Electric toilets ... like them or not?

Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
On the Raritan Sea Era the motor is a dual shaft- it runs the input pump for seawater and the macerator at the same time. Yes it is a bit noisy, but only for a few seconds.
Ditto Rich's replies. Our boat came with a 26 gallon holding tank and seems adequate for several days of cruising. Yes, ours is noisy for that brief period while it macerates, brings in sea water and sends bowl contents to the tank. I tell guests to operate the flush for five seconds, which seems to work.

Power consumption is minimal. Since I cruise solo most of the time, being an old backpacker, I use a pee bottle most of the time, or just go over the side. Digging a cat hole for number two used to work in the bush, but on the water not so much.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
We installed a Raritan Elegance seawater and think it’s one of the best improvements to the boat for cruising comfort. It’s a little louder than a manual due to the macerator. I figure my backup is the stern rail, if it’s just my wife and I aboard!

I’ve got you all beat on undersized holding tanks, as theCatalina 36 has a lousy 12 gallon tank but only the top 10 are usable! According to @Peggie Hall HeadMistress , electric heads use less water, and we can attest to that. We probably doubled our flushes between pump out.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,044
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
The descriptions seem to claim less water use and that seems to be backed up by these comments. Our holding tank is just 11 gallons. I will plumb for pressurized fresh water. I'll need to add water capacity, I think. I have a plan for that. I currently have a 15 gallon tank, but I have space to increase it at least another 20 gallons. I'm not worried about holding tank capacity. We will always be close to pump out facilities & will be offshore if we're not.
 
Sep 15, 2013
707
Catalina 270 Baltimore
I have about the same size boat you do. I have a 15 gallon holding tank. I looked long and hard at an electric toilet on sale at a boat show. The issue was it put a lot of waste water per flush into my tank. Otherwise I would have probably jumped on it. I don't remember the actual numbers but I recall it was pretty high for my tank.
 

CarlN

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Jan 4, 2009
603
Ketch 55 Bristol, RI
Also a strong vote for the Raritan Elegance. A guy from Raritan told me they installed them in the company men’s and ladies room during testing. Made admiral VERY happy. The quietest electric I could find. No clogs in five years. No limits on TP, No repairs or maintenance In that time. Cleans easily. Flushes completely using little water (2.5 cup “water saver” flush). Easy for guests to understand. Much longer between pump outs than manual — especially with guests aboard who over flush a manual. Easier pump outs because everything get’s ground up at the toilet. Looks more like a home toilet. Might be the most comfortable seat on the whole boat :)
 
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May 7, 2011
205
Catalina 30 Lake Lanier
I ask because the holding tank in a MH33 is minuscule (15 gal) and I often wondered if electric heads would extend or reduce the need for pumpouts.
Our macerating electric head is great. As stated before, it is a bit loud when running, so it may wake others up if used at night. Our Catalina 30 has a 17 gallon holding tank. The water usage seems to be about the same as the old manual head. The thing that seems to have made a larger difference is using Tank Tech's Forget-About-It For Boats product. Went from having to pump out every time we spent a few days aboard to going 3 times longer before we pumped out. It may be due to old sediment being liquified.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,044
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I second the idea of a gift for Sue. I cannot think of a more personal present.....
Oh Boy! I'm in enough trouble already. I asked her if I should replace with a compact size as we already have or should I get the "household" size (thinking it would be far more comfortable for both of us). She had an icy response … "What's that supposed to mean, are you trying to imply something?" I just tried to pretend that I didn't ask anything, she must have misheard. :(:(
 

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
I bought a new vacuum for Christmas a few years after we had been married and were in our first house. She told me she hated the old one and would like a light weight one to take up the stairs easier, seemed like an easy engineering solution to me. I've never made that mistake again and somehow we have been married 21 years still...
 
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Feb 10, 2004
3,918
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Oh Boy! I'm in enough trouble already. I asked her if I should replace with a compact size as we already have or should I get the "household" size (thinking it would be far more comfortable for both of us). <snip> :(:(
Some things are best not asked. At this point you should just ask if she would like a glass of wine. And then sign yourself up for a class in Husbandry 101.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,918
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I bought a new vacuum for Christmas a few years after we had been married and were in our first house. She told me she hated the old one and would like a light weight one to take up the stairs easier, seemed like an easy engineering solution to me. I've never made that mistake again and somehow we have been married 21 years still...
Yeah, wife's don't appreciate power tools like husbands. Must be something wired wrong in their DNA. Oh, and don't buy cookbooks either. Don't ask.....
 

DaveJ

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Apr 2, 2013
449
Catalina 310 Niagara-on-the-Lake
If you think a treadmill is a good idea, buy it for yourself, and let her use it.......Another don't ask...
Cheers
dj
 

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Yep, I heard as much grief when I bought her a Universal TV Remote for Christmas as I did when I gave her a Full Year of Lawn Care service for her birthday.
Almost as bad as when I was younger and had a long time girlfriend. I gave her earrings one Christmas. Went over well so I did the same the following year. The third year she asked me not to buy her any more earrings. I thought you like them I asked. She said I do but this is the third time you gave me the same pair.

Back on topic, I installed the Raritan Sea Era Fresh Water house hold size electric flush head. I used the two button switch to fill the bowel, fill and flush or just dry flush.

As others have said, we don't flush #1 at night. It can last til morning when everyone is awake.
 
Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
I love my Sea Era and the noise doesn’t even seem loud any more,I need the macerator which is right
at the bottom toilet and right away workings great for some of us men on #2.
Nick
 
Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
We we acquired our boat it had a new manual head installed. The problem was/is bring friends out for a sail and they can't follow the operating instructions. Got a great deal on a macerating electric head and had a club member in line to buy to old ( new) head.. Now I only need to educate " riders" on how to push the button.
 
Jul 1, 2010
962
Catalina 350 Lake Huron
I replaced the the Wilcox Crittenden electric head on our Catalina 350 with a Raritan Sea Era electric unit a year ago. You can get the Sea Era with the sea water pump separate from the toilet / macerator unit. This is the version I got. I mounted the sea water pump inside the locker behind the head, and wired it in series through a momentary off switch. This way, if I press the main flush button, the toilet does a wet flush. If I press both buttons, the sea water pump is off while the toilet flushes and you get a dry flush. This helps conserve tank space for liquid flushes or when you might want to use fresh water from the shower hose for flushing. Works great.

You can also order this unit minus the porcelain bowl to save some money and reuse the bowl from the existing head. I did this with ours.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
Wondering what the market is for used Baby Blakes...
They're a British toilet considered the finest manual toilet in the world, designed and built to last at least 100 years. New it has a current list price of about 4500 GBP, which is about $6000 USD at today's rate of exchange. Check the prices for used ones (they're rare) on eBay and other sources. If yours are in excellent condition, you should get enough to pay for the VacuFlush.

--Peggie