New electric head needed

[gettinthere]

Jabsco sucks! The electric head had an issue and I bought a rebuild kit. The O ring that seals it all up is soooo small and flimsy, 6 attemts to seal it failed. Time for a new toilet.

There are a few electric bases I can buy and keep the existing bowl. I suspect the bowl was originally a Raritan PHII.
So I am lookimg for suggestions on choices for electric replacement. Manual is not an option per 'the boss'. Would like to keep the cost down and keeping the existing bowl is a good start. Spending $1200 is not an option. Matching footprint to the existing jabsco motorized base would be a big plus. Raritan has something promising.

Whatcha got?

 

[SFS]

Perhap Peggie Hall will see this and comment.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Take a good look at the Raritan Marine Elegance...top rated by Practical Sailor. Designed to use onboard pressurized flush water. Raritan Marine Elegance You should be able to find it WITH the optional "smart flush" panel for about $650. If you're determined to recycle your bowl, the Raritan SeaEra "conversion" is available in both sea water and pressurized fresh water versions. Raritan SeaEra Conversion Promo Sheet

 

[gettinthere]

Although I like the idea of the odor control of fresh water flush, we are full time cruisers including months in the Bahamas $$$ with limited fresh water tankage.

I'm not so much 'determined' to keep the bowl. It holds no special memories! But if I can save a few bucks, why not?

The sea water Sea Era is a likely candidate. Is it as noisy as the horrible jabsco?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I'm not so much 'determined' to keep the bowl. It holds no special memories! But if I can save a few bucks, why not?

The difference is only about $200...and that's with the optional "Smart Flush" panel that offer a choice of dry bowl, add water to the bowl ahead of solids, "low water" and "full" flush. That option isn't available on sea water toilets.

the sea water Sea Era is a likely candidate. Is it as noisy as the horrible jabsco?

Not AS noisy but not quiet. All sea water electric toilets are noisy because, contrary to popular belief, it's not the discharge pump and macerator that makes most of the noise, it's the intake pump. Toilets designed to use pressurized flush water don't have an intake pump, so are MUCH quieter than sea water toilets...and they eliminate sea water intake odor and mineral buildup problems. They also draw about 10a/flush vs 15+ for sea water.

Have you considered adding a watermaker? There are now models that aren't nearly as complex and expensive as they used to be.

 

[Johnb]

Have you considered adding a watermaker? There are now models that aren't nearly as complex and expensive as they used to be.

Peggy, what is your recomendation?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Water makers are a bit outside my field of expertise...I have my hands full keeping up with the "used" water issues! All I know about them is what I read in discussions on other sites--notably cruisersforum.com.--about them from people who want advice and the answers from the people who have them installed. What little I have learned is that the "best" watermaker is no different from the "best" toilet...it depends on what's best for that boat and the people who'll be using it, where they'll be using it...and of course, budget. And it doesn't have much to do with boat size. A small one may be enough for one boat...not enough for trans ocean cruisers who may be out of sight of land for weeks.

So I suggest you figure out what YOUR needs are likely to be and then see what advice the folks on the cruisers forum have for you. They're a nice bunch of very knowledgeable people who are glad to share what they know with "newbies." NOT that you'd ever want to leave here, though! You'll find other sbo.com members there too.

 

[Tucson Sailor]

We installed the raw water, sea era electric in our Catalina 30 last summer. It works great and the wife is happy. The large bowl is comfortable. The noise is noticeable if you're listening for it. I sleep well because I've tuned it out in favor of a happy boat.
Good luck,
Tim

 

[Terry Cox]

Some people on this topic do not want to hear anything about Jabsco. Maybe those opinions warrant expression, but this is what I know about our experience with the product. Our 1991 boat came equipped with two sea water Jabsco electric toilets. We have owned the boat since 2002 and have used these original toilets daily during our annual two month summer cruises plus all the other off season cruises. They always work, albeit noisy when in the short flush mode. Maybe the brand quality has changed since then. Maybe some day they will stop working, but to me their movements over this period of time speaks volumes.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

The quality has changed. Jabsco has never been top quality, but when maintained and not abused, their electric toilets--unlike their manual toilets--have always been decent quality. However, ITT spun Jabsco off a few years ago to a company called Xylem Flow Control who has three mfr'g facilities, none in the U.S--one in England, one in Mexico and one in China. The English facility serves the European market...all Jabsco toilets sold in the US are made in Mexico with parts and components sourced from China and similar sources...with predictably unpredictable quality.

In fact, there are only two U.S. toilet mfrs left who still make 'em in the US--Groco, who has only two toilets, both manual (HF compact) and Model K (very expensive bronze "throne"), and Raritan, who makes a full line of manual and electric toilets that have always been top rated. Raritan's electric toilets are priced competively with Jabsco.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

We've had the Sea Era since 2004 and over 900 days on board and no problems. I have a new joker valve, but haven't put it on yet. We have the sea water flush. It makes some noise, but works. I've debated changing to freshwater or running a line from sink drain. First flush when retuning to boat has some smell from water between thru-hull and toilet bowl. After flushed out first time, no further smell. I could eliminate this by line from sink to my intake line. One of these days I'll get around to doing it.

 

[Terry Cox]

First flush when retuning to boat has some smell from water between thru-hull and toilet bowl.

Ditto here Jerry. Pretty ripe from rotting marine life, but as you say after the first flush the smell is gone. No plans to change at this time. I grew up on a milk farm so smells are what they are, just a part of life. They come and they go.

 

[seadaddler]

I have had a Sea Era for about 3 years and love it and the noise not so bad,I do use fresh water all the time and dry flush most times and does not hurt anything and add fresh water as needed with a sprayer hose that is hooked up from my sink.
I use the fresh water as needed so does not fill the holding with too much water.
Some electric fresh water flushers seem to add too much water to holding tank and so I control less water except when needed.
I have used sea water the first few months when installed but like less fresh water flushing and dry flush most times and add water as needed.
We love the Sea Era and used my old bowl.
Nick

 

[MitchM]

i took a complete jabsco electric head unit out of our boat (1 year old) because it was too noisy. i replaced it with a manual pump that works just fine and is much more quiet. electric head has been stored ever since (since i never , since 1976, have thrown away any working boat part as the spouse can attest.) if you can wait till i get back to the boat in spring i will send it to you if you pay the shipping. it never leaked , and was mounted on a jabsco toilet base.

 

[MitchM]

correction: our jabsco electric was an OEM in 2005, we took it out in fall 2007 right after we bought the boat which w as at that time 2 years old.