo ol' lectric flushers. No muss no fuss... just a little noise once in a while. :D
 
You'd need to add the "hold 'n' treat" controls only if you want to be able to use the PuraSan to empty the tank. In that case, you'd also need a transfer pump, but if you have a macerator pump to dump the tank, you already have one. The PuraSan can use the same thru-hull provided it's installed within the prescribed distance for it, which for most toilets would be no more than 6' from the toilet, no more than 6' from the thru-hull. Those distances can be a bit longer if your toilet is one of the luxury all-china "thrones" that have more powerful pumps capable of moving bowl contents further.

Thanks Peggy. Great info as usual.
 
I'm partial to the PuraSan over the ElectroScan for several reasons: it works equally well in salt or fresh water....it costs less...and is easier to maintain. However, if you're always in salt water or go up a fresh water river so seldom that adding salt to each flush while in it wouldn't be a hardship, the ElectroScan can be a better choice because it doesn't need any added chemicals.


Peggie, can I double-check this with you?

Just talked to one of the prospective dealers/installers about a Purasan HNT system (using our existing holding tank), still at the "just getting ballpark numbers" stage, not yet committed to the project for this year. (Wallet issues.)

Anyway, he said in his opinion the ElectroScan is less complicated, and a less complicated installation...

Since we're usually on the Chesapeake, and our toilet is an electric pressurized freshwater flush system anyway...

I'd have thought I'd have to be adding stuff from time to time, no matter what. Chlorine tablets in one, salt in the other, the actual additive doesn't seem to me to make all that much difference in the amount of work I'd have to do occasionally?

Is one or the other system really less complicated, more robust, better, cheaper, etc. for our intended application?

IOW, do you still lean toward the Purasan? Presumably the EX, latest and greatest? I see you specifically mention easier to maintain, and I'm all over that idea! But does that refer to real no-kidding maintenance, or simply the part about keeping it stocked with whichever additive the system needs?

Or...?

-Chris
 
I'm not in Peggy's realm of knowledge :) but I'll help explain the components that make up the two different systems.

The electroscan consists of two or three pieces, depending on your installation

1. The treatment unit itself, which is approx 18" X 12" X 18"
2. The controller unit which is approx 6X6X3" and should bolt to a bulkhead.
3. A salt feed unit which in my case is approx 10" in diameter and 18" tall

It works by running a electrical current through saltwater to create a disinfectant chemical. The salt feed unit pumps a salt water mixture into the treatment unit as needed to produce the proper current flow.

The salt feed unit is a known problem area to Raritan. Hopefully they re-designed it, but as shipped from the factory (as of 1 year ago) it does not work reliably. I re-designed the unit and have been thrilled with the results after the factory could not make mine work properly.

The purasan EX unit consists of the following:

1. The treatment unit it itself, same exact size as the electroscan above
2. A controller unit, same approx size as the electroscan
3. A disenfectant holder (don't remember the exact size but small something like 6X6X6" bolts to a bulkhead
4. A air pump for the disenfectant unit

The purasan works just like the electroscan except that it injects a disenfectant solution into the treatment tank (instead of creating disenfectant from salt water) The way this injection process works is that it uses potable water to wet the disenfectant into a solution which is forced into the treatment tank under pressure. The pressure comes from a air pump that pressurizes the disenfectant holding vessel, forcing the disenfectant solution in the proper quantities into the treatment tank.

As to which one is better, that's a big ??? With the electroscan you need to buy salt. I go through a couple 40 pound bags of solar salt a season and spent 60 nights aboard last year. I can buy solar salt anywhere. Lowes sells it for $6.99 a bag. I also spent allot of hours re-engineering their salt feed system so it works reliably.

I do not have any operational time with the new purasan EX, but with the improvements they made over the old unit, it looks pretty Skookum. :)
 
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ksanders; said:
With the electroscan you need to buy salt. I go through a couple 40 pound bags of solar salt a season and spent 60 nights aboard last year.
Kevin; good description and I don't want to take away from mixman's OP but to someone like me, still trying to figure this whole waste issue, 80 lbs. of salt in 60 nights sounds like a lot. How often do you ad and how many pump outs (not dumps O/B) in those 60 nights?

Man the old days were simple...compass, chart, sounder and a manual head, straight out the side.
 
Anyway, he said in his opinion the ElectroScan is less complicated, and a less complicated installation...

It might be in coastal waters that have a reliable sufficiently high saline content for the ES to work, but not in upper Chesapeake because it's brackish at best, close to fresh after heavy rains. So you'd either have to manually add salt to every flush or install a salt tank, which for your toilet would have to be one that loads with rock salt (Btw, solar salt works best).

Since we're usually on the Chesapeake, and our toilet is an electric pressurized freshwater flush system anyway...

IMO that makes the case for the PuraSan, which was designed for use in fresh water and toilets that use pressurized fresh water, but works equally well in salt water. No electrode pack that needs regular cleaning to remove sea water mineral buildup, just a chlorine cartridge that needs refilling when it runs out. Raritan had some problems with the original chlorine delivery equipment, but they've been solved by the EX version.

I'd have thought I'd have to be adding stuff from time to time, no matter what. Chlorine tablets in one, salt in the other, the actual additive doesn't seem to me to make all that much difference in the amount of work I'd have to do occasionally?

You don't ADD chlorine tablets (I've always thought it was a mistake to call them "tablets" because too many people think the cartridge dispenses "pills" with each flush)..flush water flows through the cartridge and washes enough off them to treat the flush. That cartridge hangs on a bulkhead in the head or in hanging locker behind it...the replacement "tablets" are small. Salt tanks are in the bilge and require hauling a 10 lb bag of rock aboard and climbing into the bilge reload the salt. You decide which is easier.

Is one or the other system really less complicated, more robust, better, cheaper, etc. for our intended application? IOW, do you still lean toward the Purasan?

In your waters, with your toilet, yes.
 
Kevin; good description and I don't want to take away from mixman's OP but to someone like me, still trying to figure this whole waste issue, 80 lbs. of salt in 60 nights sounds like a lot. How often do you ad and how many pump outs (not dumps O/B) in those 60 nights?

OK, I never pump out. I do not even know where the pump out is at my marina.

The salt for me is a piece of cake. When I installed the salt feed unit, think 5 gallon bucket in size, and shape, perhaps a bit thinner though. I put it in my boats utility room, which is easy to get to. The salt feed holds about 1/2 of a 40 pound bag of salt. I have a large mug that I use to scoop the salt from the bag to the salt tank. Figure I do this 4 times a season.

I'm not favoring the electroscan over the purasan EX here. For my situation being in Alaska with no UPS ground shipping available its easier to go get a bag of salt than try to order replacement purasan chemicals.
 
Chris, I'm in 100% agreement with Peggie on this from my personal experience. I'm not far from you on the Chesapeake (Rock Creek). With the ES and salt feed I was going through at least a 40 pound bag per month, and that was with just weekend boat use! With freshwater flush and/or being in brackish water it is amazing how much salt the system needs.

I did use the ES in salt water for weeks at a time in FL and Abacos for a number of years. I did not use as much salt (some) but then the darn treatment plates were getting fouled due to the high calcium content in the water there. I felt I had nothing but problems with my ES (it is in my garage along with the salt feed unit here in MD if you would like a great deal).

As for the Purasan, I've got the older chemical feed unit and that does give me some problems every so often (I hear the new system works fine). I go through very few tablets (hockey puck size) annually (maybe 2?).
 
Hi Peggie, one small correction. The Pusisan Ex is a couple hundred bucks more than the Electro Scan. There was a rather large price increase when the EX model came out.

If you decide to go with a Purisan EX, store your spare tablets in glass or ceramic.
I had one of the containers they come in become brittle and crack in a short time just sitting on the shelf. The chlorine gas that came out could have been used as a weapon!
 
Hi Peggie, one small correction. The Pusisan Ex is a couple hundred bucks more than the Electro Scan. There was a rather large price increase when the EX model came out.

I just did a search...and wow, I guess there was! Last time I searched the PS averaged about $200 less than the ES.

I'd still go the PS, though, 'cuz one replacement electrode pack would more than make up the difference.
 
Speaking of electrode packs, another "expense" of the ES over the PS is amps. The ES uses quite a bit more power than the PS.
 
Just a FYI...

The issue with the salt feed unit causes it to use a whole bunch of salt unnecessarily. Bags of salt!

The symptom is that the float valve fails to turn off the flow of water causing a overflow condition. It will then turn off and you're left with a mystery as to why you are out of salt so quickly.

That was what alerted me to the problem. I was running through a bag of salt in just a weekend or two.

A good way to tell if you are having this problem is if you open the lid of the salt feed, the water is at or near the overflow. This should never happen. The water should be no more than a couple of inches above the "grate" that the salt sits on.

If you do the math a 40 lb bag of salt will raise 143 gallons of water to 3.5% (the average salinity of seawater).

I'm guessing here but a marine head does not use as much water as a house head. Probably 1/2 gallon or so per flush, but that's a guess. So, a bag of salt is worth about 286 flushes give or take.

Figure 8 flushes per day per person, two people on board. A bag of salt should last 18 or so days plus or minus. Of full time two people cruising.
 
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Speaking of electrode packs, another "expense" of the ES over the PS is amps. The ES uses quite a bit more power than the PS.

The difference isn't that much. The ES has a much higher amperage DRAW than the PS, but the daily AH consumption seems to be much closer than the draws indicate.

At least that's what live-aboard cruising sailors on another board who have one or the other have reported every time the subject has comes up.
 
I have the Purasan connected with a 60 gal holding tank. The main difference is the HNT controller and an extra panel with a keyed switch in the head. We have fresh water flush, and we also frequent the Keys and Biscayne Bay. They are no discharge zones. When we are in a zone we can discharge, the system works like a regular ElectroScan with salt added. When we are in a no discharge zone, we hold for a pump out or until we get back to a discharge zone. Life is not as simple today as in the past, but I like the flexibility.
 
The difference isn't that much. The ES has a much higher amperage DRAW than the PS, but the daily AH consumption seems to be much closer than the draws indicate.

At least that's what live-aboard cruising sailors on another board who have one or the other have reported every time the subject has comes up.

You are all correct.

The Electro Scan was a bigger pia for me because:
1. As Kevin described above, the brine tank would too often not shut off when full, running fresh water continuously.
2. Running massive electrical current makes the treatment tank corrode quickly.
3. Salt is not so easy to come by every place. Pretty much every house in Alaska has a water softener, thus salt is every where. Not so in NYC, therfore hard to find. Also in Nassau, had to take two buses to find and extremely expensive.

Both systems are equally complex or not.

Raritan still offers BOTH types of chlorine tablets, so you must tell them you need the ones that can be shipped by air. They also have a spec sheet, so you should be able to find a suitable pool tablet substitute at a fraction of the cost, but of course if you do that, blah, blah, blah...

Lastly, my setup is both toilets to processing tank, then Y valve to either holding tank or discharge. I like that all is treated. Keeps odors away.

The one time i was inspected by USCG in NC in ICW. NO problem.

Europe even less of an issue.
 
Peggie/Kevin/Kurt/Parks et al: Thanks for all that. I really do appreciate the commentary!


And Kurt, it happens I'd also read your similar ES vs. PS assessment on another forum several months ago, and that's what swayed me toward the PS in the first place. Special thanks to you for that, and also for allowing me to use your thread here to flesh out my understanding of the systems.


Cartridge? Several have said tablets... anyway, sounds like I have to keep the supply up... but I already know what it's like humping around 40-lb bags of salt (for our household system)... so smaller (lighter) sounds better.


Extra cost? Yeah... that's a deal. But only a couple hundred $$$ for parts. OTOH, I'm currently a bit taken aback by our first ballpark figures -- guessing at maybe $2500 installation plus the cost of the system. Not sure I want to do an installation like this myself. It's a significant cost difference, compared to simply replacing my dead macerator (~$150), not using it inshore, and continuing to pump out as often as we did last year.


I think I'm learning I'd need to run a freshwater feed to the chlorine cartridge/tablet/whatever dispenser thingy. That right?


-Chris
 
Chris,

Yes, the chemical dispenser needs a fresh water line run to it.

I'm probably going to go with an EX unit on my refit project boat. So that means I now have a used ElectroScan (w/ salt feed) and a used Purasan (version 1) to get rid of. I guess it is time for me to see what my eBay seller rating is up to :)
 
Lastly, my setup is both toilets to processing tank, then Y valve to either holding tank or discharge. I like that all is treated. Keeps odors away.

You DO know that even if waste in the tank has been treated first, it's still illegal to dump the tank inside the "3 mile limit?"

...Cartridge? Several have said tablets... anyway, sounds like I have to keep the supply up...

The "tablets" are in a cartridge, Chris.

I think I'm learning I'd need to run a freshwater feed to the chlorine cartridge/tablet/whatever dispenser thingy. That right?

You already have a cold water line in the head to the sink...a tee fitting (better yet, a shut off valve) and length of hose and you have the fresh water feed.

...guessing at maybe $2500 installation plus the cost of the system. Not sure I want to do an installation like this myself.

Many people do, even though $500 is closer to the typical cost to pay someone to install it.

Might be a good idea to read the instructions instead of jumping to conclusions. The Installation, Operation and Maintenance Guide (aka "owners manual"), which you can download from the Raritan answers most of your questions and Raritan tech support will be glad to answer the ones it doesn't. PuraSan EX Owner’s Manual
 
Thanks! I downloaded my link from the list of owners manuals on the Raritan website, but it's such a mess right now that half of my bookmarked Raritan links no longer work and neither do a lot of the ones I download to replace 'em.
 
Thanks! I downloaded my link from the list of owners manuals on the Raritan website, but it's such a mess right now that half of my bookmarked Raritan links no longer work and neither do a lot of the ones I download to replace 'em.

Sounds like HeadDistress... for... Our Super HeadMistress! :facepalm: :rofl:
 
Thanks, I had already gone through the installation manual... but it was several months ago so I'd forgotten some stuff. :) And some things I simply didn't/don't understand, anyway, given that I dunno so much about plumbing jargon.

The best (I think) place to install the system is not particularly near the head; it'd be closer to just forward of and slightly under the holding tank, lot o' space, very near the existing discharge thru-hull... essentially in the place where the existing macerator pump lives.

I take it the fresh water feed to the basic Purasan would be a "per flush" thing? But with the HNT controls, maybe not? Anyway, it's not obvious to me (yet) how I can route a fresh water line "per flush" line into that area. Thinking on it...

About $500 for installation would be maybe more doable; in any case, I'm still shopping on potential sources/installers.

-Chris
 
I take it the fresh water feed to the basic Purasan would be a "per flush" thing? But with the HNT controls, maybe not? Anyway, it's not obvious to me (yet) how I can route a fresh water line "per flush" line into that area. Thinking on it...


-Chris

Chris, that is correct. The water flow to the chemical is controlled by a 12 volt electric solenoid switch connected to the HNT control center. There is a clamp in the line that has to be adjusted to regulate the flow to keep the water at the proper level in the chemical container. You can install a "T" off any water line for the tube connection.
 
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Chris,
I am not sure if I understood your question correctly but with the hold-n-treat, the Purasan operates independently of the toilet entirely. Once the holding tank sensor notes that the holding tank has reached a given level it starts to cycle the Purasan. So the water to the chemical is not per flush, but per Purasan cycle.

What I don't know, is that with a Purasan Hold-n-treat, can't the Purasan be installed only in relation to the holding tank? In other words it doesn't matter how far away from the head it is only that it be close enough to the holding tank and a fresh water line?

I agree, if it really was $500 for a quality install by a professional, that might be money well spent in my case. My ignorance and ineptness knows no bounds.
 
Chris, that is correct. The water flow to the chemical is controlled by a 12 volt electric solenoid switch connected to the HNT control center. There is a clamp in the line that has to be adjusted to regulate the flow to keep the water at the proper level in the chemical container. You can install a "T" off any water line for the tube connection.


Ah. I think it's much easier for me to get a water line to if that doesn't have to be controlled by the flush process at the toilet. Might have located the easiest line to access, while I deal with a different problem...

-Chris
 
Ah. I think it's much easier for me to get a water line to if that doesn't have to be controlled by the flush process at the toilet. Might have located the easiest line to access, while I deal with a different problem...

-Chris

I hooked it up origanlly to the flush line; Wrong, wrong, wrong.:eek: Took me a week to figure out. And it was quite comical when I figured out the problem.

Turned out the flush line ONLY had pressure when the toilet was flushed.

Once I took it off the dispenser and looked in the hose as I flushed it, I figured it out. :facepalm:

It needs normal pressured fresh water feed.

Also, as you pointed out and it confused me also at first, the Purisan controls are NOT related to the flush controls. Made installation very easy.

Lastly, I understand the No Discharge Rules. Not to digress, but the simple fact is that the small (less then 1000 feet) boats that use a Type 1 device are NOT the problem. And if the politicians who have their heads up each other's ass would understand that, they would actually make laws that would solve the problem and not cater to interest groups.:hide:

I know a number of boaters who live now in NDZ and they don't want to get a Type 1 device because they still can't discharge, so they don't see the point. So what do you think they do instead???:eek::eek:

Europe has far more stringent laws. And if you ever go, I will tell you where the ONE pump out station is located.
 
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