heads and treatment systems

[jim rosenthal]

I am thinking about updating the bathroom on Blue Note and would like opinions on 1) heads and 2) treatment systems. Right now we have a PAR/Jabsco head, which has worked surprisingly well for quite a while. Also a LectraSan which is about five or six years old. Although I throw a lot of salt in it, I don't delude myself that it is discharging waste reduced to an acceptable coliform count. Has anyone had any experience with the Tecma heads, and any other treatment systems? I do NOT want a holding tank and pumpout. What I would really like is a heat-treatment system with O2 bubbler, but I con't find one small enough to fit in the locker where the LectrSan currently resides. Would appreciate any advice.

[Nonchalant1]

There is a head system called "Incinolet" that uses 110V AC to incinerate everything. You only have to remove clean ash occasionally. Uses no water. Supposed to be odor free. Obviously, you have to have a AC power available. They draw 15 amps when incinerating, but I don't know if an inverter will run these. A complete incinerating cycle uses 2 KW hours of electricity, but handles mulyiple uses.

They have a site somewhere about use on boats, but I can't find it. If interested, call them. I have never tried one, or even seen it in person. Here's a link http://www.incinolet.com/

[MikeP]

Jim,

I am absolutely no expert on this but I read info that seems to support the fact that the lectra-san IF PROPERLY MAINTAINED, will reduce the bad-bug levels to below what normal sewage treatment plants achieve. Here's an article published in New Zealand re the LectraSan that seems quite scientific. I'm sure you will understand it much better than I did!
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/...port-jun02.pdf

It sounds as if they conclude it does a proper job if kept in good operating condition.

Our Hatt has one 'San and two of the old galley-maid treatment systems that add chlorine to the waste, mix it, hold it in a system of 4 tanks, and then discharge whatever amount the next flush puts in. They take a lot of space and I was planning to replace both of them with 'Sans.

We are still using the original raw water galley-maid heads. They work fine and I have seen no reason to replace them. Therefore, I have not researched heads at all.

[Pascal]

why don't i feel comforable about the idea of some high heat device just inches from my... :-)

i also wonder how long each cycle is... 15amps max draw, assuming 10 amps average, that's 1200W... needs 2kw... 90 minutes?

[jim rosenthal]

Actually the heat-treatment systems (Thermopure by Groco is the one I looked at) don't use either a lot of power or a lot of heat, and they only do it intermittently. If I were building a new boat I would think seriously of one- the problem in Blue Note is not enough space. They don't use that much juice. I will probably end up with a Tecma head (although I wish I knew someone that had one just to check it out) and recondition the LS and keep using it. It does seem to work okay. I have to reattach wallpaper that's loose, refinish wood, etc, in the head and decided to do the toilet itself at the same time.

[Nonchalant1]

Jim,

Careful about "treatment systems" if you ever go to Canada and the Great Lakes. There are lots of places where you can't use them. They like "Catch and Release" for their fish, but not for our waste.

Doug

[Maynard Rupp]

In all the Great Lakes we are allowed only a holding tank. They go so far as to fine you alot if you even have a Y-valve and an overboard sea cock. You are required to remove the overboard hose and the Y-valve. Seems kinda silly to me. I don't know what you folks that bring your boats here for the summer are supposed to do. I would like to hear from anybody that has figured a way to keep the holding tank odor out. I have changed the 11/2" hoses and put every kind of foo foo known to man in the holding tank. I have a Groco electric toilet in my '86 36C and I just gave it the first rebuild after 20 years. Not bad. I wish my toilets at home would give that kind of service. Nearest I can figure no one has ever touched this thing with a screwdriver.

[MORNING STAR]

You also cannot come to the entire state of Alabama which eliminates the great circle route or many, many more sites/harbors these days i.e. Destin Harbor, FL etc. More and more locations are going no discharge so you need to consider this before spending the bucks. I go up the TomBigbee a lot and have maintenance in Mobile so I go rid of my Galley Maid system for that reason and went to vacuum heads and holding tanks.

FYI there is a bill in congress that has been stuck for a year or so that would legalize treatment head systems that will meet more strengent regs. on discharge. You can get info from Electrasan web site by sending them an email. They use to send me updates but I haven't gotten one lately.

Dennis
Morning Star

[Angela]

A houseboat on my dock, just two slips down from me, has one of those incinerator heads. Great concept, but everytime it fires up, it smells like an electrical fire/melting plastic all around which obviously causes alarm to fellow dockmates. I remember the first time I was on the dock when they burned it - a few of us were running up and down the dock knocking on doors looking for the fire. The odor was fairly strong - I first noticed the smell of fire while inside my own boat. I don't know if the odor is strong inside the boat that it's on, though.

Ang

[Capt K]

Jim,

BATHROOM?

K