heads

[fdcole]

I am retro-fitting a boat, including the heads. I was going to put in a vacuflush system with holding tank. I've been warned by several, however, of problems. Noise, cloggs (especially from someone using too much paper), vacuum leaks that are hard to repair, to mention a few. It was suggested to me to use the Raritan Aquarius instead that can be hooked up to use fresh water. Any experience or advice would be greatly appreciated.

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[hylas]

My only experience is with the "LAVAC" system.. As a liveaboard, I'm using it several time every day since about 12 years now..

The only problem is that you have to remove the tar from time to time and at this occation to clean or change the valve(s)..

But in general, I'm very happy with it..

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[HeadMistress]

I would go with the Raritan if you want an electric toilet, the Lavac only if you want a manual toilet. Raritan--and most other mfrs too--offers several toilets that offer everything the VacuFlush does--and more (maceration, all the "innards" contained in the head, VERY quiet)--for as little as 1/4 the price of a VacuFlush. I had VacuFlush on my last two boats...they're fine toilets, but I would never install another simply because they just cost FAR more than is necessary to have all they offer and more.

I'm in the US, so it's possible that Raritan uses different model names for UK and European distribution...but I believe the toilet you refer to as the Aquarius is the Atlantes--a full size all china bowl and pedestal macerates and offers 4 flush options. You'll find all the specs for it on the Raritan website at http://www.raritaneng.com A bit more basic, but still a fine toilet that's available in a version that uses pressurized flush water, is the Raritan Sea Era. Many owners of boats with more than one toilet install the Atlantes (Aquarius?) in the master head and the Sea Era in the guest head.

You say you also intend to install a holding tank. There are considerations involved with it too...distance from the toilet being the prime consideration because waste can only travel so far--about 6' is the optimal distance. Much further, and waste is left sitting in the hose between the toilet and the tank to permeate the hose. So depending upon the size of your boat, head locations, and even the waters you plan to cruise, you may want to consider two tanks...or possibly a Type I or II MSD (treatment device) for the primary toilet and a holding tank for use only in a "no discharge" harbor--which are considerably more rare than most people believe.

<hr width=100% size=1>Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987

 

[Alexis]

I'm refitting a 34 footer,that had the standard ITT/Jabsco type head (you know, the one with the vertical bicycle pump type... pump, that constantly leaks, no matter how many times a month you change the gaskets)
What I'll go for is something I have read about in Anne Hammick's "Cruising on a budget" book: I will scrap the pump of my old ITT/Jabsco, and keep the bowl and pedestal, connect a Henderson MKIV pump to the outlet and a small Whale manual diaphragm pump connected on the flushing inlet. Seems dead simple to me and alows to use exactly the amount of water needed for flushing, avoiding thus to fill the holding tank with water.

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