Add vented loop for water in bowl or flush to dry?

[TonyDz]

I recently upgraded to a Raritan Sea Era freshwater flush with bluetooth control and I'm actually noticing more head odor since I made the upgrade. I think the source of the odor may be gases escaping back through the bowl so I added water to the bowl thinking that it may stop the gases, but found the water drained to the holding tank fairly quickly. My toilet discharge is pretty close to the same level as the holding tank input and the discharge hose is mostly flat. I reached out to Raritan and they suggested adding a vented loop to the discharge line which I'm considering.

Question: Is it better to keep water in the bowl or to flush to dry? Currently I flush to dry, but it seems like it's creating a direct open air path to the holding tank allowing odors to escape. Would adding a vented loop correct this?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

The SeaEra isn't designed to bring water into the bowl and hold it...Your joker valve would have to be in excellent conditon for water to stay in the bowl long enough ahead of solids--.-which you should always do because that leaves you with much cleaner bowl with a LOT less flushing I suspect that your odor is the result of failing to bring any water into the bowl ahead of solids, or flush longlong enough --at least 3 full seconds after urine only, 7-10 seconds after solids--to move bowl contents all the way to the tank plus a rinse behind the flush. A worn joker valve is allowing odor from waste left in the discharge line.
A loop--not a vented loop (you aren't trying to prevent a siphon), just a loop, immediately after the toilet can provide help from gravity to move flushes all the way into the tank. But I'd try just replacing the joker valve first.

--Peggie