Best toilet for boats

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sndog

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Nov 15, 2022
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I currently have two galley maid toilets. I was wondering what would be the best toilet to put on a boat.

I would like for it to be as close to a normal toilet as possible for family and guests, and to make sure to reduce/eliminate any smells that may come from it.

I would appreciate why you are providing the recommendation for that particular toilet....or should I stay with the galley made units?

Thank you in advance.
 
My girls like our Dometic masterflush toilets. If the girls are happy, so am I.
 
Raritan Marine Elegance. Hands down, or maybe butts down.
 
I'm not aware of any toilet that can handle things like sanitary wipes or sanitary pads. So, briefings are required for new guests. Pick the toilet you want and plan to brief new guests. The idea that this is just like home, will only lead to a clogged toilet.

If you want to eliminate smells, a freshwater flush head makes a big difference.

Ted
 
O C Diver said:
I'm not aware of any toilet that can handle things like sanitary wipes or sanitary pads. So, briefings are required for new guests. Pick the toilet you want and plan to brief new guests. The idea that this is just like home, will only lead to a clogged toilet.

If you want to eliminate smells, a freshwater flush head makes a big difference.

Ted
Click to expand...

Yes, I forgot to add. Just waste and toilet paper, RV style, only down the toilet.
 
sndog said:
Yes, I forgot to add. Just waste and toilet paper, RV style, only down the toilet.
Click to expand...

Save your $$$ and just buy Scott's single ply TP. It dissolves as quickly as RV at a fraction of the price and available just about anywhere.

Ted
 
Another vote for Raritan Marine Elegance with freshwater flush. No unwelcome odors, no remote vacuum pumps, moderately quiet, feels more like a “real” toilet, trouble-free, uses little power, operator choice of flush volume.
 
The Raritan Marine Elegance is the top rated macerating electric toilet. Designed to use onboard pressurized fresh water,and, a "no brainer" for guests to use after a little instruction... even quieter than household toilets. You'll find Raritan's "Promo Sheet" for it here. Raritan Marine_Elegance Promo.pdf And I'm always glad to answer questions about this other similar toilets.


--Peggie
 
That is one of the versions of the ME head. You can add quite a few options to it is probably why you are seeing a wide variance of price. You can add a smart flush option, a wireless smart flush option, seawater flush, freshwater flush, or both flushes, straight back or slant back, 12 volt or 24 volt. There may be other options that I have forgotten about. I just paid a bit over $1K for a 24 volt freshwater flush slant back one with a wireless smart flush panel. But IMO it is the best head out there. I have put one in our last 3 boats and they just work great.
 
It is..one version of it. There's another retailer who shows all the versions


Boatersland Marine Elegance When you open it, you'll see a bunch of boxes...each one is a menu. The price changes with the version and options you select. Stand by for an incoming private message.


--Peggie
 
The one that works

We have TMC 24v big bowl models
Near 7 years 365 day a year live aboard use, even when on the hard.
Have had them out to do work on once in all that time.
 
O C Diver said:
Save your $$$ and just buy Scott's single ply TP. It dissolves as quickly as RV at a fraction of the price and available just about anywhere.
Click to expand...

Scott's aka sandpaper. I'm sure someone somewhere likes Scott's, however I've never heard a woman say "That feels mighty fine" ... on the other hand, keeping the hoses from clogging is a good thing. ?
 
janice142 said:
Scott's aka sandpaper. I'm sure someone somewhere likes Scott's, however I've never heard a woman say "That feels mighty fine" ... on the other hand, keeping the hoses from clogging is a good thing. ?
Click to expand...

Keeping clogs away is waaay more important than how it feels…
 
FWIW we have two Tecma units on board.

They have been in operation for 15 years. Over that time we have gone through two control units,one motor & had them clog up twice through user misuse. I have replaced the hoses once, nothing to do with the toilets as such.

When working properly they are excellent units, very quiet, though expensive.

We chose to hook them up to raw water, not fresh. When coming onto the boat after a week or so they do have that 'raw water smell' for the first one or two flushes but after that you could not tell if the units were using raw or fresh water.

Anyway, that's my experience with the Tecma's.

Cheers,

Andy
 
bowball said:
No love for the Tecma Silence Plus 2G’s? Fleming’s spec.
Click to expand...

I chose the Tecma over the Raritan when I replaced the original Vacu Flush two years ago and am not sure I made the right decision. The Tecma has noticeably lost flushing power recently and the repair guy can’t seem to figure out the reason.
 
SteveK said:
Too bad you cannot get Made in Canada Purex 2ply, feels good and disintegrates.
Click to expand...

We aren’t too far from Canada but I don’t want to be arrested for smuggling TP…
 
SIR, are you sure you have nothing to declare.
Antthing to declare.jpg
 
+1 for the Elegance with fresh water... just installed two on our GB42C and we are absolutely delighted with them.

Cant help hoping :rolleyes: that as long as we use marine toilet paper our chances of a clog or issues has gone waaay down. The size also works well and is a quantum improvement over the older manual pump units they replaced.
 
Last edited:
Think it depends upon boat and use.
We had two marine elegance plumbed for fresh or salt on the last boat. Used salt on passage to decrease watermarker hours.
Current has vacuflush which is ok for now.
But if I was going to spec new construction again I’d go with two different technologies.
Ideally an incinerating one in combination with a ME or the like.
Or if just coastal a composting one and a ME.
Previously was either in countries with no dumping restrictions so holding tanks were always empty. Or outside the 3m often enough it wasn’t an issue.
Now that’s not the case. So having at least one toilet that didn’t use a holding tank would be liberating.
 
There's an easy test to determine the "dissolvability" of any TP: Tear off a couple of sheets and put 'em in a mason jar or glass of water. Come back in an hour and shake the jar or stir the glass. If the water is milky and all you see is "snow" that TP can safely be flushed through any marine toilet. But if the sheets are still intact or even mostly intact, try another brand. I've been told that Charmin Ultra is one "premium" brand that's safe to use...a good one on which to try this test.

And fwiw, an overload of any TP that is safe to use rarely requires any effort to remove the clog. Just wait an hour...unless something has gone down with the flush that shouldn't have, the clog will dissolve on its own.


--Peggie
 
Macerating head - 2-ply TP?

HeadMistress said:
It is..one version of it. There's another retailer who shows all the versions


Boatersland Marine Elegance When you open it, you'll see a bunch of boxes...each one is a menu. The price changes with the version and options you select. Stand by for an incoming private message.


--Peggie
Click to expand...

Peggie, et al,

I have had macerating fresh water heads for about 8 years. Since they are macerating, we have been using nicer 2-ply TP without any problems. Do we think this is ok, or could this likely result in a problem?
 
If the toilets are that old, it's highly unlikely that toilet paper will be the source of any new problems. However, all macerating toilets--toilets of any type--are not created equal...so a new toilet from a different mfr may or may not like your choice of TP. But it won't take anywhere near 8 years to make its opinion known...it'll do that the first month you own it.

It's always best to use any TP as sparingly as possible within reason in any toilet, manual, macerating or VacuFlush. Guests are responsible for at least 90% of toilet problems, find a way to instruct landlubbers about that and especially what should never be flushed at all (paper towels, feminine sanitary products and especially WET WIPES! There isn't a macerating toilet in existence that can chew one up.


--Peggie
 
We installed the Marine Elegance last season and with the full size bowl, multiple flush options panel and fresh water flush. It brought a level of civilization to our vessel that we never imagined.... we started 10 boats ago with a bucket....
We got the hardwired panel to keep things more straightforward for us. To each their own but the idea of "bluetoothing" to our toilet was not a draw.. Also, as noted by Comodave in prior post, don't spring $40 for the 90 degree kit if you plumb out the back. Source 90 fitting, hose stub and hose clamps locally. I guess it depends on the environment where it is installed but I wouldn't describe it as "quiet".... thinking of surrounding the macerator pump (source of noise...) with insulation but probably needs some airflow to keep cool so will hold on that.
We love it regardless.....
 
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