Modern Toilets

[flatplane8]

Hi,

 

I've done a bit of looking around on these forums, but the majority of 'toilet' topics seem to be pump-out vs. casette. Thats fine, and I've found some useful information about both.

 

However, I'm interested in anyone's experience, good or bad, with the more modern toilet types, such as vacuum or electric macerator. A lot of new boats look like they have this type fitted, and they seem more like a normal domestic toilet to me. I've seen ( and used ;-) vacuum toilets on airplanes and commercial boats, so to me this gives them the edge if they can stand up in those environments.

 

The reason for asking all this, is that the boat I'm intending to buy has a broken pumpout toilet on top of a tiny (2 foot square) holding tank. Whilst this could be fixed, and maybe even a larger tank fitted with some degree of difficulty, I prefer the idea of a more domestic style toilet with a remote pumpout tank.

 

Any thoughts/experiences?

 

Thanks,

 

Simon

[charles123]

Steve,

 

I can only comment on a macerator, I think they are brilliant, just like a house toilet. I have a 150 gallon vertical waste tank that is emptied through the roof of the boat. The toilet pumps the waste up 5 and a half feet to the tank inlet on top of it no problem. With hindsight its a big tank and I could perhaps better use some of the space. One advantage of the vertical tank is that the vent pipe runs down to below the gunell, this means there is no U bend that can fill with water so air can circulate in the tank at all times this allows good bacteria to grow to prevent smells, I have never used blue and there is no smell, even if you took off the pump out cap and sniffed there is hardly any smell

 

Charles

[flatplane8]

Steve,

 

I can only comment on a macerator, I think they are brilliant, just like a house toilet. I have a 150 gallon vertical waste tank that is emptied through the roof of the boat. The toilet pumps the waste up 5 and a half feet to the tank inlet on top of it no problem. With hindsight its a big tank and I could perhaps better use some of the space. One advantage of the vertical tank is that the vent pipe runs down to below the gunell, this means there is no U bend that can fill with water so air can circulate in the tank at all times this allows good bacteria to grow to prevent smells, I have never used blue and there is no smell, even if you took off the pump out cap and sniffed there is hardly any smell

 

Charles

 

Thanks Charles, thats great! What brand and model of toilet do you use?

[Cafnod]

Hi

We had a macerator on our old boat and it worked fine until the pump cracked. I have heard of problems on vaccum types, some of which seems to be down to a very small storage area, also seal going etc.

Many people still use portaloos or a dump thru type pump out cos they are so simple.

[stuart]

Steve,

 

I can only comment on a macerator, I think they are brilliant, just like a house toilet. I have a 150 gallon vertical waste tank that is emptied through the roof of the boat. The toilet pumps the waste up 5 and a half feet to the tank inlet on top of it no problem. With hindsight its a big tank and I could perhaps better use some of the space. One advantage of the vertical tank is that the vent pipe runs down to below the gunell, this means there is no U bend that can fill with water so air can circulate in the tank at all times this allows good bacteria to grow to prevent smells, I have never used blue and there is no smell, even if you took off the pump out cap and sniffed there is hardly any smell

 

Charles

 

A vertical tank is a novel idea, I think thats probably a very good use of space. My pump out tank also vents out to the side gunnel and theres no smell from that either, no blue or chemicals at all. Its a straight connection to the outside world, no filters or ubends etc.

[flatplane8]

Hi

We had a macerator on our old boat and it worked fine until the pump cracked. I have heard of problems on vaccum types, some of which seems to be down to a very small storage area, also seal going etc.

Many people still use portaloos or a dump thru type pump out cos they are so simple.

 

 

Thanks for that, what brand was it? I know the other types are more simple, but I'm interested in the whole experience aspect of it

[charles123]

A vertical tank is a novel idea, I think thats probably a very good use of space. My pump out tank also vents out to the side gunnel and theres no smell from that either, no blue or chemicals at all. Its a straight connection to the outside world, no filters or ubends etc.

 

 

This is how the tank looked prior to boxing in, the toilet make is a Techma ( I think thats the name, pretty basic they all sell them) From Lee sanitation, the waste pipe is the white one from the toilet and the green the vent and overflow

 

Charles

 

[stuart]

This is how the tank looked prior to boxing in, the toilet make is a Techma ( I think thats the name, pretty basic they all sell them) From Lee sanitation, the waste pipe is the white one from the toilet and the green the vent and overflow

 

Charles

 

 

Does it give you any stability problems with all that weight so high in the cabin?

[charles123]

Does it give you any stability problems with all that weight so high in the cabin?

 

No stability problems, the tank is well fastened in but then my boat is heavily balasted, the waste tank when full weighs half a ton, its mostly on the centre line and I do have the boat slightly ballested the other way

[Jus73]

We have a Tecma Silence macerator on our hire boat and we haven't had any problems since it's installation in 2004 (touch wood!) apart from a hirer putting down a wipe that wraped itself round the blades! But once it was removed it worked perfectly again. I also think that some of the Black Prince fleet use Tecma's.

 

One slight downside is the amount of water that is used when flushing this obviously fills the tank faster.

 

 

Justin.

[ChrisPy]

with all that potential head of 'water' I wouldn't want to witness a valve failure or a blow-back

 

.... or is the tank fed from the top?

Edited July 14, 2006 by chris polley

[flatplane8]

with all that potential head of 'water' I wouldn't want to witness a valve failure or a blow-back

 

.... or is the tank fed from the top?

 

 

From the top by the looks of it, otherwise I'm sure the toilet would struggle to fill the tank!

[charles123]

From the top by the looks of it, otherwise I'm sure the toilet would struggle to fill the tank!

 

As noted, the tank is fed into the top and for pumping out there is an internal pipe that goes from top to bottom. In the event of valve failure the contents of the pipe would flow back into the bowl but that would only be about 2 litres. These tanks are conventional, been around years, I have a tank sensor that lights up when there is a couple of gals of space left. If that was ignored and waste continued to be added then it would simply be forced out of the breather pipe to the outside of the boat. The tank has internal bafles for added strength, is plastic so no corosion, lighter than steel and probably cheaper than steel or stainless. Supplier Goodwin Plastics near Winsford, makes any size to order, my water tank also from him

 

Charles

[Ernie]

I am certainly no expert but I would have thought that the pressure at the bottom of the tank when it is nearly full must be substantial. I hope it has been designed to be mounted vertically.

It looks very much like the tank fitted in my boat except that mine is fitted horizontally on along the centreline of the boat (it’s under the raised dinette). Mine is constructed from thin gauge stainless steel and I don’t think I would like to exert too much pressure on it’s welded seams!

 

Like I say, I’m no expert….

 

Regards

Ernie