marine boat toilet

[tinny tim]

Greeting!
Been looking at some of these
Seaflo Manual Marine Toilet
Cheapest price I could find was about 100 quid

I have contacted several of the suppliers now asking questions on waste tanks and water useage per flush and non of them know the answer! Basically I want to install one into a large trailer. I looked at the Tretford caravan toilets and I do not like the style or price of them! But these marine boat toilets they told me they use them at sea where the waste goes dirrect into the sea with no waste tank so I am wondering if they use as much water as a standard house hold toilet which is to much water useage for me. Has any one got one fitted to a boat that is used on a lake or cannel where they have a waste tank fitted as I would be interested in hearing how big the waste tank is and how long it lasts before full

Thanks

 

[justanothersailboat]

Hi, loads of boat toilets ("heads") flush to a tank rather than direct to sea - it's much preferred these days, thank goodness! But nobody can give you a flush volume for a hand pumped sea toilet because it depends on how long you pump for - and that is usually based on clearing the pipe rather than the size of the bowl. Boats often have to have an "anti siphon" loop to make sure part of the pipe path is above the waterline so I suspect it's rather more tubing (and volume) than you would need in a trailer. I'm afraid I have absolutely no idea if it would be suitable for you, sorry.

 

[Tranona]

In practice think of 2-3l a flush, dependent in part on the length of the pipe runs as you need to ensure all the waste goes into the tank and not left in the pipe - but remember on a boat the flushing water comes from the outside so in a trailer you will need a water tank at least equal to the waste tank.

If you do go down this route the Seaflo is a (not very good) copy of the real Jabsco although no parts are interchangeable. Better to pay the extra for the real thing which although not perfect is satisfactory and parts readily available.

 

[LittleSister]

Almost every UK (and most European) inland waterway authority (including EA, Canal and River Trust, and Broads Authority) will require you to have a 'black water holding tank' to store the waste from your toilet until it can be properly disposed of. Emptying toilets directly into a sea harbour or marina is always frowned upon and often forbidden.

The installation of a holding tank and related fittings/pipework will likely cost significantly more than the toilet itself. It will also likely be challenging to find convenient space for such tank and the connections in an old boat, especially a small one. You can buy off the shelf holding tanks in various formats and sizes (or have one custom made). I think the smallest I have seen are 13 litres and 25 litres (which won't last long), most are larger. Others will be better placed to advise, but I think 70 litres might be a fairly typical size.

Such holding tanks can be pumped out at boatyards etc. on inland waterways, for which a special deck fitting connected to the tank is required. Many seagoing boats will empty their tanks by opening to the sea when they are offshore ) which will require an appropriate through-hull fitting plus valve and possibly a pump)..

Marine toilets use much less water than a domestic toilets - just enough to flush away the toilet contents (plus enough to clear the downstream pipes), rather than a fixed amount including a significant amount left in the toilet itself. Most boats will draw in water from the river or sea to flush the toilet via a dedicated small bore through hull fitting and seacock, and entirely separate from the domestic fresh water supply from a tank. (Big motorboats and very big sailing yachts may use fresh water, but this needs not only big water tanks but also a system to ensure no back flow can contaminate the fresh water supply).

As a previous poster mentioned, unless you toilet is well above the water line (unlikely on a small boat) you will need anti-syphon valves on the inlet side (between the pump and the toilet on most systems such a Jabsco) and (except for Lavac brand toilets) on the outlet side too, in order to prevent water syphoning back into the toilet, which can flood the boat.

You can find diagrams of different toilet/holding tank systems from various suppliers. Lee San is one of those - Welcome to LeeSan’s online store

Most suppliers will stock only certain brands. That's fine for fittings and pipework, but you may need to shop around more widely to get a full range of potential holding tanks of various sizes, formats and prices.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Why not use Porta Potti? Several models & makes available, have their own water flush and waste tank. Camping shops have them, as well as other suppliers. Prices between £50 and £140 with varying capacity and features.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

+1 for the Porta Potti.
Have used one in my boat for 20+ years.

I wonder whether you will find pump our facilities for a holding tank readily available outside of the marine/canal environment.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

+2 for porta potti

Otherwise you need to find land based pumpout for your installed black water plus hose filling for your flush water

The come in numerous sizes. I have tiny one for ocassional ship canal or enclosed harbour duty when our marine toilet not appropriate

 

[Dellquay13]

The original poster wants to install it into a large trailer, not a boat.
The flush water would need to come from a header tank, not drawn from outside like a boat, and the black water would need to be tanked. Maybe the OP thought marine toilets work like household toilets with a large quantity of gravity fed flush water and a syphon effect, not manually pumped in and out by the single hand pump.

 

[vyv_cox]

Motorhomes and caravans are fitted with cassette toilets, typically by Thetford, e.g. Cassette Toilets for Caravans, boat, Motorhomes and Campers, Toilets for Camping & Caravans, caravan equipment, caravan toilets, motorhome toilets, motorhome equipment, Christmas, Thetford Porta Potti, Fiamma Bi-Pot and the Royal Potti. For built-in permanent toilets for motorhomes, campervans and caravans, Thetford swivel toilets and Thetford cassette toilets
They flush via the domestic water tank and pump into the cassette, which can be removed from outside the vehicle for emptying.

 

[LittleSister]

The original poster wants to install it into a large trailer, not a boat.

Oops! Somehow missed that.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Almost every UK (and most European) inland waterway authority (including EA, Canal and River Trust, and Broads Authority) will require you to have a 'black water holding tank' to store the waste from your toilet until it can be properly disposed of. Emptying toilets directly into a sea harbour or marina is always frowned upon and often forbidden.

That's not completely accurate. Whilst you cannot flush directly overboard there is, in most places, no requirement to fit a holding tank. It's usually acceptable to use a porta-potti type toilet, or indeed have no toilet at all and use shore side facilities.

 

[ylop]

- but remember on a boat the flushing water comes from the outside so in a trailer you will need a water tank at least equal to the waste tank.

Not necessarily. It will almost always be easier to refill a fresh water tank than find somewhere to dump (especially pump out) a black water tank.

I think the OP may want to consider who else will use the toilet, if it’s only him or close family who can be well trained then it might work; if it’s friends, or less frequent family members who forget about pumping the hose through or might be tempted to put things down if they shouldn’t, or it ifs members of the public then there’s a reason portaloos use chemical toilets rather than marine ones!

 

[Dellquay13]

Other points to remember when fitting marine toilets is to only flush the cheapest toilet paper, and really go to town on the dietary fibre

 

[LittleSister]

That's not completely accurate. Whilst you cannot flush directly overboard there is, in most places, no requirement to fit a holding tank. It's usually acceptable to use a porta-potti type toilet, or indeed have no toilet at all and use shore side facilities.

You are right. My mistake.

 

[LittleSister]

Other points to remember when fitting marine toilets is to only flush the cheapest toilet paper, and really go to town on the dietary fibre

I have never found the need for either of those.

 

[tinny tim]

Boats often have to have an "anti siphon" loop to make sure part of the pipe path is above the waterline so I suspect it's rather more tubing (and volume) than you would need in a trailer.

I am installing this is a large box trailer directly under the floor, should this not be needed?

 

[tinny tim]

In practice think of 2-3l a flush, dependent in part on the length of the pipe runs as you need to ensure all the waste goes into the tank and not left in the pipe - but remember on a boat the flushing water comes from the outside so in a trailer you will need a water tank at least equal to the waste tank.

I will use the existing 25 litre header tank that is used on the sink that is fed in from out side for this. So water is not much of an issue for me really

If you do go down this route the Seaflo is a (not very good) copy of the real Jabsco although no parts are interchangeable.

Dose the Seaflo go wrong a lot? is The Jabsco a lot more money?

 

[V1701]

I'd keep it simple - porta potti if occasional use or cassette toilet with one or two spare cassettes if you're living in the trailer. Like what people do on canal boats where you can't dump in the canal. In reality by the time you've fitted the toilet, holding tank, allowed extra fresh water capacity in the trailer I don't think you'd be saving much...

 

[tinny tim]

Emptying toilets directly into a sea harbour or marina is always frowned upon and often forbidden.

So the sellers of these toilets appear to be quite clueless of there uses

The installation of a holding tank and related fittings/pipework will likely cost significantly more than the toilet itself. It will also likely be challenging to find convenient space for such tank and the connections in an old boat, especially a small one. You can buy off the shelf holding tanks in various formats and sizes (or have one custom made). I think the smallest I have seen are 13 litres and 25 litres (which won't last long), most are larger. Others will be better placed to advise, but I think 70 litres might be a fairly typical size.

I am going to install this myself. The toilet will be mounted inside the trailer ontop of the floor boards and next to the wall and I plan to mount the tank directly under it the 1" floor board. There is plenty of room for it so a simple large tank should do the job

Any ideas where I can get 70l litre plus size tanks from?

Such holding tanks can be pumped out at boatyards etc. on inland waterways, for which a special deck fitting connected to the tank is required. Many seagoing boats will empty their tanks by opening to the sea when they are offshore ) which will require an appropriate through-hull fitting plus valve and possibly a pump)..

I was planning to pay someone to come round and empty it for me

As a previous poster mentioned, unless you toilet is well above the water line (unlikely on a small boat) you will need anti-syphon valves on the inlet side (between the pump and the toilet on most systems such a Jabsco) and (except for Lavac brand toilets) on the outlet side too, in order to prevent water syphoning back into the toilet, which can flood the boat.

As its a trailer; again dose this anti-sypon not apply?

store

Most suppliers will stock only certain brands. That's fine for fittings and pipework, but you may need to shop around more widely to get a full range of potential holding tanks of various sizes, formats and prices.

 

[tinny tim]

Why not use Porta Potti? Several models & makes available, have their own water flush and waste tank. Camping shops have them, as well as other suppliers. Prices between £50 and £140 with varying capacity and features.

but I prefer a proper toilet