Marine heads- opinions

[Toolate]

Looking at a complete re-plumbing job on my Sisu and shopped for heads today.

Looks like the options are:
-vacuflush
-electric macerating
-manual pump

Never had anything but manually operated fed with salt water and was thinking of going to fresh water fed manual but the electric macerating toilets caught my eye (nose) at the boat show. Nice and quiet and easier for guests to sort out.

Biggest goal is to get rid of the odors from salt water sitting in hoses. I dont mind pumping a handle.

Vacuflush is soooo expensive. Do I need it? Please share your thoughts on which system would be best for my rear.

 

[plowin]

I did not see the "bucket" on your list anywhere. Its odor free, easily stored and has many other functions. Perhaps it was overlooked?

 

[Toolate]

Been running that system for 4 years now... got a nice seat for sale if anyone needs one.

Need to step it up a bit.. with cost in mind though.

 

[plowin]

Oh I see, your married.

 

[5akman]

I bought a marine head last year that is a straight dump (like an rv toilet) into a 9 gal holding tank. The tank was the base of the unit which was then pumped overboard via a macerator pump. Worked just fine this summer.

 

[Toolate]

Oh I see, your married.

Yeah. Married.

My buddy bought a 17' Whaler this summer (first boat for him) and his wife was "going" on the bucket when a wake rocked the boat and she fell over and landed in the contents of the bucket. He has it on the market and is finding a boat with an enclosed head...

 

[Bill_N]

I like the manual pump with a mascerator pump-out. Too many problems with vacu-flush heads. They can all be a PIA...

 

[hntrss]

Most people that go with fresh water flush regret it in my opinion. You always run out of water at the worst time. The best marine toilet I owned was a high end Groco manual pump unit. It was bulletproof, no electric to deal with and lasted 15,000 hours with one rebuild. That is what I will be doing on my new boat when I build the new head over the winter. You can spend 800 once, or go cheap and spend 300 3x, your choice.

 

[Kaiser]

I have a manual and at the end of every trip wile washing down the boat I flush the head w/ freash water and then put a splash of bleach in the bole. Stays perfectly clean with 0 oders. The whole process takes 30 sec

 

[ianbw]

I need to put a head into the boat also- not so much for the wife (she's frugal, so the bucket is her choice) but to satisfy some of the health requirements for working on our oyster farm.

I'll go seawater with a tank and do as kaiser said with the freshwater rinse. Worked like a charm for me on many long cruises on the old sailboat.

Always had a manual, saltwater fed pump and would spend time on my buddy's boat with an electric with all the doodads. With the exception of guest education, I don't feel there was much in the way of advantage in the long run.

His head broke, ran out of water, etc. I also think that guests are more cautious with the strange manual pump head vs throwing the kitchen sink into something that looks like their home head. Toilet paranoia!

 

[Eslang]

I did not see the "bucket" on your list anywhere. Its odor free, easily stored and has many other functions. Perhaps it was overlooked?

The deluxe model comes with pipe insulation around the rim

 

[sailor of fortune]

Check out C-head . Composting (actually mouldering) toilet. No water , no plumbing, no smells., no joker valves etc. For under $600 its a very good option, even the women tolerate if not like it. Dump over the side at 3 nm miles from shore. All legal like. NO THROUGH HULLS or tanks. High speed boats like the no weight issue.

 

[cb34]

bucket

Had every type, bucket has worked out the best. Only one that never smells

 

[OLD BAY]

I have a buddy with a vac u flush. Always clogs with solids and when they raft up his wife comes and uses our manual pump head to avoid that embarrassing predicament!

I'll go manual. Also a fan of the bucket, but guests aren't.

 

[Raider Ronnie]

1st thing when I bought my BHM 28 I removed the manual pump shitter (had never even been sat on) and replaced it with an electric mascerator shitter.
The last thing charters want to do (especially girls) is hand pump.
1st thing I do when they step on the boat, along with the safety speach I give them I point to the black flush button and tell them you use the toilet hold that button in a good 15-20 seconds to flush.
Then I tell them where the paper is stored and tell them you sit down and plug the thing I will gladly give you my larger empty morning coffee cup & a 5 gallon bucket to clean out the mess they are about to leave

 

[Teaserhead]

I call my bucket the "Obama Bucket" ......Guess what colour it is!! Even the women have no problem using it!!

 

[Toolate]

Check out C-head . Composting (actually mouldering) toilet. No water , no plumbing, no smells., no joker valves etc. For under $600 its a very good option, even the women tolerate if not like it. Dump over the side at 3 nm miles from shore. All legal like. NO THROUGH HULLS or tanks. High speed boats like the no weight issue.

You are running one of these? Tell me more about it. I like the idea but not so into dumping it over the side like a bucket-reminds me of the 1 time I dumped a porta potty. Closed up the cap and threw it in the dumpster. WTF! People actually use those?

So its back to manual after reading all of this. Previous boat had a hand operated whale/gusher pump for the tank for the odd occasion that I wanted to discharge it.

Which manual head is the best and would you go manual discharge or electric pump?

 

[nickyp]

Can't clog a bucket

I checked out the web sites of these composting heads.
I'm suspicious about their claims, but have not actual experience with them.
They need a vent fan installed that helps to dry out the shit. Imagine sitting next to the vent fan outlet!

 

[tailhook]

go to the dollar store and get a toilet seat and lash it with twine to the bucket. real classy the fresh water heads are great but they use up all of your fresh water. I like the idea of washing it with fresh water and putting in bleach.

 

[November Rain]

We have the manual toilet to a holding tank, then the macerator over the side. It seems to work well, after every trip we throw in a cap of laundry detergent to keep it smelling nice. I remember having the electric head and it died when the bowl was "full"