down the pan

[siencyn]

Help please? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gifI have two vacuum toilets on my boat with a holding tank. Niether toilet works, they are 25 yrs old and seem to need complete replacing. Previous owners tell me that the system was never installed correctly and always gave trouble. The surveyor has also advised that the system is too complicated and overspec for a 33ft boat. So I am thinking lets chuck the lot and put two simple manual flush to sea toilets. But what do I need? The existing toilets have one large discharge and a 13mm inlet. they are either end of the boat but share a common sea cock. Do I need two new sea cocks for each manual toilet? Are there some easy to follow, in 'big letters for little people' plans, available on the net? Many thanks

Rich

 

[fluffc]

Since you already have it, I would recommend keeping the holding tank in use if it's in good order.

Suggest that you just swap the two heads for manual ones and be done with it.

Ideally you should have seperate water inlet and outlets for each toilet to avoid air and back flow problems.

Why two heads on a 33' boat? Could you do away with one altogether?

 

[graham]

On a sea toilet discharging direct to sea The inlet is best kept as far from the outlet as possible and forward.Otherwise you will be sucking the foul water back in as you pump. I would be inclined to keep the holding tank if possible as it may become mandatory one day.

usually the outlet pipe is looped up to high level behind the toilet to keep it above sealevel .

 

[siencyn]

Thansk Fluffc,

Yes I will do that but can I feed the two manual ones into the holding tank? Do I need to run a larger hose to feed sea water in? At present the system uses fresh water. Do I cut that off? I need a plan I think of how the run of pipes work. You are right it is silly to have two heads but thats the design. In fact the one at the back is too small for anyone other than a midget to use. I may well get rid of it and use it as a locker.

Thanks

Rich

 

[Omatako]

If you're going to plumb in new heads to the holding tank, consider putting a Y valve into the discharge line and directing one side of the valve to the holding tank and the other to a skin fitting. That way you can use the holding tank when close to shore and go directly into the sea when offshore. It saves having to empty the tank as frequently.

Also not mentioned above is the need for a decent macerator pump to empty your holding tank. I don't know what the pump-out facilities are like where you are but where I boat they're not so good and the tank is generally pumped out by macerator whilst away from land

 

[samwise]

When you say vacuum toilets, do you mean Lavac type? In which case, you should be able to get service kits for them, Lavac are very helpful. I do think two loos for a small boat is a bit OTT, and the locker conversion looks like a good plan. I think you really need to have a good look at the pipework runs and do a bit of working it out on paper before you start nipping off bits. Re Omatoko's post on fitting a Y valve, it might be better to fit a diverter valve (Whale are the best) so that you have the option to pump to sea or to the tank. If the toilets are Lavacs, you can arrange the plumbing so that you can, with a suitable diverter valve arrangement, use the loo pump to empty the hiolding tank as well as operating the loo. Freshwater flush is also good, less risk of bad smells from stagnant seawater and reduced scaling of pipes and valves, but it depends how much water each flush takes from your fresh water tank.