I've just read Peggie's book, and am planning to install a Raritan electric head in my H30. The problem is that I don't believe my small (probably 1 GPM) water pump will give enough flow to flush. The specs say that the Jabsco Quiet Flush needs something like 3.2GPM, and although I don't see it anywhere, I would guess the Raritan needs something similar. Would I be ok just installing an accumulator tank, or do I need to spring for a new and larger pump? Also I see that some raw water manual installations plumb to the sink drain so as to use fresh water, or just keep a gallon jug of flush water handy. Does that work for electric toilets? I mean Heads?
Need advice on Head installation
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First, check your water pump specs
1 GPM doesn't sound right...that's barely enough to get a trickle out of any faucet further away from it than a few feet. 2.8 - 3gpm would be more likely on a boat the size of yours, and is more than enough to provide flush water to any toilet designed to use pressurized fresh water. If your water pump is so worn that it can no longer pump at the specified rate of flow, it's time for a new pump. As for closing the seacock to use fresh water to flush a raw water toilet... Teeing the head intake into the head sink drain would allow you to do this without damage to the toilet...but just pouring water into the bowl from a jug or the shower head will cause dry friction heat to destroy the intake impeller and intake pump housing. So you'd never want to "dry flush" any raw water electric toilet for this reason either...you'd always have to make sure there's adequate water in the sink to flush.
1 GPM doesn't sound right...that's barely enough to get a trickle out of any faucet further away from it than a few feet. 2.8 - 3gpm would be more likely on a boat the size of yours, and is more than enough to provide flush water to any toilet designed to use pressurized fresh water. If your water pump is so worn that it can no longer pump at the specified rate of flow, it's time for a new pump. As for closing the seacock to use fresh water to flush a raw water toilet... Teeing the head intake into the head sink drain would allow you to do this without damage to the toilet...but just pouring water into the bowl from a jug or the shower head will cause dry friction heat to destroy the intake impeller and intake pump housing. So you'd never want to "dry flush" any raw water electric toilet for this reason either...you'd always have to make sure there's adequate water in the sink to flush.
Raritan sea era requires 3.0 GPM
while the Surflo pump I have pumps 1.6 GPM . Indeed it won't produce much presure at the faucet, but then I don't require that much , until now. I had planned to install a small accumulator tank anyway, but am not sure whether that will serve the head adequately.
while the Surflo pump I have pumps 1.6 GPM . Indeed it won't produce much presure at the faucet, but then I don't require that much , until now. I had planned to install a small accumulator tank anyway, but am not sure whether that will serve the head adequately.
Electric Freshwater Head
Vic says that adding an accumulator tank of 1/2 gallon or so should serve the 3 GPM flow required for the Raritan Sea Era, even with the 1.6 GPM flow rate of my pump, so long as my pump will maintain five psi on the accumulator tank, which it will with ease. Also, in answer to my other question, so long as the head is designed as a freshwater head, ie. without an impeller pump on the intake end, if my pressure water ever fails, I can just pour water in the bowl to flush. He said many people do that as a matter of course, as an alternative to plumbing into the pressure water.
Vic says that adding an accumulator tank of 1/2 gallon or so should serve the 3 GPM flow required for the Raritan Sea Era, even with the 1.6 GPM flow rate of my pump, so long as my pump will maintain five psi on the accumulator tank, which it will with ease. Also, in answer to my other question, so long as the head is designed as a freshwater head, ie. without an impeller pump on the intake end, if my pressure water ever fails, I can just pour water in the bowl to flush. He said many people do that as a matter of course, as an alternative to plumbing into the pressure water.
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