Raritan Elegance Install

Mar 4, 2018
34
Hunter 33.5 Southport
Any H33.5 owners installed a Raritan Marine Elegance toilet ?
The Jabsco has got to go. Can't seem to keep joker valves operational in it.
If any of you have installed one and have any tips it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
First...I see you've just joined our merry band today...welcome aboard!

The Raritan Elegance is a great choice--IF it's right choice for your boat and the people who'll use it. The owners manual provides a lot of information...like the dimensions, footprint and whether you can close the head door. It's designed to use pressurized fresh water...do you carry enough to be able to spare some for toilet flushing? Plumbing instructions in the manual will answer some of your questions too. You can download it from here:
Raritan Marine Elegance Owners Manual
I suggest you also check the forum archives including the Ask All Sailors the Plumbing and Sanitation forums for "Raritan Marine Elegance" posts.

Which Jabsco toilet do you have? And what do you mean by, "can't keep the joker valves operational?"
 
Mar 4, 2018
34
Hunter 33.5 Southport
The Jabsco is the "Compact Manual Toilet". I installed a new pump less than a year ago and never could seem to get it to pump out properly so eventually I started changing out the joker valves but for some reason they wouldn't last. I think that the flaps of the jokers are being sucked back in with each stroke of the piston but not sure. When I changed out the original aluminum holding tank to polyethylene, I went back with the same configuration that it came with from the factory with three 1 1/2" ports on the top of the tank, one for toilet, one for pump out and one for overboard discharge. I did add another vent hose to the tank but other than that it's pretty much the same set up as original. After 2 pumps and numerous joker valves I'm ready for a change.
My concerns with the Elegance are basically two fold. One, the dimensions are awfully close as far as fitting on the pan and being able to close the shower seat that goes over the toilet. I took the pattern that you can print on Raritans site down to the boat but I haven't removed the old unit so I'm just eyeballing it and it looks close. The second issue is the pan itself, I don't see any way to access the bottom side of the pan and it looks like the elegance is set up to be feed from below. If I can feed everything from the back of the unit instead of underneath I think all will be good. Otherwise I'll have to find another alternative. That's why I came here, hopefully to find a H33.5 owner who had done the install that would be familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the 33.5 layout.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
If I can feed everything from the back of the unit instead of underneath I think all will be good.
I'm 99% certain that it can discharge out the back, but to be on safe side, ask Raritan if no one here replies with the answer. My go-to guru at Raritan is Mac McCoy in their Ft. Lauderdale plant: 954-525-0378
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Get the Raritan joker, I believe it is the 253 number? It is more robust, and has lasted me a good long time compared to my Jabsco. It has two +lips+ that I put vertical. My toilet is in it's 11th year..
 
Mar 4, 2018
34
Hunter 33.5 Southport
Peggy,
You were right about the Elegance being able to discharge from the back, they call it a wall discharge option and it's basically just a barbed 90. Unfortunately the Elegance won't fit in my boat without significant alterations that I am unwilling to make.
The Elegance as well as the PH series both have an overall height of at least 14". The Jabsco has an overall height of just 13" and there is hardly room for even a pinky finger to go between the top of the toilet and the bottom of the shower seat. The only other toilet that I have been able to find with a 13" OAH is the Lavac Popular. I don't want to use sea water to flush the toilet and I'm not quite sure how the Lavac is supposed to work or whether they are even available for that matter. I never used sea water for the Jabsco when I re-did the plumbing, I just used the shower wand to fill the bowl and set the lever to dry. I can't see how this would have any effect on the Jokers but then I'm not real keen on plumbing. Do you think that the Lavac is a viable option or is there anything else out there more reliable than the Jabsco? I just hate the thought of putting another Jabsco in the boat.
 

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Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
Have you looked at the Raritan Fresh Head? It's a manual toilet, but it's the ONLY manual toilet designed to use pressurized fresh water. Height with the household size bowl is under 14". If your Jabsco has a household size bowl, you can re-use it by going with the "conversion" (everything but the bowl, seat and lid) instead of the complete toilet.
FRESH_HEAD Promo Sheet
 
Apr 10, 2017
91
Seidelman 37 Kemah, TX
First...I see you've just joined our merry band today...welcome aboard!

The Raritan Elegance is a great choice--IF it's right choice for your boat and the people who'll use it. The owners manual provides a lot of information...like the dimensions, footprint and whether you can close the head door. It's designed to use pressurized fresh water...do you carry enough to be able to spare some for toilet flushing? Plumbing instructions in the manual will answer some of your questions too. You can download it from here:
Raritan Marine Elegance Owners Manual
I suggest you also check the forum archives including the Ask All Sailors the Plumbing and Sanitation forums for "Raritan Marine Elegance" posts.

Which Jabsco toilet do you have? And what do you mean by, "can't keep the joker valves operational?"
We installed a Raritan Elegance on our last boat. It came with the optional fresh/raw water flush kit. Included the raw water pump and a switch to select raw or fresh water flush.
 
Mar 4, 2018
34
Hunter 33.5 Southport
Just ordered the Raritan Super Flush. The Spec sheet shows it at 13" OAH with the lid closed which is the max that I can accomodate. My wife suggested that I just buy the Elegance and take whatever boat came with it.