I'm not a big fan of "one size fits all" sanitation plumbing diagrams, 'cuz in my experience they rarely fit just ONE situation, much less all. Youll want to make sure that it is feasible to install such a head and its associated plumbing and wiring in your boat; intake and discharge hoses may need to be re-routed, it may be difficult to find a suitable place for one or two remote pumps, and so on. pump sewage centrifugal inline marine vertical cgw pumps gw structure sea Head unit also comes with wiring harness and 4 mounting brackets. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Deck Pumpout and Dip-Pipe OutletClick the image to learn more. Failing that, if youre a coastal sailor, a brisk hours sail seaward puts you outside the three-mile limit so you can pump out to your hearts content. but you should however find them a useful starting point. However, salt water has some downsides. JABSCO MARINE toilet - MARINE HEAD.
Practical Sailor has tested all of them at one time or another. If your boat is out of the water and you want a gravity discharge system that works well, then changing the seacock to 2 is a must. a Shitty Problem.
If our primary cruising area were US & Canada coastal & inland waters I believe it to be a good option as pump out facilities are typically available. They are purely representations of possible layouts and should be treated as guidelines only. I'd never plumb a head like that though, going through the HT all the time. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. Part of the nasty existing plumbing, most of which was replaced as part of the project. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Deck Pumpout and Ball ValveClick the image to learn more. But then again, those Id experienced recently had been relatively noiseless and oh-so-efficient. Note that both loops are vented with anti-syphon valves. Pump out facilities are few and far between in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Central America. Don Casey has it diagrammed in a West Advisor article at westmarine.com. Units with dedicated intake pumps that deliver pressurized water as the macerator pump handles the waste tend to flush more efficiently. Many cruisers sing the praises of these units, and for a while I was seriously tempted. Here in Indianapolis, I own a house boat that I spend most of the summer on. Well, more blockages occurred. Applied an overnight acid soak and now the problem seems cured till the next time. First attempt to fix the problem was to remove the tank and inspect. Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. Two of the toilets on Gemeaux use salt water to flush, the other uses fresh water. After looking at all the models on offer I went for the Raritan Marine Elegance, which combined a number of desirable features: a near-household-sized bowl with soft-close lid, saltwater intake (freshwater is an option), a powerful macerator concealed in the toilet base, a water trap to prevent holding tank odor from sneaking back through the discharge hose, and quality construction. You must log in or register to reply here. We store the bottles where the water tank would have been in the cabinet below the sink and stove. All connections below the waterline should be double clipped, even those connections above the waterline would benefit from double clipping but are not essential.
I saw no "preaching" in any of the prior posts; just sound advice by well-meaning and experienced boaters. Holding Tank and Blackwater Plumbing Complete. I don't mean any offense, just want to clarify. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. I have a system where waste is always pumped to holding tank. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Per NSHOFs rules, nominees must be American citizens, 55 years of read more, In the following excerpt from Wild Seas to Greenland A Sailing Adventure with Ocean Racer Ross Field, veteran mariner Rebecca Hayter, recounts how Field prepared the aluminum-hulled Rosemary, which he bought in France, for a try at the Northwest Passage People often ask: why read more, The Coast Guard says that the best life jacket is one you will wear, so comfort and function are important considerations when picking out a life jacket that suits your needs. If the macerator failed and pump out facilities are non-existant then the head is rendered useless until the macerator is repaired or replaced.I would actually prefer a manual pump vs. an electric macerator for the holding tank discharge, but due to space/access constraints installing a manual pump would increase the complexity of the system.Thanks for sharing your thoughts.Jeff. Seemed like the blockage was above the valve to open and close the tank. For the first year we owned Gemeaux we struggled with one of the port side heads (on the guest side of the boat) always getting the outlet of the tank clogged. As for plumbing, a filter upstream of the intake pump will prevent debris from clogging or possibly damaging an expensive pump. A protected tie up, hot showers and restaurants minimize the chores aboard. Pay special attention to discharge sanitation hose size and electrical wire gauge. Disadvantages: annoying to use, especially for guests; Ive always had a love-hate relationship with manual toiletsno one ever seems to pump them enough to clear the hoses, and there is often a smelly backflow through the traitorous joker valve. They have all of their "Advisor" articles, published in their catalogs, too, online. So it was that I decided to replace, rather than eliminate, my existing blackwater system. What good is a small sink in a boat if you can only wash one cup at a time with water splashing all over and you hunched over in one corner? And that was about all there was to it. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. What Are Our Options if Electro Scan is Out. Carrying a bucket of poop ashore, composted or not, isnt my idea of a fun time. holding tank toilet system head electric discharge sanitation flush put already They cost money, take up valuable space and cannot be used with comfort an efficiency. Winter is the ideal time to embark on such a project. I have the same system as Sami. Your email address will not be published. Pioneer head unit & Clarion Marine speakers, Marine Radio, head unit Kenwood, KMR-700U, JABSCO MARINE TOILET MARINE HEAD 80 laconner, Pioneer head unit Clarion Marine speakers, Marine Radio head unit Kenwood KMR 700U, JABSCO MARINE TOILET - MARINE HEAD - $80 (laconner). There should be no more than 3-percent voltage drop in the wire run. Gravity Discharge with Charcoal Vent and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. I mounted the intake pump on the other side of the bulkhead, with an inline filter and siphon break in the hose, and ran the pumps wires to the control panel for the momentary switch as per Raritans excellent instructions, which I recommend following to the letter. Bud,Thanks for looking over the diagram. We keep a Starwind 223 on a trailer and we take 10 day trips at a distant sailing venue at least once a year. I planned to spend extended periods of time on the boat, so Id have to live with the consequences of the decision. Our project boat has a second (manual) head forward, so Im not too concerned about the possibility of the electric head failing.
Efficiency: the integral macerator pumps in these toilets deal with waste quickly and efficiently. This is what we do. We also switched the offending tank to fresh water. And for that you had to install pressurized water? Our diagrams do not show this because it would have made the renderings unclear. After Shiera allowed me to have a corner for my own posts, I struggled with what to write about first. Sea water is plentiful and fresh water is hard to come by on the ocean. Nothing illustrated this better than the 2021 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), which departed Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (in Spains Canary Islands) in November and wrapped up in December on the island of St. Lucia read more, There is, of course, nothing new about bowspritssailing ships have been using them for centuries. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Dip-Pipe OutletClick the image to learn more. Seamanship, Navigation & Boat Handling, Rules of the Road, Regulations, & Red Tape, Converting a Water Tank to a Holding Tank. The 30-year-old Raritan PH II head on our Pearson 39-2 project boat still worked, but reluctantly. Copyright 2022 ZeBoats. Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Ocean Voyages Institute, a non-profit organization based in Sausalito, CA, uses read more, The days of multihulls being the weirdos of the sea are gone. Afew weeks back, this subject was extensively covered. Partway through replacing the hoses and valves; the new intake pump is on the right. Many toilets come with a choice between pressurized freshwater or saltwater; the former is less likely to give rise to odors in the hoses deriving from dead sea critters, but absent a dockside supply, is best suited to boats with watermakers. An upgrade would involve purchasing new hoses, Y-valves, macerator and anti-syphon fittings, and either repairing the PH II or replacing it with a new unit. Not so long ago, electric marine toilets were a bit of a joke; power-greedy, noisy and unreliable. They also will offer a range of products (adapters, low-profile pumps, etc.) Mailport: X-yachts, Soverel 33, tropical storms, Designing a Dump Line for the Multihull Mainsheet, Test Driving Furunos Cutting Edge Compass, Green Boating From a Practical Perspective, PS Advisor: Belaying Safety for Mast Climbing. An 1 ball valve is also recommended so as waste does not sit in the pump and distort the valves. Gravity Discharge with Charcoal VentClick the image to learn more. Many models offer the option of freshwater or saltwater flushing. Besides the navigation lights, we have cabin lights. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent and Diverter ValveClick the image to learn more. The guts of the toilet were simple enough, with the macerator pump under the bowl. The bucket also serves to take a shower, wash the boat or bail if needed. Highly impractical to install systems designed for larger boats in a small pocket cruiser. Logistics: installation of these toilets can be simple or nightmarish, just like any boat project, but is well within the powers of any reasonably competent DIY-er. If you seize the opportunity to get rid of all those stinky old discharge hoses, as I did, make sure that the hose fittings on your chosen toilet match your intake and discharge seacocksfor instance, some toilets come with 1/2in intake and 1in discharge hoses, while most discharge seacock hose tails are sized for 1 1/2in hose, 3/4in for intake. Advantages: simplicitysuch toilets require no plumbing, therefore no holes in the hull, no macerator and no holding tank (hallelujah). Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums.
Tentative plan is to leave Gmeaux in Sicily for the winter while we return to CA. And from tank either to deck or to thru-hull. With todays furlers, an read more, For years, Nautitech Catamarans has been doing things differently from other production cat builders, and it seems to be paying off. Advantages: familiarityIve replaced such systems before; reliabilitya new soup-to-nuts system would be odor-free and should last me for the rest of time I own the boat; inexpensive compared to other alternatives.
In addition, there are multiple ways to plumb a holding tank into the system. To clear the clog was a very messy business of using the dinghy pump to force air into the holding tank outlet to push the clog back into the tank and allowing it to empty. It put me off the idea for years. In the process of measuring the hoses for their replacements, I began to recall all the boats Id sailed recently that were equipped with electric heads. Lately Ive been working with our marine waste disposal system, so perhaps that is a good place to start. Rinse out plumbing, deck to tank, is usually 19mm (3/4) but other plumbing must be 38mm (1 1/2), The level indicator shown in all layouts is the Tek-Tanks. Disadvantages: grossed-out non-sailing guests; issues with bugs if the proper composting medium isnt used; pee tanks need constant emptying; the compost must eventually be disposed of, either legally or illegally (though Im sure no one reading this would ever do such a thing); cost. Also note that the loop on the intake side is between the, Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.8 Beta 1. Avery good online source for these types of questions is West Marine. Most manufacturers of marine toilets offer selection and installation guides on their websites. The anti-syphon loops shown in the layouts should be a minimum of 10 above the waterline if possible. We have shown a manual pump on the above waterline installations but an electric pump can be used. It has a macerator to grind up the TP and poop so it doesnt clog the tank. After installing the seat and connecting the intake and discharge hoses to the toilets macerator pump, I slid the bowl into position and bolted it to the mounting lugs. Were having similar issues with calcification a nasty process to fix!
There are many more combinations of fittings and pumps etc. Nevertheless, if your boat has only one head, you will probably want to carry spare pumps if youre going off the grid, or be prepared to use a bucket. Seems like more often use of acid is required. diagram head plumbing forums marine sorry last sailing That said, these days they are more popular than ever on cruising boats, thanks to advances in sails, sailhandling technology and boat design in general. After 35 years of hand-pumping, perhaps it was time to push a button. It soon became apparent that many commenters who argued against electric toilets had little or no actual experience of them, and were merely parroting the prejudices of others. Two good resources for do-it-yourselfers contemplating an upgrade are Nigel Calders Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boats Essential Systems, and Peggie Halls Get Rid of Boat Odors: A Boat Owners Guide to Marine Sanitation Systems and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor.. Electric Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. Some Indianapolis plumbers and myself installed a new. I cut a hole for the switch panel and mounted its control box on the aft side of the heads bulkhead. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Ball Valve TapClick the image to learn more. We havent had that problem yet because we try to educate our guests on the importance of not flushing what should not be flushed. Works great. We did install an inboard battery charger to keep our two group 27 house bank fully charged. These units have high start-up demands, so sizing for the smallest acceptable gauge is not wise. I am going to be polite as possible in responding, but please forgive me. The first thing my research revealed was that there is a surprising number of choices available for sailors looking to let their thumbs do the pumping. If the tank or toilet is either on or below the waterline then the system should be treated as below the waterline. Before: the venerable manual head was put out to pasture. Animations of each layout can be viewed by clicking the images. After 45 days at sea, the sailing cargo ship KWAI has docked in San Francisco with 96 tons of recovered plastic, including ghost nets and derelict fishing gear from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. water pump recirculation system laing pumps sink act under circulating circulation instant systems recirculating heater plumbing e1 phoenix installation tankless Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent and Dip-Pipe OutletClick the image to learn more. Basically your holding tank becomes a manifold for all waste disposal options.It also has the additional advantage of when a 19-year-old Coastie asks to see your Y valve, and you explain that there is none, he checks off the compliance box very quickly. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve, Deck Pumpout and Dip-Pipe OutletClick the image to learn more. Both the intake and discharge hoses were likely clogged with calcium deposits or worse, looked as old as the boat, and obviously needed to be replaced. Under the single companionway step we keep two ice coolers which provides our need for storing perishables. Most certainly. We use a chemical toilet, better known as a porta-potty, when underway we set it in the middle of the cabin and at night we move it to the cockpit. No, it was preaching. Toilets designed to pump their own flushing water must be supplied by a separate dedicated connection to the fresh tank. Took the tank out again and inspected the outlet hoses and valves. Are you wanting all of this on a 22 foot boat? The macerator pump made a hell of a racket but did not seem to actually pump anything. Flushed with success? Found lots of calcium chloride deposits in the tank with large sheets which had detached from the tank walls. Changing seacocks is not a desirable job so we suggest trying the system with the 1 hose and accepting the fact that a pump may have to be fitted at a later date if there are problems. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. There is a toilet which uses either fresh water or salt water to flush (more on that choice later) and a holding tank to hold the waste till we are out at sea and can dispose of our waste without fouling the place we are anchored. To avoid electrical issues, follow religiously the instructions pertaining to wire and circuit breaker sizing and make sure that wire terminations and connections are well crimped and properly secured. When the tanks were out we cleaned them to remove all of the deposits. Those who actually owned such heads were generally enthusiastic about them, and the consensus was that there was little difference in reliability between manual and electric heads. Outlet fittings having. cheers, Lisa, Your email address will not be published. That you happened to agree with what they said, doesn't change that. You are not alone in suggesting that the "Y" valve just downstream of the holding tank used to select macerator or deck pump out could be replaced with a simple "T" junction. The toilet also pumps the result to the top of the holding tank. IIRC, GordMay presented detailed diagrams. The ammonia in urine reacts with the calcium in sea water to create deposits of calcium chloride which is hard like rock and coats the inside of hoses, pipes and tanks. We are always on the end of the phone and would be pleased to discuss any variations you can think of! To deal with the deposits of calcium chloride in the tank we tried vinegar which is a mild acid. Raw sea water is normally used for flushing, via inlet seacock (not shown) flushing water can alternatively be from the on-board fresh water supply. Then, using the guide supplied in the instructions, I drilled the new holes for the inlet and discharge hoses. Here are some diagrams reprinted from West Marine advisor there are many variations on these basics for instance, most experts recommend vented loops on intake and discharge sides of toilet. Those changes seemed to solve the problem in that tank. Deck pump out fittings should be positioned above the discharge pipe for ease of rodding through from the deck pump out fitting. Greg, it ocmes directly from the link to WM Advisors I'd posted earlier. Bear in mind that youll need sufficient battery capacity to cope with the demands of a large crewthe momentary current draw of one or two powerful electric motors can be substantial, 20-30 amps or more. Controls vary from a simple on-off push button to electronic switches providing timed fills and flushes; given the choice, a simple fill-flush-empty switch would seem the most useful. We use the sink just to store stuff we do not want rolling all over the place and next to it is the space where we store the stove.
I recall using one that sounded like a blender had mated with a concrete mixer. It is very simple and reliable and you do without any Y-valves. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea, so I started researching. Just do what works for you and do not pay attention to what you see in other boats. I don't own a cruiser, but I love sailing when I'm anywhere near a coast. To be totally compliant in the US, you can lock off the overboard discharge seacock, or in Canada/Great Lakes cap it.PK, Sami & PK, I did consider the option you are both describing. For sale, (4) Clarion Marine speakers and a Pioneer head unit. Required fields are marked *. This, in turn, led to some head-scratching over the various options for upgrading or replacing the blackwater system. To wash dishes we use a bucket, salt water and Joy detergent (it bubbles in salt water) We do two fillings one for washing and the other for rinsing. These latter points were enough to turn me in the other direction; as awful as holding tanks are, plenty of harbors have pump-out vessels that will come to your boat and empty them whenever you like, and in most marinas you can pump out at the fuel dock. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. We do carry a sun-shower which we fill with fresh water and set next to the mast base. We value the space to sleep in and to be able to move comfortably above all. When the French company launched its Open series in 2013, it shrunk the saloon and dedicated more space to the cockpit where most catamaran living read more, From cockloons to SmartRooms and innovative nav stations, todays multihull builders are fine-tuning the layouts of their mid-sized cruisers in increasingly interesting ways. Have muriatic acid onboard, but have not used it yet. These are of varying sophistication, ranging from manual models with electric motors bolted on, to purpose-designed units with single or twin electric pumpson some models one pump both draws water in and expels waste, while others have a dedicated intake pump as well as a discharge pump. Since I had removed and discarded the macerator pump that had emptied the holding tank (to be replaced with a manual pump), a heavy-duty wire and circuit breaker already existed right where it needed to be. Please remember that no pump will stop the waste totally from discharging when the tank is in use and so the seacock should be closed whilst there is waste in the tank and opened when discharging. After Gemeauxs summer vacation out of the water, our clogging issue moved to the starboard side which is the toilet we use. Breather vent plumbing should be 38mm (1 1/2) bore mm. Installation was surprisingly straightforward. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Were headed to Portugal in August and then to the Mediterranean. There has been no noticeable impact on the batteries, nor any head odor at all in the six months the Raritan has been in commission. We provision every two days and are quite fond of restaurants. Some makers claim as little as a pint of water per flush, though this seems optimistic. designed for specific installation scenarios. We leave the 150 Genoa behind and pack the working jib. When left for several hours it seems to clean up the deposits pretty well. Or you could put another Y valve to bypass HT, for direct discharge. 2013 Summer - Mackinac Race & Great Lakes. This prevents a hose or toilet problem from dumping the entire contents of the tank inside the boat. 1. Reliability: in an attempt to find a reason not to go electric, I polled fellow sailors online. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve, Deck Pumpout and Ball ValveClick the image to learn more. When cooking we move the stove to the cockpit. The noise was nowhere near as bad as I feared it would be, certainly less intrusive than the sound of midnight pumping; about a 5-7-second press of the button flushes and clears the bowl, which then refills with clean water, whereas the manual toilet needed about 20 pumps to ensure the deposit had cleared the uphill rise of the discharge hose. Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. After this, we had all the tanks removed and replaced all the hoses.
Practical Sailor has tested all of them at one time or another. If your boat is out of the water and you want a gravity discharge system that works well, then changing the seacock to 2 is a must. a Shitty Problem.
If our primary cruising area were US & Canada coastal & inland waters I believe it to be a good option as pump out facilities are typically available. They are purely representations of possible layouts and should be treated as guidelines only. I'd never plumb a head like that though, going through the HT all the time. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. Part of the nasty existing plumbing, most of which was replaced as part of the project. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Deck Pumpout and Ball ValveClick the image to learn more. But then again, those Id experienced recently had been relatively noiseless and oh-so-efficient. Note that both loops are vented with anti-syphon valves. Pump out facilities are few and far between in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Central America. Don Casey has it diagrammed in a West Advisor article at westmarine.com. Units with dedicated intake pumps that deliver pressurized water as the macerator pump handles the waste tend to flush more efficiently. Many cruisers sing the praises of these units, and for a while I was seriously tempted. Here in Indianapolis, I own a house boat that I spend most of the summer on. Well, more blockages occurred. Applied an overnight acid soak and now the problem seems cured till the next time. First attempt to fix the problem was to remove the tank and inspect. Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. Two of the toilets on Gemeaux use salt water to flush, the other uses fresh water. After looking at all the models on offer I went for the Raritan Marine Elegance, which combined a number of desirable features: a near-household-sized bowl with soft-close lid, saltwater intake (freshwater is an option), a powerful macerator concealed in the toilet base, a water trap to prevent holding tank odor from sneaking back through the discharge hose, and quality construction. You must log in or register to reply here. We store the bottles where the water tank would have been in the cabinet below the sink and stove. All connections below the waterline should be double clipped, even those connections above the waterline would benefit from double clipping but are not essential. I saw no "preaching" in any of the prior posts; just sound advice by well-meaning and experienced boaters. Holding Tank and Blackwater Plumbing Complete. I don't mean any offense, just want to clarify. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. I have a system where waste is always pumped to holding tank. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Per NSHOFs rules, nominees must be American citizens, 55 years of read more, In the following excerpt from Wild Seas to Greenland A Sailing Adventure with Ocean Racer Ross Field, veteran mariner Rebecca Hayter, recounts how Field prepared the aluminum-hulled Rosemary, which he bought in France, for a try at the Northwest Passage People often ask: why read more, The Coast Guard says that the best life jacket is one you will wear, so comfort and function are important considerations when picking out a life jacket that suits your needs. If the macerator failed and pump out facilities are non-existant then the head is rendered useless until the macerator is repaired or replaced.I would actually prefer a manual pump vs. an electric macerator for the holding tank discharge, but due to space/access constraints installing a manual pump would increase the complexity of the system.Thanks for sharing your thoughts.Jeff. Seemed like the blockage was above the valve to open and close the tank. For the first year we owned Gemeaux we struggled with one of the port side heads (on the guest side of the boat) always getting the outlet of the tank clogged. As for plumbing, a filter upstream of the intake pump will prevent debris from clogging or possibly damaging an expensive pump. A protected tie up, hot showers and restaurants minimize the chores aboard. Pay special attention to discharge sanitation hose size and electrical wire gauge. Disadvantages: annoying to use, especially for guests; Ive always had a love-hate relationship with manual toiletsno one ever seems to pump them enough to clear the hoses, and there is often a smelly backflow through the traitorous joker valve. They have all of their "Advisor" articles, published in their catalogs, too, online. So it was that I decided to replace, rather than eliminate, my existing blackwater system. What good is a small sink in a boat if you can only wash one cup at a time with water splashing all over and you hunched over in one corner? And that was about all there was to it. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. What Are Our Options if Electro Scan is Out. Carrying a bucket of poop ashore, composted or not, isnt my idea of a fun time. holding tank toilet system head electric discharge sanitation flush put already They cost money, take up valuable space and cannot be used with comfort an efficiency. Winter is the ideal time to embark on such a project. I have the same system as Sami. Your email address will not be published. Pioneer head unit & Clarion Marine speakers, Marine Radio, head unit Kenwood, KMR-700U, JABSCO MARINE TOILET MARINE HEAD 80 laconner, Pioneer head unit Clarion Marine speakers, Marine Radio head unit Kenwood KMR 700U, JABSCO MARINE TOILET - MARINE HEAD - $80 (laconner). There should be no more than 3-percent voltage drop in the wire run. Gravity Discharge with Charcoal Vent and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. I mounted the intake pump on the other side of the bulkhead, with an inline filter and siphon break in the hose, and ran the pumps wires to the control panel for the momentary switch as per Raritans excellent instructions, which I recommend following to the letter. Bud,Thanks for looking over the diagram. We keep a Starwind 223 on a trailer and we take 10 day trips at a distant sailing venue at least once a year. I planned to spend extended periods of time on the boat, so Id have to live with the consequences of the decision. Our project boat has a second (manual) head forward, so Im not too concerned about the possibility of the electric head failing.
Efficiency: the integral macerator pumps in these toilets deal with waste quickly and efficiently. This is what we do. We also switched the offending tank to fresh water. And for that you had to install pressurized water? Our diagrams do not show this because it would have made the renderings unclear. After Shiera allowed me to have a corner for my own posts, I struggled with what to write about first. Sea water is plentiful and fresh water is hard to come by on the ocean. Nothing illustrated this better than the 2021 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), which departed Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (in Spains Canary Islands) in November and wrapped up in December on the island of St. Lucia read more, There is, of course, nothing new about bowspritssailing ships have been using them for centuries. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Dip-Pipe OutletClick the image to learn more. Seamanship, Navigation & Boat Handling, Rules of the Road, Regulations, & Red Tape, Converting a Water Tank to a Holding Tank. The 30-year-old Raritan PH II head on our Pearson 39-2 project boat still worked, but reluctantly. Copyright 2022 ZeBoats. Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Ocean Voyages Institute, a non-profit organization based in Sausalito, CA, uses read more, The days of multihulls being the weirdos of the sea are gone. Afew weeks back, this subject was extensively covered. Partway through replacing the hoses and valves; the new intake pump is on the right. Many toilets come with a choice between pressurized freshwater or saltwater; the former is less likely to give rise to odors in the hoses deriving from dead sea critters, but absent a dockside supply, is best suited to boats with watermakers. An upgrade would involve purchasing new hoses, Y-valves, macerator and anti-syphon fittings, and either repairing the PH II or replacing it with a new unit. Not so long ago, electric marine toilets were a bit of a joke; power-greedy, noisy and unreliable. They also will offer a range of products (adapters, low-profile pumps, etc.) Mailport: X-yachts, Soverel 33, tropical storms, Designing a Dump Line for the Multihull Mainsheet, Test Driving Furunos Cutting Edge Compass, Green Boating From a Practical Perspective, PS Advisor: Belaying Safety for Mast Climbing. An 1 ball valve is also recommended so as waste does not sit in the pump and distort the valves. Gravity Discharge with Charcoal VentClick the image to learn more. Many models offer the option of freshwater or saltwater flushing. Besides the navigation lights, we have cabin lights. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent and Diverter ValveClick the image to learn more. The guts of the toilet were simple enough, with the macerator pump under the bowl. The bucket also serves to take a shower, wash the boat or bail if needed. Highly impractical to install systems designed for larger boats in a small pocket cruiser. Logistics: installation of these toilets can be simple or nightmarish, just like any boat project, but is well within the powers of any reasonably competent DIY-er. If you seize the opportunity to get rid of all those stinky old discharge hoses, as I did, make sure that the hose fittings on your chosen toilet match your intake and discharge seacocksfor instance, some toilets come with 1/2in intake and 1in discharge hoses, while most discharge seacock hose tails are sized for 1 1/2in hose, 3/4in for intake. Advantages: simplicitysuch toilets require no plumbing, therefore no holes in the hull, no macerator and no holding tank (hallelujah). Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums.
Tentative plan is to leave Gmeaux in Sicily for the winter while we return to CA. And from tank either to deck or to thru-hull. With todays furlers, an read more, For years, Nautitech Catamarans has been doing things differently from other production cat builders, and it seems to be paying off. Advantages: familiarityIve replaced such systems before; reliabilitya new soup-to-nuts system would be odor-free and should last me for the rest of time I own the boat; inexpensive compared to other alternatives.
In addition, there are multiple ways to plumb a holding tank into the system. To clear the clog was a very messy business of using the dinghy pump to force air into the holding tank outlet to push the clog back into the tank and allowing it to empty. It put me off the idea for years. In the process of measuring the hoses for their replacements, I began to recall all the boats Id sailed recently that were equipped with electric heads. Lately Ive been working with our marine waste disposal system, so perhaps that is a good place to start. Rinse out plumbing, deck to tank, is usually 19mm (3/4) but other plumbing must be 38mm (1 1/2), The level indicator shown in all layouts is the Tek-Tanks. Disadvantages: grossed-out non-sailing guests; issues with bugs if the proper composting medium isnt used; pee tanks need constant emptying; the compost must eventually be disposed of, either legally or illegally (though Im sure no one reading this would ever do such a thing); cost. Also note that the loop on the intake side is between the, Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.8 Beta 1. Avery good online source for these types of questions is West Marine. Most manufacturers of marine toilets offer selection and installation guides on their websites. The anti-syphon loops shown in the layouts should be a minimum of 10 above the waterline if possible. We have shown a manual pump on the above waterline installations but an electric pump can be used. It has a macerator to grind up the TP and poop so it doesnt clog the tank. After installing the seat and connecting the intake and discharge hoses to the toilets macerator pump, I slid the bowl into position and bolted it to the mounting lugs. Were having similar issues with calcification a nasty process to fix!
There are many more combinations of fittings and pumps etc. Nevertheless, if your boat has only one head, you will probably want to carry spare pumps if youre going off the grid, or be prepared to use a bucket. Seems like more often use of acid is required. diagram head plumbing forums marine sorry last sailing That said, these days they are more popular than ever on cruising boats, thanks to advances in sails, sailhandling technology and boat design in general. After 35 years of hand-pumping, perhaps it was time to push a button. It soon became apparent that many commenters who argued against electric toilets had little or no actual experience of them, and were merely parroting the prejudices of others. Two good resources for do-it-yourselfers contemplating an upgrade are Nigel Calders Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boats Essential Systems, and Peggie Halls Get Rid of Boat Odors: A Boat Owners Guide to Marine Sanitation Systems and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor.. Electric Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. Some Indianapolis plumbers and myself installed a new. I cut a hole for the switch panel and mounted its control box on the aft side of the heads bulkhead. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Ball Valve TapClick the image to learn more. We havent had that problem yet because we try to educate our guests on the importance of not flushing what should not be flushed. Works great. We did install an inboard battery charger to keep our two group 27 house bank fully charged. These units have high start-up demands, so sizing for the smallest acceptable gauge is not wise. I am going to be polite as possible in responding, but please forgive me. The first thing my research revealed was that there is a surprising number of choices available for sailors looking to let their thumbs do the pumping. If the tank or toilet is either on or below the waterline then the system should be treated as below the waterline. Before: the venerable manual head was put out to pasture. Animations of each layout can be viewed by clicking the images. After 45 days at sea, the sailing cargo ship KWAI has docked in San Francisco with 96 tons of recovered plastic, including ghost nets and derelict fishing gear from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. water pump recirculation system laing pumps sink act under circulating circulation instant systems recirculating heater plumbing e1 phoenix installation tankless Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent and Dip-Pipe OutletClick the image to learn more. Basically your holding tank becomes a manifold for all waste disposal options.It also has the additional advantage of when a 19-year-old Coastie asks to see your Y valve, and you explain that there is none, he checks off the compliance box very quickly. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve, Deck Pumpout and Dip-Pipe OutletClick the image to learn more. Both the intake and discharge hoses were likely clogged with calcium deposits or worse, looked as old as the boat, and obviously needed to be replaced. Under the single companionway step we keep two ice coolers which provides our need for storing perishables. Most certainly. We use a chemical toilet, better known as a porta-potty, when underway we set it in the middle of the cabin and at night we move it to the cockpit. No, it was preaching. Toilets designed to pump their own flushing water must be supplied by a separate dedicated connection to the fresh tank. Took the tank out again and inspected the outlet hoses and valves. Are you wanting all of this on a 22 foot boat? The macerator pump made a hell of a racket but did not seem to actually pump anything. Flushed with success? Found lots of calcium chloride deposits in the tank with large sheets which had detached from the tank walls. Changing seacocks is not a desirable job so we suggest trying the system with the 1 hose and accepting the fact that a pump may have to be fitted at a later date if there are problems. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. There is a toilet which uses either fresh water or salt water to flush (more on that choice later) and a holding tank to hold the waste till we are out at sea and can dispose of our waste without fouling the place we are anchored. To avoid electrical issues, follow religiously the instructions pertaining to wire and circuit breaker sizing and make sure that wire terminations and connections are well crimped and properly secured. When the tanks were out we cleaned them to remove all of the deposits. Those who actually owned such heads were generally enthusiastic about them, and the consensus was that there was little difference in reliability between manual and electric heads. Outlet fittings having. cheers, Lisa, Your email address will not be published. That you happened to agree with what they said, doesn't change that. You are not alone in suggesting that the "Y" valve just downstream of the holding tank used to select macerator or deck pump out could be replaced with a simple "T" junction. The toilet also pumps the result to the top of the holding tank. IIRC, GordMay presented detailed diagrams. The ammonia in urine reacts with the calcium in sea water to create deposits of calcium chloride which is hard like rock and coats the inside of hoses, pipes and tanks. We are always on the end of the phone and would be pleased to discuss any variations you can think of! To deal with the deposits of calcium chloride in the tank we tried vinegar which is a mild acid. Raw sea water is normally used for flushing, via inlet seacock (not shown) flushing water can alternatively be from the on-board fresh water supply. Then, using the guide supplied in the instructions, I drilled the new holes for the inlet and discharge hoses. Here are some diagrams reprinted from West Marine advisor there are many variations on these basics for instance, most experts recommend vented loops on intake and discharge sides of toilet. Those changes seemed to solve the problem in that tank. Deck pump out fittings should be positioned above the discharge pipe for ease of rodding through from the deck pump out fitting. Greg, it ocmes directly from the link to WM Advisors I'd posted earlier. Bear in mind that youll need sufficient battery capacity to cope with the demands of a large crewthe momentary current draw of one or two powerful electric motors can be substantial, 20-30 amps or more. Controls vary from a simple on-off push button to electronic switches providing timed fills and flushes; given the choice, a simple fill-flush-empty switch would seem the most useful. We use the sink just to store stuff we do not want rolling all over the place and next to it is the space where we store the stove.
I recall using one that sounded like a blender had mated with a concrete mixer. It is very simple and reliable and you do without any Y-valves. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea, so I started researching. Just do what works for you and do not pay attention to what you see in other boats. I don't own a cruiser, but I love sailing when I'm anywhere near a coast. To be totally compliant in the US, you can lock off the overboard discharge seacock, or in Canada/Great Lakes cap it.PK, Sami & PK, I did consider the option you are both describing. For sale, (4) Clarion Marine speakers and a Pioneer head unit. Required fields are marked *. This, in turn, led to some head-scratching over the various options for upgrading or replacing the blackwater system. To wash dishes we use a bucket, salt water and Joy detergent (it bubbles in salt water) We do two fillings one for washing and the other for rinsing. These latter points were enough to turn me in the other direction; as awful as holding tanks are, plenty of harbors have pump-out vessels that will come to your boat and empty them whenever you like, and in most marinas you can pump out at the fuel dock. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve and Deck PumpoutClick the image to learn more. We do carry a sun-shower which we fill with fresh water and set next to the mast base. We value the space to sleep in and to be able to move comfortably above all. When the French company launched its Open series in 2013, it shrunk the saloon and dedicated more space to the cockpit where most catamaran living read more, From cockloons to SmartRooms and innovative nav stations, todays multihull builders are fine-tuning the layouts of their mid-sized cruisers in increasingly interesting ways. Have muriatic acid onboard, but have not used it yet. These are of varying sophistication, ranging from manual models with electric motors bolted on, to purpose-designed units with single or twin electric pumpson some models one pump both draws water in and expels waste, while others have a dedicated intake pump as well as a discharge pump. Since I had removed and discarded the macerator pump that had emptied the holding tank (to be replaced with a manual pump), a heavy-duty wire and circuit breaker already existed right where it needed to be. Please remember that no pump will stop the waste totally from discharging when the tank is in use and so the seacock should be closed whilst there is waste in the tank and opened when discharging. After Gemeauxs summer vacation out of the water, our clogging issue moved to the starboard side which is the toilet we use. Breather vent plumbing should be 38mm (1 1/2) bore mm. Installation was surprisingly straightforward. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Were headed to Portugal in August and then to the Mediterranean. There has been no noticeable impact on the batteries, nor any head odor at all in the six months the Raritan has been in commission. We provision every two days and are quite fond of restaurants. Some makers claim as little as a pint of water per flush, though this seems optimistic. designed for specific installation scenarios. We leave the 150 Genoa behind and pack the working jib. When left for several hours it seems to clean up the deposits pretty well. Or you could put another Y valve to bypass HT, for direct discharge. 2013 Summer - Mackinac Race & Great Lakes. This prevents a hose or toilet problem from dumping the entire contents of the tank inside the boat. 1. Reliability: in an attempt to find a reason not to go electric, I polled fellow sailors online. Manual Pump with Charcoal Vent, Diverter Valve, Deck Pumpout and Ball ValveClick the image to learn more. When cooking we move the stove to the cockpit. The noise was nowhere near as bad as I feared it would be, certainly less intrusive than the sound of midnight pumping; about a 5-7-second press of the button flushes and clears the bowl, which then refills with clean water, whereas the manual toilet needed about 20 pumps to ensure the deposit had cleared the uphill rise of the discharge hose. Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. After this, we had all the tanks removed and replaced all the hoses.