Use fresh water to head

[Depot]

I read that boaters have hooked up a fresh water line to the electric head? Has anyone done that?
Thanks
Steve

 

[Bmarler]

Many of us use fresh water flush. It’s a great way to go to reduce odors.

 

[ranger58sb]

Our previous boat had a Jabsco Quiet Flush electric head with freshwater hookup. Seemed straightforward. There's a solenoid in the supply line to the head.

-Chris

 

[SteveK]

I read that boaters have hooked up a fresh water line to the electric head? Has anyone done that?
Thanks
Steve

yes, but I used the Marine Elegance which is designed to be used with fresh water. I understand there is a backflow preventer built in. Have not hooked up fresh water to one designed to intake from body of water the boat sits in.

 

[J.T kearney]

I read that boaters have hooked up a fresh water line to the electric head? Has anyone done that?
Thanks
Steve

Hi Steve,
In 2017 installed new Vacuflush on our 1998 350 and went with a fresh water flush. big difference from the old sea water flush(I'm in salt). I tee'd of from the water source feeding the sink in the head. I'm replacing the duck bills for the first time since install but has run great for 8 years

Cheers J.T.

 

[O C Diver]

My trawler which was built in 2002, had freshwater heads from the manufacturer. For vessels with significant freshwater capacity, this is the best choice. Unlike home toilets, marine heads use substantially less water. Further, for most marine heads, salt water is more corrosive on internal components.

Ted

 

[ancora]

I converted both heads to fresh water using Raritan conversion pumps. No more odors and, even bigger, no more piscrete.

 

[Shrew]

You can't just hook up an electric head to the pressurized water system. You need a head that is designed to use a pressure pump. These heads also have systems to prevent the head from contaminating the freshwater system.

I installed a Raritan Sea-Era head. They make a freshwater and a dual fresh/saltwater model. On my Mainship 350 I couldn't find a Marine Elegance. The Sea-Era is the smaller cousin with the same features. It's a direct bolt-in replacement to the JAbsco Electric Flush.

 

[BB-marine]

I have a Raritan head. Raw water flush. The kit to convert to fresh water flush cost has much as a new head. There was nothing wrong with the head. I had just installed new seals, pump and gasket before researching fresh water flush. My fix was I installed a separate 20 gallon fresh water tank. This tank is only plumbed to the head. The heads water pump pumps the water out of the tank and uses it for flush water. The 20 gallon tank is more than enough water for flushing. The holding tank needs to be pumped out when the 20 gallons of water is used up. I pump out and fill the fresh water flush tank at the same time. It cost me about $150.00 for the tank and install. DIY. I do not use any of my fresh water capacity cooking, showing cleaning capacity for flushing. Cheap fix and kept my fresh water capacity .
Brian

 

[Comodave]

You can't just hook up an electric head to the pressurized water system. You need a head that is designed to use a pressure pump. These heads also have systems to prevent the head from contaminating the freshwater system.

I installed a Raritan Sea-Era head. They make a freshwater and a dual fresh/saltwater model. On my Mainship 350 I couldn't find a Marine Elegance. The Sea-Era is the smaller cousin with the same features. It's a direct bolt-in replacement to the JAbsco Electric Flush.

Absolutely. You do not want poop water backflushing into the domestic water system.

 

[SteveK]

I have a Raritan head. Raw water flush. The kit to convert to fresh water flush cost has much as a new head. There was nothing wrong with the head. I had just installed new seals, pump and gasket before researching fresh water flush. My fix was I installed a separate 20 gallon fresh water tank. This tank is only plumbed to the head. The heads water pump pumps the water out of the tank and uses it for flush water. The 20 gallon tank is more than enough water for flushing. The holding tank needs to be pumped out when the 20 gallons of water is used up. I pump out and fill the fresh water flush tank at the same time. It cost me about $150.00 for the tank and install. DIY. I do not use any of my fresh water capacity cooking, showing cleaning capacity for flushing. Cheap fix and kept my fresh water capacity .
Brian

Did you consider to also use as a grey water. Something I think about since the fresh water flush M.E. install, to reuse sink and shower water for flushing.

 

[luna]

You can't just hook up an electric head to the pressurized water system. You need a head that is designed to use a pressure pump. These heads also have systems to prevent the head from contaminating the freshwater system.

I don't quite understand the above statement.

I acknowledge that there needs to be a mechanism to prevent contamination of your fresh water supply (typically a spring check valve) but if you "just hook up the electric head to the pressurized water system" why do you need a head that is designed to use a pressure pump? The flush water is already under pressure.

Here is a Headhunter's sketch of a system similar to mine. The head itself has no pump, it's just hooked right up to the pressurized water system. The button to flush simply electrically opens the solenoid valve (in the Adder kit) for a user settable period of time, to release pressurized water into the bowl and out the discharge piping. No chopper blades required.

https://www.headhunterinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/censys_img1.jpg

It's worked without a major problem for now 18 years.

 

[BB-marine]

Did you consider to also use as a grey water t. Something I think about since the fresh water flush M.E. install, to reuse sink and shower water for flushing.

I did not. that would have required extensive additional plumbing. I have worked on boats that have grey water tanks and after a while they tend to stink and get scum build up. I kept it simple 20 gal to flush. When I run out of flush water it’s time to pump out.
Brian

 

[Depot]

I did not. that would have required extensive additional plumbing. I have worked on boats that have grey water tanks and after a while they tend to stink and get scum build up. I kept it simple 20 gal to flush. When I run out of flush water it’s time to pump out.
Brian

 

[lwarden]

I did not. that would have required extensive additional plumbing. I have worked on boats that have grey water tanks and after a while they tend to stink and get scum build up. I kept it simple 20 gal to flush. When I run out of flush water it’s time to pump out.
Brian

This is how I converted my last boat from raw water to fresh water. I simply tee'd in a solenoid valve to the pressurized fresh water and replaced the single throw switch to a double throw so you could add water without flushing. Worked very well and really improved the smell of the head and we didn't get all that salt buildup on the bowl.

 

[BB-marine]

This is how I converted my last boat from raw water to fresh water. I simply tee'd in a solenoid valve to the pressurized fresh water and replaced the single throw switch to a double throw so you could add water without flushing. Worked very well and really improved the smell of the head and we didn't get all that salt buildup on the bowl.

That may have worked for your head. Which is a way to do it. The Raritan macerating head I have has the water inlet and the waste maserator separated by one single lip seal. Cross contamination of waste and fresh water would only be protected by the solenoid when closed but when open there is no separation. The head has two pumps one for suction of water one for discharge of waste. Raritan recommended not to use the solenoid with out a vacuum breaker that would insure no back feed water that could contaminate the drinking/ cooking water in freshwater system. I took their word and did not convert that way.
Brian

 

[lwarden]

Understood. I was converting a Jabsco and the water feed is only into the top rim and not connected to any waste line so no possibility to backfeed into the fresh water. I suppose adding a check valve would help to prevent this and would probably be prudent. Sounds like the Raritan is a different beast.

 

[SteveK]

If retrofitting a non fresh water head, perhaps we should consider a similar tank like on residential toilets. Placed above and gravity feed the flush and the float will shut off the incoming fresh water to tank.

 

[Shrew]

I don't quite understand the above statement.

I acknowledge that there needs to be a mechanism to prevent contamination of your fresh water supply (typically a spring check valve) but if you "just hook up the electric head to the pressurized water system" why do you need a head that is designed to use a pressure pump? The flush water is already under pressure.

Here is a Headhunter's sketch of a system similar to mine. The head itself has no pump, it's just hooked right up to the pressurized water system. The button to flush simply electrically opens the solenoid valve (in the Adder kit) for a user settable period of time, to release pressurized water into the bowl and out the discharge piping. No chopper blades required.

https://www.headhunterinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/censys_img1.jpg

It's worked without a major problem for now 18 years.

So you're using the macerating pump on the head to draw water from the freshwater tanks? How are you isolating the freshwater from the blackwater?

 

[Shrew]

So you're using the macerating pump on the head to draw water from the freshwater tanks? How are you isolating the freshwater from the blackwater?

Disregard. I see it. A spring-loaded check valve. So, I'm gonna pass on that system. Worked just fine is not the same as prone to, or possible failure. A failure of the seal inside of the macerator pump and I highly doubt that check valve is going to truly prevent contamination of your freshwater bacteriologically.

There is a reason Raritan designs a much more robust system.

 

[luna]

There is no macerator pump in the system whatsoever. Isn't that a feature of Raritan's 2 pump, 2 Joker Valve, overly complex and power hungry ME head?

I am also suspect of the ability of the check valve to protect the system but the solenoid valve will ensure isolation of the domestic water system.
These valves must work well as Raritan also uses a solenoid valve when you hook theirs up to your pressurized domestic water supply. Raritan has so much confidence in the isolation effectiveness of the solenoid valve that they don't even mention a spring check valve as a secondary line of defence. What a much more robust system!

 

[ancora]

Both my Raritan conversions have siphon breakers to eliminate contamination of the fresh water system.

 

[caleb200]

Yes, many boaters have modified their electric heads to use freshwater instead of raw water. It helps eliminate odors caused by decaying marine life in intake lines and can reduce scale buildup.

Common approaches include teeing into a freshwater line with a solenoid valve or using a dedicated tank

 

[HeadMistress]

Something I think about since the fresh water flush M.E. install, to reuse sink and shower water for flushing.

Bad idea. Gray water is full of soap scum, tooth paste, body oils, galley grease, food particle, dirt and everything else that goes down sink drains, none of which you want to put through your toilet.

--Peggie

 

[HeadMistress]

Both my Raritan conversions have siphon breakers to eliminate contamination of the fresh water system.

Siphon breaks are not backflow preventers. You need both.

--Peggie

 

[Wtrguy]

Siphon breaks are not backflow preventers. You need both.

Who has jurisdiction over backflow preventers on boats? Are they as stringent as Dept. of Health requirements and require annual testing of certain assemblies?

 

[Comodave]

Your wife has jurisdiction when she gets sick because someone tried improperly plumbing the water to the head and contaminated the freshwater.

 

[Wtrguy]

Your wife has jurisdiction when she gets sick because someone tried improperly plumbing the water to the head and contaminated the freshwater

I certainly don't doubt that, but as water/wastewater is what I've done my entire adult life, I'm pretty sure I won't be making that mistake!!!

 

[Caballero II]

I read that boaters have hooked up a fresh water line to the electric head? Has anyone done that?
Thanks
Steve

Depot,

Many, many boaters converted to or started out with fresh water heads. The benefits are obvious and indisputable. Fear not. I don't think it's a capacity problem for the vast majority of coast-wise boaters.

 

[HeadMistress]

Toilets that are designed to use fresh water do not have an intake pump because they all must use pressurized water, which functions as a backflow preventer. This means that the water pump MUST be ON any time the toilet is flushed. Never connect a toilet to the fresh water line from the tank to the pump.

--Peggie