Those electric conversion toilets are not worth it

[Irish Rover]

We have 2 x jabsco quiet flush toilets on our boat. Are they quiet? No! Does it bother us? No more than one of us getting up at night at home to use the en suite. Would I consider having a manual pump toilet? No, too much like hard work.

 

[GEM43]

He meant a GOOD electric toilet. A fresh water one. Planus, Tecma, etc.

How is it a "game-changer"? Let me count the ways:

1. No more calcification of hoses. No more need to keep flushing for a long time. Because fresh water doesn't react with pee, and your hoses stay unsclerotic.
2. No more clogging. Because a powerful macerator liquifies everything, even TP.
3. No more pumping and pumping.
4. No more worry about sea water getting into the boat via a stuck antisyphon valve, etc.

shall I go on?

Yes please, it’s useful to know.

 

[geem]

He meant a GOOD electric toilet. A fresh water one. Planus, Tecma, etc.

How is it a "game-changer"? Let me count the ways:

1. No more calcification of hoses. No more need to keep flushing for a long time. Because fresh water doesn't react with pee, and your hoses stay unsclerotic.
2. No more clogging. Because a powerful macerator liquifies everything, even TP.
3. No more pumping and pumping.
4. No more worry about sea water getting into the boat via a stuck antisyphon valve, etc.

shall I go on?

Go on, I am intrigued. But let me correct all the above for you first. No more pumping is the only benefit you have listed.
A Lavac with the antisyphon loop at high level doesnt syphon. They don't clog if you pump sufficiently. They don't calcify if you pump enough.
No need to waste fresh water to pump your loo, just pump sufficiently. If you were describing a Jabsco, I could understand, but the Lavac pump volume per stroke is vastly more than the tiny little Jabsco pumps.
Fit a Lavac, pump sufficiently and you have a reliable manual loo that doesn't rely on power or fresh water.

 

[Elessar]

No, I don’t. A Whale diaphragm pump. Manual.

I see why that's reliable. But sending full size turds and full size bits of paper out to sea is antisocial.

 

[Elessar]

Limitless electricity is partly it I daresay. Plus the automatic reliance on mechanical systems. But we have enough electrical drain with a fridge, diesel heating, then instruments and lighting.

exaclty. So the loo is trivial in power drain terms. And the comfort upgrade is huge.

 

[Elessar]

Go on, I am intrigued. But let me correct all the above for you first. No more pumping is the only benefit you have listed.
A Lavac with the antisyphon loop at high level doesnt syphon. They don't clog if you pump sufficiently. They don't calcify if you pump enough.
No need to waste fresh water to pump your loo, just pump sufficiently. If you were describing a Jabsco, I could understand, but the Lavac pump volume per stroke is vastly more than the tiny little Jabsco pumps.
Fit a Lavac, pump sufficiently and you have a reliable manual loo that doesn't rely on power or fresh water.

Lavac. They look crap. They are hard to clean. with pipes, nooks and crannies. You have to explain them to guests. The seals go. Horrid things.
But an upgrade on an electric Jabsco.

 

[geem]

exaclty. So the loo is trivial in power drain terms. And the comfort upgrade is huge.

I have loads of solar and a large lithium bank that is more than capable of running electric bogs, but I simply don't want them. The number of fellow cruisers that liveaboard and have macerator pump failures is very noticeable.
A liveaboard use of the boat is 5 times the use that a prolific weekend sailor spends aboard. One year of liveaboard boat use is equivalent to 5 years for none liveaboards. Stuff breaks. Electric toilets are up there as stuff that breaks. When you are away from the UK, sourcing parts is way more difficult

 

[geem]

Lavac. They look crap. They are hard to clean. with pipes, nooks and crannies. You have to explain them to guests. The seals go. Horrid things.
But an upgrade on an electric Jabsco.

What? Never had a seal go on my last boat. Toilet was on for 11 years when I sold it. Latest boat, I swapped out dreadful Jabsco toilets that leaked from every joint. Installed Lavacs again 5 years ago and no new parts, no leaks, no blockages. Shut the lid and flush well. What's so hard to understand?

 

[Boathook]

I see why that's reliable. But sending full size turds and full size bits of paper out to sea is antisocial.

The lavac with a whale diaphragm pump breaks it all up into little bits.

 

[GEM43]

I have loads of solar and a large lithium bank that is more than capable of running electric bogs, but I simply don't want them. The number of fellow cruisers that liveaboard and have macerator pump failures is very noticeable.
A liveaboard use of the boat is 5 times the use that a prolific weekend sailor spends aboard. One year of liveaboard boat use is equivalent to 5 years for none liveaboards. Stuff breaks. Electric toilets are up there as stuff that breaks. When you are away from the UK, sourcing parts is way more difficult

When it comes to marine toilet systems I really think KISS does take precedence. We have 2x Raritan heads, very expensive parts, but good equipment.

 

[Elessar]

What? Never had a seal go on my last boat. Toilet was on for 11 years when I sold it. Latest boat, I swapped on dreadful Jabsco toilets that leaked from every joint. Installed Lavacs again 5 years ago and no new parts, no leaks, no blockages. Shut the lid and flush well. What's so hard to understand?

easier and more reliable than I thought then. They still look crap and I wouldn't buy one.

 

[geem]

easier and more reliable than I thought then. They still look crap and I wouldn't buy one.

Your loss

 

[Boathook]

Lavac. They look crap. They are hard to clean. with pipes, nooks and crannies. You have to explain them to guests. The seals go. Horrid things.
But an upgrade on an electric Jabsco.

No worse than any other toilet, not that I've ever had the fancy electric ones.

 

[KompetentKrew]

This thread does somewhat divide into the larger motor boats vs sailing boats, i think.
What is norm, or indeed a *game changer" is apparently rather different in these two worlds.

Mine is a saily boat, but I found my outlet hoses were calcified within months (maybe even weeks) of replacing them, so an electric toilet is actually quite tempting.

I'm told that calcification doesn't happen if you pump 100 times, so the root cause here is my own laziness.

I assume that an electric head can work with seawater, and would solve the problem?

 

[rogerthebodger]

I'm told that calcification doesn't happen if you pump 100 times, so the root cause here is my own laziness.

I assume that an electric head can work with seawater, and would solve the problem?

The calcification was one or the reasons I investigated my setup so no training of visitors needed close the lid press the button is it either the Lavac of Jabsco

 

[PaulRainbow]

Mine is a saily boat, but I found my outlet hoses were calcified within months (maybe even weeks) of replacing them, so an electric toilet is actually quite tempting.

I'm told that calcification doesn't happen if you pump 100 times, so the root cause here is my own laziness.

I assume that an electric head can work with seawater,

and would solve the problem?

Yes, if you pump enough water.

 

[PaulRainbow]

No worse than any other toilet, not that I've ever had the fancy electric ones.

Looks a bit smarter than a Lavac or Jabsco and so much easier to just wipe clean.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I must admit, I have not paid any attention to the aesthetics of our throne room. It works, that’s all. The aerodynamics of the rig are rather more important to me.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’ll put a picture of the bog on here if anyone’s interested of course. It’s a not a place for larger people.

 

[Elessar]

I must admit, I have not paid any attention to the aesthetics of our throne room. It works, that’s all. The aerodynamics of the rig are rather more important to me.

You take a dump far more often than you hoist your sails!