Which toilet to get?

[Dr Bob]

29 minutes ago, Jess-- said:

I suspect there may be other factors involved too.

One that would currently put me off a composting loo is that marinas seem to be slowly adding it to their T&C's that composting loos are not allowed

I cannot imagine what a composting loo would smell like in this current weather!

[rusty69]

18 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

I cannot imagine what a composting loo would smell like in this current weather!

I can send you a "scratch n sniff card" if you like?

[KJT]

There are clearly a lot of folks in favour of the cassette. 

 

There is a lot of discussion on the merits of cassette v pump-out, the big argument put forward in favour of cassette being one of cost.  The standard answer of cassette devotees is that cassette tanks are free to empty. Generally that is true. But there are other costs that seem to be conveniently forgotten.

 

I give you an example. 

 

Our 400 litre waste tank uses about 40ml of Odorloss waste treatment fluid per 90 litres @ £9.92/1000 (180ml = £1.80) per tank.

Average cost of a pump out is £15 plus £1.80 = £16.80

That generally lasts us about four weeks. 

 

A cassette toilet waste tank is about 18 litres, so a 400 litre tank is about the same as 22 cassette toilet tanks.

 

Thetford recommend charging the cassette toilet waste tank with 150ml of treatment fluid @ £8.50 per 1.5 litre which works out at about 85p per tank. They also recommend charging the flush water tank with 100ml of rinse aid, again at about £8.50 per 1.5 litre which works out about 56p per tank.

So that works out at around £1.40 per tank. At around 22 cassette empties per one 400 litre pump-out waste tank works out at around £30, nearly double. Even if you don't use the rinse aid, that still works out at about £18, making the cost broadly similar.

 

Add in the inconvenience of finding somewhere to empty your tank every three or four days and, as many do, having to store a spare tank or two besides, then the cassette option doesn't look quite so attractive.

 

 

Ken

[Alan de Enfield]

22 minutes ago, NB Ellisiana said:

Thetford recommend charging the cassette toilet waste tank with 150ml of treatment fluid @ £8.50 per 1.5 litre which works out at about 85p per tank. They also recommend charging the flush water tank with 100ml of rinse aid, again at about £8.50 per 1.5 litre which works out about 56p per tank.

But what happens, when like on ours, their is no 'flush water tank' ?

(The flush is directly from the 'mains') 

[KJT]

32 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

But what happens, when like on ours, their is no 'flush water tank' ?

(The flush is directly from the 'mains') 

Then I would think you don't need the 'rinse aid' which then reduces your costs to about that of a pump out system.

[rgreg]

I pay £10 for a 5ltr unbranded "blue" cassette additive which lasts me for at least two months and the flush is freshwater direct from the main tank; not bank-breaking costs.

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, rgreg said:

I pay £10 for a 5ltr unbranded "blue" cassette additive which lasts me for at least two months and the flush is freshwater direct from the main tank; not bank-breaking costs.

Precisely. At present I am using the pump out bog fitted on this boat as I am fed up of taking the stupid things out and fitting a proper cassette bog. Its a fair sized tank but as we use it all the time, non of this waiting till we go to the pub or jumping off the boat for a wee in the bushes nonsense, we pump out more than twice a month at differing places and prices so assuming 40 pounds a month thats £480 quid per year without additives as we dont use them. Thats quite a lot of having a life money innitt.

[Boater Sam]

Pump out, + sealed tank, + sea toilet = no blue or anything .

 

Big saving. Environmentally sound.

 

+ a bottle of cheap disinfectant for flushing through our own pump and layflat hose before stowing..

100 gallons once a month at worse. Once its gone, its forgotten.

[WotEver]

58 minutes ago, NB Ellisiana said:

Then I would think you don't need the 'rinse aid' which then reduces your costs to about that of a pump out system.

And what about the rest of the cassette users who use about 10ml of bio washing liquid instead of the 150ml of Thetford fluid money-making stuff? That will bring it back to way less than the cost of pump-out just like we all know it is. 

[Richard10002]

2 hours ago, NB Ellisiana said:

There are clearly a lot of folks in favour of the cassette. 

 

There is a lot of discussion on the merits of cassette v pump-out, the big argument put forward in favour of cassette being one of cost.  The standard answer of cassette devotees is that cassette tanks are free to empty. Generally that is true. But there are other costs that seem to be conveniently forgotten.

 

I give you an example. 

 

Our 400 litre waste tank uses about 40ml of Odorloss waste treatment fluid per 90 litres @ £9.92/1000 (180ml = £1.80) per tank.

Average cost of a pump out is £15 plus £1.80 = £16.80

That generally lasts us about four weeks. 

 

A cassette toilet waste tank is about 18 litres, so a 400 litre tank is about the same as 22 cassette toilet tanks.

 

Thetford recommend charging the cassette toilet waste tank with 150ml of treatment fluid @ £8.50 per 1.5 litre which works out at about 85p per tank. They also recommend charging the flush water tank with 100ml of rinse aid, again at about £8.50 per 1.5 litre which works out about 56p per tank.

So that works out at around £1.40 per tank. At around 22 cassette empties per one 400 litre pump-out waste tank works out at around £30, nearly double. Even if you don't use the rinse aid, that still works out at about £18, making the cost broadly similar.

 

Add in the inconvenience of finding somewhere to empty your tank every three or four days and, as many do, having to store a spare tank or two besides, then the cassette option doesn't look quite so attractive.

 

 

Ken

I don't think money is a deciding factor between cassettes and pump outs.

 

I spend about £20 a year on my Thetford 3 cassette system so, given that I spend 4 days a week on board, perhaps thus equates to about £40 per year if I lived aboard full time, or £80 a year if there were two of us and we both poo'd and wee'd about the same amount.

 

At £20 to £80 a year, the money is not an issue.

 

Storing 3 cassettes is not an issue, even on a little 45ft cruiser stern.

 

I'm on the Bridgewater and empty my cassettes at the club but, on my one trip almost the full length of the T & M, there were plenty of places to empty and, with 3 cassettes, no chance of all being full unless particularly unorganised.

 

I bought the boat for reasons other than the toilet facilities. If it had had a pump out, that would have been equally fine.

[Sea Dog]

Which toilet to get?  Definitely get a cassette or,  if you do get a pump out, keep it a secret unless you want to lose friends.  The potties are like the (insert name of evangelical organisation here) and they won't rest until you agree with them!  Me? I've had my alimentary canal sewn up.

[Alan de Enfield]

36 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Me? I've had my alimentary canal sewn up.

It has been suggested that you are full of ……………..

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

It has been suggested that you are full of ……………..

........ Wit. 

[Sea Dog]

4 hours ago, rusty69 said:

........ Wit. 

Thanks Rusty

4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

It has been suggested that you are full of ……………..

There's no smoke without fire...!

[rusty69]

Just now, Sea Dog said:

Thanks Rusty

No worries. 

 

If sh!t were wit, you'd be full of it! 

[Neil T]

On 28/06/2018 at 13:28, Dr Bob said:

I cannot imagine what a composting loo would smell like in this current weather!

Fine thank you.  Three speed extractor fan needs turning up to the middle setting rather than the lower one but so what?

I did cassette for 5 years and now 18 months compost. Way to go.