As the summer winds downs I'm always looking for projects to do on my H376. Has anybody added a fresh water line to the manual pump head? Should help reduce the stink factor. I always try to flush a gallon or two of fresh water thru the head with the seawater thruhull closed when I leave the boat for any length of time. And if I do a fresh water line, would I bring it from the pressurized side? Again its a manual pump head. Thanks. Bob F.
Fresh Water Flush Head
- Thread starter Bob F.
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Easy to plumb.
You should be able to find that mod in the archives Bob. No need for pressurized water. Simply run a hose off a 'T' in the line between the tank and the fresh water pump. Add one of those cheapy 'T'-valves in a convenient location between the thru-hull valve and the head. Connect the two with a piece of hose that includes a one-way check valve(you want the fresh water pump to suck water from the tank, not from the head). All parts are available at Lowes or Home Depot. Or do what we do, keep a plastic cup handy. We use water from the sink and pour it in the bowl. I don't think we used seawater more than a couple of times all season.
You should be able to find that mod in the archives Bob. No need for pressurized water. Simply run a hose off a 'T' in the line between the tank and the fresh water pump. Add one of those cheapy 'T'-valves in a convenient location between the thru-hull valve and the head. Connect the two with a piece of hose that includes a one-way check valve(you want the fresh water pump to suck water from the tank, not from the head). All parts are available at Lowes or Home Depot. Or do what we do, keep a plastic cup handy. We use water from the sink and pour it in the bowl. I don't think we used seawater more than a couple of times all season.
Don't even think of doing that!
No toilet designed to flush with raw water should ever be connected tot he onboard fresh water system...it cannot be done without risk of polluting the potable water supply and/or damage to the toilet...and every toilet mfr warns against doing it in the installation instructions. If you want to flush with fresh water, you have only 3 choices: 1. Add it manually with a cup or use the shower head; 2. Install a separate tank dedicated to flush water only (and do not fill it with the same hose used to fill your fresh water tank); 3. Replace your toilet with one designed by the mfr to use pressurized flush water. Or...you can risk infecting everyone aboard with e-coli.
No toilet designed to flush with raw water should ever be connected tot he onboard fresh water system...it cannot be done without risk of polluting the potable water supply and/or damage to the toilet...and every toilet mfr warns against doing it in the installation instructions. If you want to flush with fresh water, you have only 3 choices: 1. Add it manually with a cup or use the shower head; 2. Install a separate tank dedicated to flush water only (and do not fill it with the same hose used to fill your fresh water tank); 3. Replace your toilet with one designed by the mfr to use pressurized flush water. Or...you can risk infecting everyone aboard with e-coli.
Easier, faster
Simply shut off the raw water intake, forever. Keep a gallon fresh water in a jug in the sink. Use that to flush. Eventually use vinegar, baking soda to clean the hose you've shut down.
Simply shut off the raw water intake, forever. Keep a gallon fresh water in a jug in the sink. Use that to flush. Eventually use vinegar, baking soda to clean the hose you've shut down.
An even simpler solution...
Keeping the seacock permanently closed is ok if you have a manual toilet, but a bad idea if you have an electric toilet because flushing the toilet dry destroys the intake impeller and eventually the whole intake pump assembly. Just pouring water down the toilet to rinse the sea water out only rinses out the head discharge line...it won't flush the sea water out of the intake because nothing that goes into the bowl is recirculated through the intake....if it did, waste would also be recirculated. The simplest solution for both manual and electric toilets: Tee the head sink drain line into the head intake line. Before the boat is to sit, after you've closed all the seacocks, fill the sink with clean fresh water...flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed the toilet will pull the water out of the sink, rinsing the sea water out of the whole system--intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl, AND the discharge line. This would even allow you to keep the intake seacock closed all the time...just fill the sink to flush each time instead of using the shower head or a jug of water. As for using vinegar and baking soda to clean out a line...be careful! It's not a toxic combination...but vinegar and baking soda mixed together can create enough effervescent pressure to blow off a hose connection or damage the parts in a pump.
Keeping the seacock permanently closed is ok if you have a manual toilet, but a bad idea if you have an electric toilet because flushing the toilet dry destroys the intake impeller and eventually the whole intake pump assembly. Just pouring water down the toilet to rinse the sea water out only rinses out the head discharge line...it won't flush the sea water out of the intake because nothing that goes into the bowl is recirculated through the intake....if it did, waste would also be recirculated. The simplest solution for both manual and electric toilets: Tee the head sink drain line into the head intake line. Before the boat is to sit, after you've closed all the seacocks, fill the sink with clean fresh water...flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed the toilet will pull the water out of the sink, rinsing the sea water out of the whole system--intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl, AND the discharge line. This would even allow you to keep the intake seacock closed all the time...just fill the sink to flush each time instead of using the shower head or a jug of water. As for using vinegar and baking soda to clean out a line...be careful! It's not a toxic combination...but vinegar and baking soda mixed together can create enough effervescent pressure to blow off a hose connection or damage the parts in a pump.
Peggie, I was waiting for you to suggest a
LectraSan. All problems go away. No holding tank, no pumps, no tees and NO SMELL. Love mine.
LectraSan. All problems go away. No holding tank, no pumps, no tees and NO SMELL. Love mine.
Not the right choice for him, Fred...nor the right solution either
He's in San Diego...almost all the coastal waters of SoCal inside 3 miles south of Santa Barbara are "no discharge." Outside 3 miles, he wouldn't need one 'cuz he can flush directly overboard. However, whether to hold waste or treat and discharge has nothing to do with where the flush water comes from...and adding a Lectra/San wouldn't affect the toilet's flush water intake at all.
He's in San Diego...almost all the coastal waters of SoCal inside 3 miles south of Santa Barbara are "no discharge." Outside 3 miles, he wouldn't need one 'cuz he can flush directly overboard. However, whether to hold waste or treat and discharge has nothing to do with where the flush water comes from...and adding a Lectra/San wouldn't affect the toilet's flush water intake at all.
Too bad,
Last I heard 'no discharge' was only Avalon harbor. Bummer. So now it's all of southern California! Sounds like a 3 mile tack is going to be the way to go.
Last I heard 'no discharge' was only Avalon harbor. Bummer. So now it's all of southern California! Sounds like a 3 mile tack is going to be the way to go.
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