upgrading the head

Veg

Veg

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We are for certain upgrading the head on our 2900 Open in the Fall. That's if we can get four months of service out of our current electric conversion kit:

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If it keeps acting up, we'll upgrade sooner.

Vic, and others, can you shime in on what our REAL options are? We want a freshwater flushing, reliable toilet that's not prone to getting clogged with "normal" use (following standard marine head rules).

I've looked at Vacuflush of course, as I really liked the Vacuflush on our previous boat, always worked and never got clogged up. And the toilet itself was not that big. But it looks to be a major installation here, I'm not sure where we'd put our vacuum pump, although I saw a 2900 listed with a recent Vacuflush installation so I know it must not be impossible. Space in the engine room is at a premium to say the least though!

I thought a Raritan Atlantes, but I just don't think it's going to fit! There's a Raritan A4 listed in their web site that seems to be a smaller size, but I'm not sure if it'd fit either. I'm also not sure if this one really is any better than the Crown series for example? I also wonder about how these toilets are mounted, do they flush through the bottom or directly through the back? Again, it looks like maybe a big project changing the waste hose location, given where it's located right now? I guess I'd have to see what's on the other side of the bulkhead to see what can be done.

Then there's the SeaEra and Crown, and Crown II toilets. Frankly I just don't know if they are an easier retrofit? And just how good are they?

I'm really looking for something reliable, that I feel comfortable letting people use the head without having to suggest beforehand that they go in with some "utensils". I really liked the Vacuflush because the pressure just pulled "stuff" through, whereas honestly I haven't even dared do a "#2" on this little toilet here, given the tiny hole at the bottom I just don't see how anything solid will make it through. ;-)

All thoughts welcome. The Admiral says she loves our new boat, already likes it better than our (larger, newer) previous boat... BUT... "I hate the toilet though". Translation: I better figure it out soon!
 
I upgraded last year, from my raw water Crown Head, to a new Freshwater head. Many of the larger bowl models that I wanted, including the Atlantes, would not fit. I did several measurements and pretty much knew what would fit. We settled on the Tecma brand "Easy Fit" model. Tecma is made in Italy, and I've heard that replacement parts may be harder to get, But I have found several dealers online. Just Google "Tecma Marine Toilet". They had several options, our choice was the freshwater flush model which required that I run a hose tapped off of the galley cold water line.

Installation was fairly easy, and we've been totally pleased with it's operation. It even came with a holding tank monitor.
 
Paul, thanks for the reply. What was the driving factor for you, to get this Tecma versus a freshwater flushing Sea Era or Crown? If you are willing to go into a bit more detail regarding installation and cost, please feel free. Did you out the sanitation hoses? Did you do all the work yourself?

I'll check Tecma out online.
 
I had a similar installation - went with the SeaEra freshwater flush (household bowl) with a Purasan system. I'm on the second season; still married, very happy with the performance. No magic spells, it just works.
 
wvorris - how extensive and hard was the upgrade? Did you do it yourself? Is the Sea Era you got something that I could install and keep the location of the existing sanitation hose as it goes through the bulkhead? I'm assuming you ran into similar questions if you had the same head before.
 
Ernesto, I installed a Purasan system on our boat three years ago. No more pumpouts. It's not a difficult install for someone who is used to doing boat maintenance. If you're interested in Type I santitation devices remember that they can't be used in lakes or in No Discharge Zones (NDZs). All of the NDZs are listed here:

http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/vessel_sewage/vsdnozone.html
 
I don't think that's allowed anywhere around here... Although based on that list it looks like maybe it would be allowed on the Mississippi? I'm confused now. I thought the whole system for overboard discharge had to be locked so it was not even possible to be used around here...

I'll have to do some research.
 
The installation I did was similar to yours with the toilet discharge to the right of the toilet. The SeaEra toilet can be ordered with straight or 90 degree barb fitting discharge. Since it's cheap, order both discharges. that way you won't be hanging during the installation. The pump is the base, with the bowl mounted directly to it, so you can rotate the pump to the best location. I used a 90 and went through the existing hole (like yours) - if that doesn't leave enough clearance, you could use a straight and loop it around. To make life easy, I used flex hose right through the bulkhead, then (for a future holding tank that I don't have yet), I stepped to a 1" flex hose to run to the Purasan. I was initially worried about problems with stepping down to a 1" hose, but the SeaEra has a serious macerator and has been no problem. Even without a holding tank, I would have to recommend the smaller hose - it is so much easier to work with when you want to complete the installation in one day. My original plan was to install the toilet, pipe to the holding tank with 1 1/2 flex, then out of the tank with 1" flex thru another macerator to the Purasan (using Hold N Treat electronics). My serious recommendation is to keep it simple, inexpensive (but top quality), and fast. It will still cost double what you would expect and take three times as long as you think to install it.
 
Ernesto, I think I may have shared my experience with you previously, but I upgraded our old electric Jabsco raw water flush to freshwater. I chose between the Jabsco and Sea Era, but was gently encouraged to go with the Jabsco since it was exact same footprint, bolt holes, connections, shape, size etc. As Vic has said, swapping a Jabsco for a Sea Era is fairly easy. I think my boatyard just preferred to stick with what they're comfortable and familiar with.

Anyway, it has been a great upgrade. For #2, you have the option of pre-filling the bowl with water for a...well...'nicer experience'. :-)

It has been 100% reliable for six months now.

Paul
 
Ernesto, The thing narrowed the deal down to the Tecma EasyFit was the dimensions. We wanted a household size bowl. Looking at your pictures, the old head was the same as yours. Many of larger bowl models (including some of the Tecma models) took up too much room, or would not have fit the floor riser. With the Tecma I actually was able to use two of the holes from the Crown Head to bolt it down. The fit was perfect and we got a "nearly household size bowl" At least bigger than that beercan we used to sit on.

My job was 100% DIY, I had replaced the sanitation hoses a few years ago, and didn't see the need to this time around. I had to cut a new hole in the floor to relocate the discharge hose about 6 inches. You can order the Easyfit toilet, with the switch on the toilet, or wall mounted. Mine is wall mounted. One push of the button starts an automatic flushing cycle which ends with a small amount of water being added to the bowl to block any odor coming back from the holding tank. You also have the option to add water to the bowl so solid waste will float rather than stick, and the holding tank monitor will turn red when the tank is full. stopping the automatic flush cycle unless you choose to override it. It's much quieter than the old crown head and there is no smell or stains from raw water. The hardest part of whole installation was snaking the fresh water line under the floor from the galley to the head, and that is going to be different from one boat to the next. Everything else was a breeze.

The price on the toilet was around $700 (from another online retailer, Boatfix doesn't carry this brand, your google search for "Tecma marine toilet" will bring that online retailer up close to the top of the search list, I asked them to match another online price and they immediately beat the other price by $40.00 )Various plumbing fittings and hose to tap into the fresh water system probably cost another $30 or $40, so I was delivered and installed for under $800. The job is pretty easy as long as you confirm measurements before you order(including the floor footprint), survey the routes for the hoses and and fresh water.
 
Ernesto, the Mississippi is a Federal Waterway, and treatment systems are allowed on the Mississippi below a certain lock in Minnesota. Mike Sibley, late of Minnesota, who is one of the moderators on the Engines Forum can probably give you more specific info on that.

Getting back to the Jabsco 37000 series and the Raritan SeaEra; they both have the same exact bolt pattern for mounting to the deck. The incoming supply water line for raw water flushing units is a little different, but usually within the range of the connecting hose(s). The discharge hose connection is in the same respective location on both.

Depending on where you buy them, the SeaEra is often a little cheaper than the Jabsco unit.

As far as the Techma goes, one of their models has a sloped rear, to conform to the curvature of the hull when the head is mounted against the side of the hull, and an angled wall comes into play. Raritan doesn't offer that option - yet...! The Techma as a whole, is a pretty good head, and seems to have a good reputation - as long as you don't clog it up. I'm told that they're difficult to un-clog.
 
I've got a Vacuflush on my 28' Scout and the tank and generator are one unit. I don't know how big your holding tank is but the VHT-12 is 6.5 gallons. It really doesn't take up much room. The specs say it's for boats up to 26 feet but it may suit your needs. I've had it 5 years without a hitch.

System Features:
9.5-gallon tank includes vacuum tank and waste reservoir
Full-level indicator and shut-down relay
Preset differential switch maintains system vacuum
Vacuum relief valve
Discharge outlet

Specifications:
Holding tank capacity: 6.5 gal. (25 L)
Empty weight: 26.5 lbs. (12 kg)
Full weight: 81 lbs. (37 kg)
Voltage: 12VDC

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