Switchout from Jabsco to Raritan Sea Era Electric

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Apr 1, 2016

You'll hear from a bunch of people who have the SeaEra and love it. If you want to flush with onboard fresh water, buy the version that's designed to use onboard pressurized flush water. Although connecting any sea water toilet to the fresh water system is a major no-no with or without any "one way valve" that every toilet mfr warns against in their installation instructions, it's totally safe to connect toilets designed to use pressurized fresh water to the potable water plumbing. In deciding whether to go with a sea water or fresh water version, make sure you have the fresh water to spare--about 2 liters/flush-- for toilet flushing

If you're replacing a manual Jabsco, you'll have to drill mounting bolt holes and fill some. And btw, all toilets are installed using lag bolts, so no nuts...just back out the bolts. You'll also need to run a new dedicated circuit for it that's shared with nothing else--not even cabin lights--that can pull power from the toilet...'cuz low voltage is a leading cause of sluggish discharge and will destroy the motor in time too.

Read and follow ALL the instructions and you should find it to be a fairly easy job.

Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi · Apr 2, 2016

Changed out my Jabsco for a Sea Era in early 2005. Spent about 800 days on-board since with no problems. I have the sea water flush, but if installing today, might go with the pressurized fresh water version. We are on Kentucky Lake, but spent one winter in Florida. Would have rather had fresh water flush there, but it was not a problem with odor as I had worried about some prior to going. When leaving for a while, we flushed through fresh water to get the critters out of the downstream line and then added Odorlos. That still didn't fix from the intake to the toilet, but we didn't notice any odors just from that.

woodster · Apr 2, 2016

Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi said:
When leaving for a while, we flushed through fresh water to get the critters out of the downstream line and then added Odorlos. That still didn't fix from the intake to the toilet, but we didn't notice any odors just from that.

if you plumb the sink drain line into the seawater intake line just above the sea cock you can close the seacock and fill the sink with fresh water and add some odorlos and flush it all the way through the intake line and the pump and the bowl .....then you are 100% odorlos....you can do the same thing with the CP and all is clean again

seadaddler · Apr 2, 2016

I have the sea era also and keep the sea water thru hull closed and use a fresh water sprayer like on RV's to flush with fresh water and also have sink drain into intake of the sea era and flush out every so often.
My system setup is to keep from using too much fresh water and less fulling of my holding
tank when cruising for any time more than a week.
Nick

Ron20324 · Apr 2, 2016

[QUOTE="... When leaving for a while, we flushed through fresh water to get the critters out of the downstream line and then added Odorlos. That still didn't fix from the intake to the toilet, but we didn't notice any odors just from that.[/QUOTE]

I have the tee'd head intake. Just today I replaced the Jabsco manual pump-to-bowl hose- 15inches long. I winterized in December by flushing alot of freash water- and antifreeze- through the entire head plumbing system. (That's what I do after every sail.) The clear hose was COATED with black whatever grows in the bay water, so I assume the pump is also. SO even after I winterized well, there was still the black stuff flushing into the rim and bowl. In short, you need to flush that rim. After all, it will be just a short distance to your butt.

Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi · Apr 3, 2016

Well you guys have convinced me. I will get around to teeing into the intake line at some point. I have a nylon T at the seacock for winterizing the head. Wouldn't be that hard to do and takes care of the intake to the toilet part. Looks like I could make a jumper at the thru hulls that would work. Close off the vanity discharge drain and open a valve to the toilet intake and turn in the water in the vanity and add a little Odorlos. This is a pre-nylon T winterizing photo.

woodster · Apr 3, 2016

thats a good looking arrangement in that photo very informative

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Apr 3, 2016

Just today I replaced the Jabsco manual pump-to-bowl hose- 15inches long.

If any part of your toilet is at or below the waterline, there needs to be a vented loop in the intake and if you check the installation instructions for your toilet, you'll find a drawing which shows that the loop belongs between the pump and the bowl. So unless you replaced that 15" hose with two hoses at least 2' long with a vented loop, you need to do that, 'cuz relying on the wet/dry cam--especially in a Jabsco toilet--to keep the water outside your boat from seeking its own level INSIDE your boat when the intake thru-hull is open is a good way to sink your boat...or just have a lot of water to mop up if you're lucky.

I winterized in December by flushing alot of freash water- and antifreeze- through the entire head plumbing system. (That's what I do after every sail.) The clear hose was COATED with black whatever grows in the bay water, so I assume the pump is also.

A) Clear water hose is not rated for below waterline connection. It also allows light to penetrate, algae--which is at least one of the things growing in your hoses, needs light--which clear hose provides. However, black flecks are also likely to be the dead and decaying remains of animal or vegetable sea life that's gotten sucked into the system. Your toilet intake hose should be sanitation hose...Shields or Trident #148 will be fine.

SO even after I winterized well, there was still the black stuff flushing into the rim and bowl. In short, you need to flush that rim. After all, it will be just a short distance to your butt.

Remove the inlet hose and connect a 2-3' length of hose to the pump that you can stick into a bucket of water to which you've added at least a quart of distilled white vinegar. (Or, if your head intake line is teed into the sink drain, replace the intake line with a new clean hose and fill the sink instead of a bucket). Flush the whole bucket/sinkful through the system. Repeat...until no more black flecks are are coming out of the rim of the bowl. And then install a filter in the intake line...in a location above the waterline that's fairly close to the thru-hull, but still accessible to clean out regularly.

You should have done this BEFORE you winterized.

seadaddler · May 4, 2016

Jerry what do you use to get the thru hulls looking so new,
been thinking of using stainless cleaner that gets sprayed on and wash off.
Nick

Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi · May 10, 2016

Nick: That was a 2004 photo. They don't look that good today, but I clean the hull area with Clorox occasionally. I have some corrosion (green) on the thru hulls themselves, but not too bad. Lately, I've had a small leak in my strainer to the generator. My o ring is worn, so I will replace it this weekend and that will get rid of the slight water leak and eliminate some of the grime.

Ron20324 · May 10, 2016

In a B323 the t

Peggie Hall HeadMistress said:
Just today I replaced the Jabsco manual pump-to-bowl hose- 15inches long.

If any part of your toilet is at or below the waterline, there needs to be a vented loop in the intake and if you check the installation instructions for your toilet, you'll find a drawing which shows that the loop belongs between the pump and the bowl. So unless you replaced that 15" hose with two hoses at least 2' long with a vented loop, you need to do that, 'cuz relying on the wet/dry cam--especially in a Jabsco toilet--to keep the water outside your boat from seeking its own level INSIDE your boat when the intake thru-hull is open is a good way to sink your boat...or just have a lot of water to mop up if you're lucky.

I winterized in December by flushing alot of freash water- and antifreeze- through the entire head plumbing system. (That's what I do after every sail.) The clear hose was COATED with black whatever grows in the bay water, so I assume the pump is also.

A) Clear water hose is not rated for below waterline connection. It also allows light to penetrate, algae--which is at least one of the things growing in your hoses, needs light--which clear hose provides. However, black flecks are also likely to be the dead and decaying remains of animal or vegetable sea life that's gotten sucked into the system. Your toilet intake hose should be sanitation hose...Shields or Trident #148 will be fine.

SO even after I winterized well, there was still the black stuff flushing into the rim and bowl. In short, you need to flush that rim. After all, it will be just a short distance to your butt.

Remove the inlet hose and connect a 2-3' length of hose to the pump that you can stick into a bucket of water to which you've added at least a quart of distilled white vinegar. (Or, if your head intake line is teed into the sink drain, replace the intake line with a new clean hose and fill the sink instead of a bucket). Flush the whole bucket/sinkful through the system. Repeat...until no more black flecks are are coming out of the rim of the bowl. And then install a filter in the intake line...in a location above the waterline that's fairly close to the thru-hull, but still accessible to clean out regularly.

You should have done this BEFORE you winterized.

Peggy, you're preaching to the choir... I've been reading your offerings on the forum all along.. The B323, the toilet is above the waterline.

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · May 11, 2016

In every forum there are always more people who aren't in the choir than people who are. I try to "preach" to all of them.