Composting head info

[MurrayM]

Before selling I’ll reinstall the toilet. Eazy-Peazy.

[cardude01]

Originally Posted by MurrayM

Before selling I’ll reinstall the toilet. Eazy-Peazy.

That’s what I was thinking. And the new hoses.

I have no plans to sell it in the near future anyway so thought it would be a good time to experiment. One big reason I was thinking about composting is I don’t have a pump out where we dock and we aren’t on the boat that much.

I definitely get that there are pros and cons to this idea, but I’m intrigued.

[High Wire]

Originally Posted by cardude01

That’s what I was thinking. And the new hoses.

I have no plans to sell it in the near future anyway so thought it would be a good time to experiment. One big reason I was thinking about composting is I don’t have a pump out where we dock and we aren’t on the boat that much.

I definitely get that there are pros and cons to this idea, but I’m intrigued.

If you are going to rebuild the system before you sell, why wait and do it now.
BTW, tossed the Jabsco electric macerating head for a Raritan Marine Elegance with Freshwater and Smart Flush. What a difference!!! Odor gone.

[Peter B]

Originally Posted by cardude01

I’m about ready to chuck my current system. Hoses permeated and stink, both Y valves leaking, new macerator pump just started leaking. Thinking about ripping out all the valves and hoses and going with a composting toilet.

We don’t use the boat all that much and when we do it’s usually just me and the wife. She wants to check one out and see if she will be able to tolerate it however. Anyone know of any in operation in the Houston area we could look at?

Dude, it almost sounds like you were reading my mail. After all the trouble I went to when holding tanks were mandated in our area many years ago, I slavishly installed a new TMC electric toilet, all the necessary hoses, and a bladder holding tank - it was all I could get to fit. It was a nightmare job, as my boat was not built at a time where it was the norm, and it has been a constant headache to keep it all operating ever since. Especially as the powers that be that made the law failed to also mandate that marinas must also install suitable pump-out facilities.

Recently, yet another diverter valve handle broke, and a blockage appears to have developed SOMEWHERE mysteriously..! So, just like you describe, I said bugger it - this is ridiculous..! I blanked off all the plumbing, (this after just putting in new macerator pumps on the holding tank and toilet because they had corroded and stuck), removed the toilet, and installed a decent sized camping type toilet. It works perfectly, is silent in operation, (the TMC would wake the dead in the middle of the night), and being chemically treated, no smells, and can literally be emptied overboard, (here anyway) or dumped into normal sewage systems.

Really, having done this, and it works so well, I can't understand why I didn't do it way back when I went to all that trouble, and I certainly would think twice before going over to something as tricky as a composting toilet to do the job, (sorry Murray, you meant well, but really...), when these just work so well, and are so cheap. Even if you decide you want a new one after a few years, or one with a larger water or holding tank, they are so cheap to buy, it's a no-brainer in my view. Just get over the 'camping' stigma, and Bob's your uncle - problem solved.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=campin...logo=CT3210127

[South of Heaven]

Peter B: HUH?? So you think a camping style toilet is better than a composting head? And you think a composting head is complicated? Seems pretty simple to me.

Yeah, and we can't dump chemically treated camping toilet goo into the water here.

Don't misinterpret my thread. I'm still not fully sold on the composting head either! I'm looking for first hand accounts of it and will continue my research. Very interested in it though...

[Moby Nick]

Lem'me give you a second hand account. The fellow I mentioned above who sold his first NH with his boat, then constructed a replacement composting head for his next boat is SUPER SENSITIVE to the odors associated with Porta Potties. He says he absolutely cannot stand the smell of the blue chemical. He said he found a satisfactory (almost) citrus chemical to use back when he had a simple camping potty. He found nothing objectionable about his Natures Head, though he did say one would not want to sit very close to the exterior vent on the side of the cabin forward of the cockpit. (My wife and I never encountered anything objectionable about the venting, though we never sat with our noses close to that vent.)

Bottom line is that this longtime friend is so sensitive to the smell of conventional potties (and also conventional marine heads when the hoses etc become permiated) it is really sort'ta comical.

[MurrayM]

Posted in an unrelated thread...

"At the marina, I was having a pump out and when I opened the opening to the pump out and the contents were under pressure and exploded out of the pump out tube throwing bad stuff over me and half of the boat."

[gaston]

Originally Posted by South of Heaven

Peter B: HUH?? So you think a camping style toilet is better than a composting head? And you think a composting head is complicated? Seems pretty simple to me.

Yeah, and we can't dump chemically treated camping toilet goo into the water here.

Don't misinterpret my thread. I'm still not fully sold on the composting head either! I'm looking for first hand accounts of it and will continue my research. Very interested in it though...

Camping dunny on a boat should read how to spend $150 and devalue your boat by $10000

[mfeene01]

We put an Airhead composter on our boat in 2006. Retired and moved aboard in 2007. Been full time aboard and cruising since then. Once we got familiar with the processes involved (didn't take long) it became very easy. We will not return to a standard marine system again.

No stink, no rebuilds, no problems(that I don't cause).

MikeF.

[KneeDeep]

We converted to SeaHead a couple years ago in our master and no regrets. Simple to use and no smells. We primarily use the boat for long weekends and occasional weekly trips and have had no issues.

Installed a basic port-a-potty in the forward head (very limited footprint space) and works out great for guests.

Pulled all the old hoses cleaned holding tank and left in place JIC we ever change our mind, so far so good.

Our marina hasn't had a working pump out since Harvey came through and it doesn't bother us a bit!!

[cardude01]

Originally Posted by KneeDeep

Pulled all the old hoses cleaned holding tank and left in place JIC we ever change our mind, so far so good.



Our marina hasn't had a working pump out since Harvey came through and it doesn't bother us a bit!!

That’s exactly what I was thinking about doing. No regrets?

How is the marina doing after Harvey? Are they starting to rebuild? It was pretty terrible looking when I drove by after Harvey.

[CaptDon01]

When we looked at the listing on our boat and seen the composting head, I thought, well, that will be the first thing to go. After watching the videos, and using the composting head, it's a winner for the wife and I. I normally dump the urine tank in a bathroom. I just screw on the cap and walk to the bathroom. Sure is much lighter and easier to dump than the porta-potty tank was. The comment about diarrhea is not anymore issue than a marine head, or porta-potty. We keep a little spray bottle of water if we need to clean the head. The water goes into the compost bin and the little muffin fan helps reduce the moisture. Everyone who has toured the boat, and seen the composting toilet, and noticed no odors, were impressed. The composting head just make sense for us. Would never consider any other method. In fact, we're considering installing one in our motorhome. The thought of not having to dump the black water tank again, and the fresh water tank will last longer because we're not draining it to flush the toilet, sure sounds like another win-win for us!

Don

[KneeDeep]

Originally Posted by cardude01

That’s exactly what I was thinking about doing. No regrets?

How is the marina doing after Harvey? Are they starting to rebuild? It was pretty terrible looking when I drove by after Harvey.

We love being able to completely empty and clean everything when we leave and have had no problems so far. I don't have the auxiliary vent installed but will probably do that if when we spend longer stretches on her.

We all have to get the waste off our boat one way or another and the simplicity of this system is the primary driver for us. I'm not worried about resale for now - it's our boat now and we use it the way we like!

The drystack buildings are now almost completely disassembled and they were supposed to start replacing the wetslips roofs this week. Slow progress, but getting better all the time.

[Panhandler]

We really like our Airhead composting toilets. I don't have experience with other types of heads but these are easy with no plumbing.

[cardude01]

Originally Posted by KneeDeep

We love being able to completely empty and clean everything when we leave and have had no problems so far. I don't have the auxiliary vent installed but will probably do that if when we spend longer stretches on her.



We all have to get the waste off our boat one way or another and the simplicity of this system is the primary driver for us. I'm not worried about resale for now - it's our boat now and we use it the way we like!



The drystack buildings are now almost completely disassembled and they were supposed to start replacing the wetslips roofs this week. Slow progress, but getting better all the time.

Glad the marina is getting back into shape. I miss being able to drive down to the boat for the day!

Are you saying you didn’t install the vent hose to the outside, or just didn’t install the fan? I thought these toilets required that vent.

[friz]

Originally Posted by KneeDeep

We converted to SeaHead a couple years ago in our master and no regrets. Simple to use and no smells. We primarily use the boat for long weekends and occasional weekly trips and have had no issues.

Installed a basic port-a-potty in the forward head (very limited footprint space) and works out great for guests.

Pulled all the old hoses cleaned holding tank and left in place JIC we ever change our mind, so far so good.

Our marina hasn't had a working pump out since Harvey came through and it doesn't bother us a bit!!

aka C-Head? I'll assume so. Anyhow they are just down the road from me in Astor. They are around $400 less than other brands which is appealing. Capacity is not an issue as we are not live aboards. When looking at the images on their web site it looks like the vent tube goes through the toilet seat? Don't see how you could lift the seat if this is so. Please enlighten me. Also, I would guess you had to drill a hole in the hull to vent it overboard? Finally, is there an electric motor in the vent tube?

[friz]

Originally Posted by friz

aka C-Head? I'll assume so. Anyhow they are just down the road from me in Astor. They are around $400 less than other brands which is appealing. Capacity is not an issue as we are not live aboards. When looking at the images on their web site it looks like the vent tube goes through the toilet seat? Don't see how you could lift the seat if this is so. Please enlighten me. Also, I would guess you had to drill a hole in the hull to vent it overboard? Finally, is there an electric motor in the vent tube?

Belay my last. Drove down to Astor (C-Head LLC) this afternoon. Sandy Graves (owner) answered all my questions. FYI - Sandy stated he will be raising prices next month or two.

[FF]

We have over a decade with the N-H and it only has one problem, male GUESTS.

In order to have the urine go into the tank the user Must be sitting.

Fine for the ladies,, but difficult to train male guests to sit EVERY time, especially if beer is the libation.

Composting units work, the only hassle might be the need to drain the liquid tank overboard ,when no one is looking.

[Peter B]

Originally Posted by gaston

Camping dunny on a boat should read how to spend $150 and devalue your boat by $10000

And yet Gaston, think how many threads exist all about toilet related issues. Including many of the posts on this very thread. Sure, in the old days when one could just press a button, and loudly expel overboard direct, a built in boat toilet was great. But those days are long gone, and won't be back. And as soon as you have to start storing the waste on board, it becomes a whole different ballgame.

A ballgame that induces many folk to illegally dump, especially here in Australia, when the govts, in their collective wisdom, forgot to mandate pump-outs in marinas when they mandated holding tanks.

This anti-camper toilet thing is largely a kind of snobbery anyway, because boaties like to think they are a cut above campers. But actually most are just floating campers, some just more luxuriously than others, that's all.

[cardude01]

For male guests who won’t sit down I propose this solution: