12 volt Head

[Capt.Erich]

I'm starting to plan my refit projects fro my 34 SC. The Admiral says she needs/wants a new throne. I don't disagree but want to get some opinions about what to use. I've looked at some of the Raritan's but am warry about reliability. Any thoughts?

 

[dwaynec]

If it were me, I would look at the Vacuflushes. They are more expensive, but they work well, are easy to service, and the pumps are quiet. They use a little, about a half pint of FRESH water with each flush so the water tank doesn't get hit hard, and the holding tank odor is definitely more pleasant.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

If it were me, I would look at the Vacuflushes. They are more expensive, but they work well, are easy to service, and the pumps are quiet. They use a little, about a half pint of FRESH water with each flush so the water tank doesn't get hit hard, and the holding tank odor is definitely more pleasant.

How can any holding tank odor be pleasent?

 

[dwaynec]

Maybe I should have said less unpleasant. I know that when I have had to do any service on the holding tank (changing hoses, etc.) the odor while somewhat less pleasant than fresh water, doesn't drive everyone on the dock away. Had a guy down the dock replace a hose to his holding tank this last summer. Now that was an odor that cleared the entire dock that was downwind from him. Reminded me of when I lived near a hog farm and the lagoons would turn over.

 

[Bill Allen]

I've had raritans on a cuple of boats. Presently have one on my hatt and on the dive boat. Never had a problems with either. Although on the dive boat there's been a couple of times were the wrong items went down and plugged it. I keep a bent nose long nose pilers on board for this just reach in and pull the plug out no problem. Bill

 

[Pascal]

vacuflush.

a little more $ but so easy to use and fewer things to go wrong. mantenance is limited to a couple of duckbill valves every 6 or 7 years... takes 5 minutes. and if some flushes a tampon or something it's also jsut a few minutes to open the DB.

use fresh water (no smell, one fewer hole in the boat...) although in all fairness for solids you need to use a little more water than advertise (but still less)

i woudn't have anything else!

 

[Banshee36]

I would go with the Sea era head from Rraritan, and convert over to the freshwater. The vaccuflushes are great toilets, but on a 34 you will get real tired of the vacuum pump in a hurry. If you already have the Raritan Crown head, i believe they hve a trade in program. I dosen't look like much, but it will handle anything you throw t it.
jw

 

[SKYCHENEY]

We installed Raritan Atlantes last year and they have performed well. I would not hestitate to put them in again, but they are pricey(about $1000). I bought the remote touch pad controls and they are nice since you have the option of a low water flush.

 

[smoothmove]

Fresh Water Advantages

Can I play devil's advocate?

The idea that using fresh water vs. water from overboard makes a big difference in the smell of the holding tank just doesn't pass the smell test (pun intended) for me. What are you guys boating in? Can there really be that much more biological material in the water brought in from what you're floating in?

The little bit of chlorine from a freshwater system (if not already dissapated) can't be it. Does anyone see this effect in inland water? Is there something about salt water that makes this condiiton more obvious? Frankly, even that surprises me as salt can have preservative properties. Am I missing something?

I must have too much time on my hands to worry about something like this.

Eric

 

[SKYCHENEY]

It sure made a difference for us and we boat in fresh water. I think that the outside water has a bunch of little critters in there and becomes stagnant much quicker than tank or dock water does.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

It sure made a difference for us and we boat in fresh water. I think that the outside water has a bunch of little critters in there and becomes stagnant much quicker than tank or dock water does.

Just think about what we are doing with that water used to flush toilets. I have a hard time believing that the critters from the lake are any more of a problem than the critters that are bieng flushed down the toilet. If you can swim in the water I have to believe that it isn't going to set off a reaction when used to flush s%$&*. We use sea water in our 36 with a Groco electric and haven't had an odor problem at all. We had the boat in fresh water for 3 years and now in salt water; still no smell.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I don't know, Maynard. I don't leave what I deposit in there in the bowl. I flush it down. I think the problem is that when you leave the boat unused for a week and come back, the water in the bowl has stagnated and tends to smell. We always clean the bowls before we leave, but then leaving lake or salt water in the bowl for that period seems to be more of a problem than leaving tank water in there. I don't find either to be a big problem, I just prefer the freshwater flush after having both. In fact, my dad owned a boat once with vacuflush that used hot water to flush. That seemed to really do the trick.

 

[Pascal]

it's been a while since i've used raw water head, it was an manual, but as soon as sea water remained in the line it really stank when you flushed.

heads and tanks already dont' smell too good, i dont' want the water inlet to stink as well.

 

[jim rosenthal]

The bad smell is from stuff in the seawater intake line that rots, or grows, or whatever you want to call it- it's anaerobes, actually- and when that water passes into the bowl, you smell it.

There used to be a device on the market called CycleFlush, which was a little pump that had a solid state timer on it that would flush the seawater out of the line every few hours. It apparently cured the problem, but I haven't seen it in catalogs recently and don't know if it is still around.

Holding tanks will smell a lot less if air is bubbled through them, killing the anaerobes. Some treatment systems are able to do this.

This fall, my PAR Jabsco head all of a sudden quit working nearly on the eve of the trip to take Blue Note to Virginia. I had always wanted a better head for the boat (a new one on my shoulders would suit admirably, too, but they cost too much and used ones aren't available), but as it turned out I didn't have time to change everything around, so I bought another PAR Jabsco. The old one had lasted fifteen years. It works fine. If they are maintained, they work great, they are just noisy.

Tecmas are supposed to be the best new ones, but I can't find anyone who has bought or used one, and I didn't want to be the first penguin off the ice. Frankly, I would get a Raritan, or a PAR, or a Groco. They all seem to work quite well. The VacuFlush system is very nice, but costs a great deal more and they have to install it.