Heads

[FreeSpiritSue]

Thanks for that. I have a 24/7 fan with a screen. I’ll try cruiser forum & adding more coco coir. Cheers

 

[FF]

"I do find it a bit back breaking unscrewing it every 2nd day to empty the urine tank"

I have a different brand , but most composting toilets release the tank very easily, usually just a couple of snaps.

Are you sure the installer read the instruction book?

 

[Ski in NC]

I use one of those low dollar Jabsco manual pump head. I like the simplicity. In 13yrs I have had to put a seal kit in the pump twice, but that was like 30 bucks and 30 minutes. Water was spitting around the pump rod, but it still worked fine. Sometime the pump seals squeak when pumping, but a shot of Dawn in the bowl takes care of that for a while.

This thing has had a LOT of use and has never failed. I like SIMPLE when it comes to systems. As simple as possible with full function.

My boat often rafts up with smaller boats for social functions, boat parades, etc. I always get invited as my boat has a full service head. The joke is I have the most expensive porta-jon on the water!! Lots of girls come over to "visit" my boat. I don't seem to complain.

 

[timb7734]

For Lepke

What about the residual heat from the burn, does it heat up the interior of the boat?

 

[Cartouche]

We have a Jabsco electric. It is very reliable but also noisy. A good friend has 2 vacu flush heads. One or the other is almost always broken. It has gotten so bad that the last few years he leaves the breakers off in the main panel. When you need to use the head you go to the main panel, flip the breaker, use the head, flush and then flip the breaker. The issue is that the seals in the toilet need servicing constantly. Otherwise they're nice because they use very little water.
John

I agree the Jabsco Electric is great and a little noisy, I carry a spare Pump with Macerator as I found out the hard way last year they do break and never when at home. I have the complete assembly as it only takes Minuets to change in the event of a failure. I was able to rebuild the old one when I replaced the assembly last year

 

[FreeSpiritSue]

Hi. The main composting part of toilet sits on a bracket either side with 2 screws. When emptying that, there’s 4 screws to unwind to lift top seating off & then carry the compost part away. The urine tank sits in its own 2 brackets. I have been told by airhead that I don’t really need to screw this. Originally in researching, I was more interested in reading the installation manual & watching the video rather than the day to day usage. I will get used to it. (Well, I have to) and I was very keen to be eco friendly. The instruction leaflet had said add 4 litres of water but Airhead have since advised use only 1 1/2 litres so I did a new batch last night. Fingers crossed! Thanks.

 

[Mako]

I bought an airhead composting toilet... I do find it a bit back breaking unscrewing it every 2nd day to empty the urine tank.

Honestly it sounds like it’s one step above a porta potty. What’s the matter with a normal marine toilet? A manual pumped with freshwater feed is 100% sanitary, 99% dependable and not as gross as keeping a human litter box in your cabin.

 

[syjos]

Honestly it sounds like it’s one step above a ports potty. What’s the matter with a normal marine toilet? A manual pumped with freshwater feed is 100% sanitary, 99% dependable and not as gross as keeping a human litter box in your cabin.

I agree 100%

I was waiting for someone to bring that up.

 

[mvweebles]

Honestly it sounds like it’s one step above a porta potty. What’s the matter with a normal marine toilet? A manual pumped with freshwater feed is 100% sanitary, 99% dependable and not as gross as keeping a human litter box in your cabin.

Amongst my friends, the most controversial decision on my refit has been to start with a compost head (I'm having a holding tank installed just in case). My experience over 20+ years is the head system is not reliable, when service is needed is far from sanitary, and smells. A recent poll on CruiserForum of how often do folks rebuild or service their head system (note a compost head thread) revealed vast majority of owners have some sort of issue with their head within two year intervals. This has been my experience. Had it not been, I would stick with the marine head.

Final straw for me was my macerator died two days before leaving on a 500nms trip with two crew aboard. Replacement pump ran but didn't pump so I thought it was an install error and I spent a day correcting for every possible error except a DOA pump. It was far from a sanitary affair.

To each their own. For me, time to try an alternative.

 

[catalinajack]

+1, a thousand times. If I were looking at a boat and it had a composting head and I wanted to make an offer, I would want a price concession just for a retrofit. Outhouses are for backwoods cabins. At least with an outhouse there is no need to empty the pit every week.

Honestly it sounds like it’s one step above a porta potty. What’s the matter with a normal marine toilet? A manual pumped with freshwater feed is 100% sanitary, 99% dependable and not as gross as keeping a human litter box in your cabin.

 

[catalinajack]

A Marine Elegance macerating head is highly reliable and obviates the need for a macerating overboard pump.

Amongst my friends, the most controversial decision on my refit has been to start with a compost head (I'm having a holding tank installed just in case). My experience over 20+ years is the head system is not reliable, when service is needed is far from sanitary, and smells. A recent poll on CruiserForum of how often do folks rebuild or service their head system (note a compost head thread) revealed vast majority of owners have some sort of issue with their head within two year intervals. This has been my experience. Had it not been, I would stick with the marine head.

Final straw for me was my macerator died two days before leaving on a 500nms trip with two crew aboard. Replacement pump ran but didn't pump so I thought it was an install error and I spent a day correcting for every possible error except a DOA pump. It was far from a sanitary affair.

To each their own. For me, time to try an alternative.

 

[Mako]

Retrofitting in the tiny confines of most of our boats is always challenging. However if you had a good 18” under the floorboards than I would go with the RV head directly into the tank (99.99% reliable) then just plumb a macerator to evacuate it. Could also plumb a manual hand pump instead of electric.

 

[DennisB1]

I have installed the Dometic Masterflush electric toilet. These replace two Head Hunter Royal Flush units. These work great except that they use about 2 gallons per flush and filled the holding tanks quickly. The Masterflush toilets are much more economical on using water which is results in many more days between pump outs. I have one older model and a new model of the master flush 8100 series. The difference being the design of the bowl. The older models did not feed well with the more solid deposits in the bowl. The new current model works much better. Both have the same electric motor design for pump and use less that 20 amps when running which is usually about 5 to 10 seconds. I have had no problems with either from a maintenance standpoint. Do buy the new design toilets if you consider this approach.

 

[timb7734]

Flushing heads

Sorry but all the flush head problems have not been my experience. I have a 20 year old boat with old Raritan heads that I have never done anything to, I have had two boats with Vacuflush heads that needed maintenance every three or four years over ten year ownership. From what I read most of the vacuflush issues are actually from lack of maintenance vis a vis “head broke just before we left” sort of thing. Our newest vessel has Elegance heads but just into the second year so jury is still out, but they work very well.

I am considering replacing the heads in the 20 year old boat with the incinerator type, but have a question yet unanswered regarding residual heat in the tropics.

IMHO “composters” are just sh!tting in a bag and putting it in the trash, save some smell. Once enough boaters are doing this I guarantee there will be new regulations and outrage.

 

[Giggitoni]

edit: duplicate post

 

[Giggitoni]

I’ll keep my old Groco K manual toilets. Bullet proof. Changing out gaskets every few years is all the maintenance required.

Lift the coffee cup with the left hand and pump the manual toilet with the right hand. Enough exercise for the day...

 

[mvweebles]

Sorry but all the flush head problems have not been my experience. I have a 20 year old boat with old Raritan heads that I have never done anything to, I have had two boats with Vacuflush heads that needed maintenance every three or four years over ten year ownership. From what I read most of the vacuflush issues are actually from lack of maintenance vis a vis “head broke just before we left” sort of thing. Our newest vessel has Elegance heads but just into the second year so jury is still out, but they work very well.

I am considering replacing the heads in the 20 year old boat with the incinerator type, but have a question yet unanswered regarding residual heat in the tropics.

IMHO “composters” are just sh!tting in a bag and putting it in the trash, save some smell. Once enough boaters are doing this I guarantee there will be new regulations and outrage.

Wow! 10 years of ownership and never had to clear a clog (frequent after guests, especially those with teenagers and 20-somethings ), replace a macerator, free a frozen thru hull, clear or replace a clogged vent line, clear debris from a tank monitor, replace a hose, find a pump out, find another pump out when the one you want is broken, wash down dribs of raw sewage from the guy who used the pump out before you, replace a duck bill valve, service a vented loop, worry that you may have left the thru hull open when you left, replace the electrode pack on a LectraSan, etc. All that to support a giant Tupperware box of raw sewage. I don't blame you. If my experience was void of this laundry list of ills - all of which I've experienced multiple times (at least one of the above per year), wouldn't consider a compost toilet either.

BTW - I'm guessing many are unfamiliar with how the modern ones work. Much different than an outhouse or Porta potty. Liquid and solids are separated. Solids are mixed with coco coir (or sphagnum peat) and smell is more or less zero and reverts to hummus quickly. Requires emptying every several weeks for a full time couple. Urine is more troublesome as it requires emptying every several days. To be clear, it's not a composting process, but a dessicating process.

Not saying it's for everyone, but folks may want to keep an open mind on the principles. I have spent way too much time with marine head systems and the subsequent clorox cleanup to proclaim them a good system (not even great, but just adequate would be nice).

 

[catalinajack]

So what do you do with your gallon or so of accumulated urine?

Wow! 10 years of ownership and never had to clear a clog (frequent after guests, especially those with teenagers and 20-somethings ), replace a macerator, free a frozen thru hull, clear or replace a clogged vent line, clear debris from a tank monitor, replace a hose, find a pump out, find another pump out when the one you want is broken, wash down dribs of raw sewage from the guy who used the pump out before you, replace a duck bill valve, service a vented loop, worry that you may have left the thru hull open when you left, replace the electrode pack on a LectraSan, etc. All that to support a giant Tupperware box of raw sewage. I don't blame you. If my experience was void of this laundry list of ills - all of which I've experienced multiple times (at least one of the above per year), wouldn't consider a compost toilet either.

BTW - I'm guessing many are unfamiliar with how the modern ones work. Much different than an outhouse or Porta potty. Liquid and solids are separated. Solids are mixed with coco coir (or sphagnum peat) and smell is more or less zero and reverts to hummus quickly. Requires emptying every several weeks for a full time couple. Urine is more troublesome as it requires emptying every several days. To be clear, it's not a composting process, but a dessicating process.

Not saying it's for everyone, but folks may want to keep an open mind on the principles. I have spent way too much time with marine head systems and the subsequent clorox cleanup to proclaim them a good system (not even great, but just adequate would be nice).

 

[mvweebles]

So what do you do with your gallon or so of accumulated urine?

Plan is that when in a marina, in the marinas rest room. Elsewhere, over the side.

 

[FF]

"Retrofitting in the tiny confines of most of our boats is always challenging. However if you had a good 18” under the floorboards than I would go with the RV head directly into the tank (99.99% reliable) then just plumb a macerator to evacuate it. Could also plumb a manual hand pump instead of electric."


Ditto!

One big advantage of the RV head is its tank can be 1/4 the volume of a boat head.
With practice the tiny flush volume required might allow even smaller.
2 weeks of holding for a couple is goal.

A quality RV valve at the bottom of the waste tank would allow the macerator to be wet at all times , extending its life . When it finally fails changing to the next unit would be a 5 min task.

https://www.dupreeproducts.com/

 

[Mako]

Do Class rules or ABYC allow for bottom openings?

 

[rslifkin]

Even with a standard marine head, water volume can be kept pretty low if the tank is close to the head. With my forward head, it takes very little to clear the line. It's only a 7 foot run to the tank. Level for about 6" after leaving the toilet, then the rest is a continuous slope down to the tank, so it all self drains very well.

 

[Pau Hana]

We are just completing a toilet refit- our daughter killed the Raritan SeaEra saltwater flush in the forward cabin, so we decided to convert that head to freshwater.

My wife had heard of this thing called a bidet, so the net result is that the Marine Elegance in the aft head is now in the forward head (just have to finish the freshwater plumbing and electrical connections) and the age head has a new Masterflush 8100 with a BioBidet seat.

The Marine Elegance has a non-flat seat mounting area, so the bidet seat would not fit.

Net result- wife is happy!

For the record, the Masterflush is VERY quiet.

 

[FF]

"Do Class rules or ABYC allow for bottom openings?"

The Coasties may have rules about bottom openings in gas or diesel fuel tanks , but for black water there is no safety issue.

"Even with a standard marine head, water volume can be kept pretty low if the tank is close to the head."

Low is great , but gravity is your friend with an RV head so 1/4 cup of flush water for a pee and perhaps 2x that for a dump is hard to beat.

For guys with good aim no water is required to drain beer.