Replacement head (toilet unit specifically)

[Le Bon Temp 1]

Needing some help please. I have a 2003 Cat/350. Need to replace my electric head which is a Wilcox/Crittington. As you know that manufacturer went out of business in 05 or 06 ?!?!
So asking for recommendations on what manufacturer & model would be the best/easiest replacement option. Appreciate any info provided. Thanks.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Do you want to stay electric or go manual ?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

The Raritan Marine Elegance is the top rated macerating electric toilet Raritan Marine_Elegance Promo.pdf Designed to use onboard fresh water but can also use sea water with the addition of a remote intake pump. Exceptionally quiet, requires very little maintenance. I've never met or even heard of anyone who doesn't love it since Raritan introduced it about 12 years ago.

The Raritan SeaEra is a sea water toilet that's also top rated in its class. Raritan SeaEra Promo Sheet Pump/motor assembly can be installed to be out the back or either side.

I recommend Raritan because not only are all their products top rated but they're the last US toilet mfr who still makes everything in the US. Jabsco, the only other US toilet brand, now makes every product they sell in the US in Mexico with parts, materials and components sourced from China and other Asian countries.

--Peggie

 

[Le Bon Temp 1]

Do you want to stay electric or go manual ?

Hey Ralph, thanks for your reply. I definitely want to stay with electric. Looking to replace the unit with something that will be compatible and hopefully with the same water hookups. The only 12V connections are the positive & negative lines.

 

[Le Bon Temp 1]

The Raritan Marine Elegance is the top rated macerating electric toilet Raritan Marine_Elegance Promo.pdf Designed to use onboard fresh water but can also use sea water with the addition of a remote intake pump. Exceptionally quiet, requires very little maintenance. I've never met or even heard of anyone who doesn't love it since Raritan introduced it about 12 years ago.

The Raritan SeaEra is a sea water toilet that's also top rated in its class. Raritan SeaEra Promo Sheet Pump/motor assembly can be installed to be out the back or either side.

I recommend Raritan because not only are all their products top rated but they're the last US toilet mfr who still makes everything in the US. Jabsco, the only other US toilet brand, now makes every product they sell in the US in Mexico with parts, materials and components sourced from China and other Asian countries.

--Peggie

Hey Peggy thank you so
Much for that info. I just found out how to reply to your response. I don’t think I also forwarded a reply via a private reply but not sure if that went thru. I will do some research on the Raritan brand since I have not heard of them. I’m hoping to be able to replace my unit without having to replace any water lines. My unit uses raw water with a black water holding tank.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

You did send me a PM, which I received and I replied to it.

Whether it will be necessary to replace your hoses largely depends on two things: their age and/or whether they've become permeated with odor. What year is your boat? Are the hoses original, or were they replaced by a PO (previous owner)...if so, when?

--Peggie

 

[Le Bon Temp 1]

You did send me a PM, which I received and I replied to it.

Whether it will be necessary to replace your hoses largely depends on two things: their age and/or whether they've become permeated with odor. What year is your boat? Are the hoses original, or were they replaced by a PO (previous owner)...if so, when?

--Peggie

2003 Catalina 350.
everything is original. Hoses are in good shape, nothing compromised. I was referring to the ends where they connect to the base unit of the head itself. Have 3 water lines, one that goes to the bowl to fill with water when needed and the two remaining which connects to the pump motor. Only two power lines are the pos & neg 12V.

 

[dlochner]

2003 Catalina 350.
everything is original. Hoses are in good shape, nothing compromised. I was referring to the ends where they connect to the base unit of the head itself. Have 3 water lines, one that goes to the bowl to fill with water when needed and the two remaining which connects to the pump motor. Only two power lines are the pos & neg 12V.

If the hoses are indeed from 2003, they have long passed their use by date.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

If the hoses are indeed from 2003, they have long passed their use by date.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay passed.

I would suggest doing them now while every thing is disconnected rather than a couple of years down the road when you will have to do them all over again . Use the best you can get for waste discharge .......... Raritan Sani/Flex Odor Shield, Marine Hoses. Forget the price. It's all about life expectancy.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

everything is original. Hoses are in good shape, nothing compromised. I was referring to the ends where they connect to the base unit of the head itself. Have 3 water lines, one that goes to the bowl to fill with water when needed and the two remaining which connects to the pump motor.

I was wondering why your toilet would have such unusual plumbing and wiring until I remembered that the Newport was the only W-C electric toilet ever built and it was actually made by Thetford after they bought W.C..and it was a disaster! They tried to "re-invent the wheel" and didn't even come close to succeeding. So I'm not surprised that you want to replace it.

As for your hoses...they may appear to be in good shape but they're 20 years old and 10 years is the max working life for any hose because rubber and plastics dry out over time, becoming hard, brittle and prone to cracking and splitting. That could spill sewage in your boat when you flush or pump out...worse yet, an old hose connected to a below-waterline thru-hull accidentally left open when no is aboard can sink your boat in its slip. So you really have no choice but to replace them--ALL of them including the tank vent line and toilet intake line. And this is no place to "go cheap" if you only want to do this job once, 'cuz cheap hose will permeate and stink in a very short time.

Raritan SaniFlex hose, available in 1" and 1.5", is the top rated hose...it has a 10 year warranty against odor permeation and also has the added avantage of being so flexible it can be bent almost as tight as a hairpin without kinking, which makes most re-hosing jobs a LOT easier. It's not cheap, but it's not the most expensive either...Defender has it for $10-$11/ft, and they sell it by the foot (many retailers only sell 50' coils) Raritan Sani / Flex Sanitation Hose at Defender I'll be glad to help you spec out how much you'll need after you decide on a toilet....I guarantee that no matter which one you pick, it'll only have ONE water supply line!

--Peggie

 

[DStegs49]

I have an 87 Hunter Legend 37 and switched from a Groco manual head to a Tecma EasyFit (Made by Thetford Corp.). Instalation was basically simple with a 2 wire 12 volt power supply, single hose water supply and single hose discharge. There is a wiring harness that comes with it to give you a remote switch which provides 2 stages of flush. I spliced the input hose into the sink cold water line, hooked up the output to the existing waste hose, and wired the power to a fuse on the house battery system. I had more time involved building a base to raise the unit 2 inches. This was because the back of it is close to the hull liner and the curve of the hull. I didn't bother replacing the waste hose because it had been done a few years earlier. We don't pump overboard because we sail inland water (Lake Michigan). To keep the critters out of the holding tank, I use the onboard fresh water supply. You can get a pump if you want to use raw water. We are really happy with it and haven't had any service issues. For number 1 it's only a second or two on the flush and for number 2 it's as needed. We reduced our summer pump outs to 2 from 5 with an end of season empty. We weekend on the boat and use the shore facilities at our marina.
<<<<Don't know what happened to my info or signature....
Dave

 

[marty1920]

Question about Raritan saniflex hose - any tricks for slipping this onto barbs in tight spots where it is difficult to apply some muscle? warm up hose with water or low level heat gun? use synthetic (teflon) grease? THANK YOU

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Yes, yes, and yes.

I haven't used Raritan Sani/Flex before but used Trident 102 Sani Shield Sanitation Hose last year when I replaced all drainage and pump out hoses. Top notch permeation resistance but has the consistency of cast iron. Raritan is up there with it but is extremely flexible. I found that NON-petroleum grease such as Super Lube and heating the hose with a hair dryer are mandatory. The temp. should be uncomfortable to the touch. Grease the hose fitting and the hose internal. Two hose clamps and there isn't a large enough force on earth to pull them apart.

 

[Hayden Watson]

The Raritan Marine Elegance is the top rated macerating electric toilet Raritan Marine_Elegance Promo.pdf Designed to use onboard fresh water but can also use sea water with the addition of a remote intake pump. Exceptionally quiet, requires very little maintenance. I've never met or even heard of anyone who doesn't love it since Raritan introduced it about 12 years ago.

--Peggie

I have no experience with the Elegance but have had a Thetford Tecma that has been happily grinding stuff for the past 6-years in my motorhome. Do you have any thoughts on the pro and cons or comparison of the two heads?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Question about Raritan saniflex hose - any tricks for slipping this onto barbs in tight spots where it is difficult to apply some muscle? warm up hose with water or low level heat gun? use synthetic (teflon) grease? THANK YOU

Warming the hose not only makes it easier to remove from a fitting, but also easier to slip onto a fitting. Be very careful using a heat gun 'cuz you don't want to overheat it...which is why I always used a blow dryer, kept a small travel dryer in my tool box.

You also want to lubricate both the fitting and the inside of the hose end...but NEVER with any GREASE 'cuz they all remain permanently slippery. Dishwashing liquid (Dawn etc) is what the industry has always recommended, but KY jelly is a lot slipperier and is water soluble so it dries out.

All that applies no matter what hose you're using.

 

[dlochner]

Of all the different types of hose I have used, Saniflex is one of the easier ones to slide over fittings. Much Much better than the cheap white Shields stuff.