New head suggestions.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson

.
Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
I'm about to install a new head on a guys boat, and he just wants a standard, cheap, manual head. Why not. I thought while I was at it, I might just buy two of them, and put a new one in one of mine as well. New heads, mean happy wives.

Any particular gripes, concerns, words not too awful to post on here about the Johnson Pump, or Jabsco's?

I know this may have been beaten like a dead horse a thousand times, but I'm gonna have to get on this soon. Literally.

But I THINK I'm between these two..
 
Delezynski

Delezynski

.
Jan 22, 2008
551
NorSea 27 Az., Doing the To-Do list
Hands Down Go ----

with a La Vac!!!

[FONT=&quot]Absolutely the BEST head we have ever had aboard a boat! The seals on the lids keep all the bad smells at 0! As long as it's mounted per the directions, it almost pumps dry. We have set it up so that the same pump will work for the head AND the holding tank (for offshore work), and a deck pumpout. :dance:




Greg
[/FONT]
 
C

Calif. Ted

.
Jun 8, 2004
3,011
Catalina 320 Dana Point
I prefer the Raritan PHII or PHC over the Jabsco, my last Jabsco developed cracks all over the pump housing.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

.
Feb 26, 2004
23,353
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
F*uck the "CONCEPT" of a head that costs half as much but needs to replacded twice as often.

Why? 'Cuz most of us have "been-there-done-that" anyway.

Here's our PHII: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3797.0.html

Or you go to the Lavac or other "electric" modes.

Good luck, happy choice hunting.
 
Delezynski

Delezynski

.
Jan 22, 2008
551
NorSea 27 Az., Doing the To-Do list
The La Vac is NOT electric!

We installed ours in 1999, lived aboard full time till 2004, then departed for full time cruising. It's still in and working like new! The only maintenance I have had to do was replace the lid seal (a VERY simple task) for a cost of about US $12.00.

We have been there and done that.

Greg
 
S

Steve Dion

.
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
We have been very happy with the Raritan Sea-Era electric.

6 years of push-button care free flushing.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

.
Feb 26, 2004
23,353
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Greg, I went back and re-read my post --- didn't mean to equate them.
 
Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson

.
Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
Haha. Stu, you sound like the kind of man that has had to repair one of these dastardly things while underway.
While I've rarely had any particular problems with heads in general, for the exception of occasionally rebuilding one, I was just under the assumption that a "big" name like Johnson, or Jabsco made a decent product. Which is why I asked B.T.W.
I've got an old Raritan on an Ericson that looks so old, it came over with the Lord on the Mayflower. I just kind of wanted to "freshen things up" a little when it became a job to install a new one for a customer, order two at the same time, etc. I also didn't want to put in a piece of crap in HIS boat neither. (What a pun, huh)?
 
chuckwayne

chuckwayne

.
Mar 20, 2004
1,753
Hunter 356 and 216 Portland, ME
The Raritan is fantastic, very reliable, and can be inexpensive! If the porcelain bowl is in good shape, they make a kit that reuses the bowl and replaces all of the plumbing with the raritan. Available on this site and highly recommended.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

.
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
People tend to trash that which they do not have/like. Maybe they didn't take care of what they had, then complained it "crapped out". I've had a Jabsco for 6 years on this boat and only had to change the joker valve. My second boat with a Jabsco. I'd go with the "household-size" one, though.
 
onecoolair

onecoolair

.
Jun 25, 2012
942
hunter 356 Kemah,the Republic of Texas
Ron20324 said:
People tend to trash that which they do not have/like. Maybe they didn't take care of what they had, then complained it "crapped out". I've had a Jabsco for 6 years on this boat and only had to change the joker valve. My second boat with a Jabsco. I'd go with the "household-size" one, though.
Click to expand
Same here...Just some yearly maintenance like joker valve and a small amount of Teflon crease in the pump valves and she's good to go. Bought on sale less then a hundred bucks about 8 years ago. Btw.... Alway use fresh water from the shower to flush and never leave poop or pee in the plumbing line hoses.
 
All U Get

All U Get

.
Oct 2, 2008
3,811
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
You may be asking the wrong crowd. If you would ask for women only, the answer may be "Push button electric". I can be happy with any manual model but we installed two Raritan Ellegance models in our boat and my wife has been happy ever since. Your boat, your choice.

All U Get
 
philwsailz

philwsailz

.
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Push button electric also takes the guesswork out of operation for a guest...

I bought a Vetus a while back from a production boat builder customer. Haven't put it into service yet but I think it will be super.
 
Bad Obsession

Bad Obsession

.
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
Raritan PHii is what I put in my boat. It works great. It was highly suggested by the Head Mistress when she was posting on here.
 
Jumpstart

Jumpstart

.
Jan 13, 2009
394
J Boat 92 78 Sandusky
I've taken a different tack with heads. After doing rebuilds with a kit near the cost of a new head I've decided to go the disposable route. Nothing motivates you like laying on your back on a hot spring day trying to solve the leak on the pump you just rebuilt. Bloody knuckles, sweat every where and a unpleasant odor forced to me rethink my head strategy. I've become expert at unscrewing the nuts on the 4 lag bolts and the hose clamps on the 3 hoses. I use hose lube on the barbs and they hoses are easy to get off and on. It takes me just a little longe than 5 minutes to remove the old head. I buy the cheapest Johnson head I can find at $125 (used to be less than $100) and replace the whole unit every 6 years or so. After 18 years I still have a pretty fresh head that doesn't leak or smell and never has. My investment over the last 18 years has been just over $300 which is less than a more expensive W/C and I don't have to screw around rebuilding it.

I never use seawater to flush. I keel a gallon jug of freshwater for that. The head smells better and you don't get dirt or salt tearing up the joker valve
 
Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson

.
Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
It seems like I'm hearing from several people to use fresh water to flush. I've never really given it much consideration, however...

I carry enough water on this boat to fight fires with, plus a water maker, so that may be a redesign idea.

(I'm such an anal retentive devil, ain't I)..
 
noanker

noanker

.
Oct 3, 2010
130
oday 31 noank
i installed a raritan marine elegance electric fw and it has been great. also i no longer have to be the flush monitor when guests are aboard
 
fox islander

fox islander

.
Jun 5, 2004
241
Catalina 30 MkII Foss Harbor Marina, Tacoma, WA
My vote also goes to the Raritan PHII (thanks Peggy). It's been working perfectly for 3 years. The Jabsco it replaced was a piece of junk. I also flush only with freash water = no smell.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top Bottom