I am putting a new sanitation system in my boat and I don't want any odors. My contractor ordered me a Jabsco, Electric Marine Toilet, Head, 12 EMC Vdc, Household Bowl, 37010-1090 which it turns out is for salt water. Should I send it back and get a fresh water system or can salt water be ok? I live-aboard and am hooked up to the dock water hose. Thanks!
salt or fresh?
- Thread starter SeanMorey
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Heads
Hi Sean, our 1991 model Hunter came equipped with two Jabsco electric raw water heads that remain in original condition. They always work and never smell except for the first flush after being unused for an extended period. It seems that the raw water marine life left in the hose between the through hull and the toilet pump die leaving a rotten egg smell with the first flush of the season, which quickly dissipates through an open port light. No big deal for us given the good performance of the Jabscos.
Terry Cox
Hi Sean, our 1991 model Hunter came equipped with two Jabsco electric raw water heads that remain in original condition. They always work and never smell except for the first flush after being unused for an extended period. It seems that the raw water marine life left in the hose between the through hull and the toilet pump die leaving a rotten egg smell with the first flush of the season, which quickly dissipates through an open port light. No big deal for us given the good performance of the Jabscos.
Terry Cox
plus if you have a fresh water head, you will need a separate, dedicated fresh water supply - another project
I wouldn't keep it...
If you go with a toilet that's designed to use pressurized fresh water, it is NOT necessary to install a separate flush water tank...althought tolilets designed to use SEA water should never be connected to the potable water system, toilets designed to use pressurized fresh water have all the fail-safes built into 'em that make it safe...in fact, they're supposed to be connected to the potable water system.
In addition to eliminating sea water odors, there are other advantage to fresh water--lower amperage draw (10 vs 16 for sea water toilets), 20-30% less flush water needed, and at least 50% noise reduction.
So I'd send back the Jabsco and replace it with the fresh water version of the Raritan SeaEra Raritan Sea Era which was designed to be a "plug and play" upgrade for the Jabsco 370xx series...or, if you want a VERY nice all china "throne" for about the same price, you will LOVE the Raritan "Marine Elegance!" Raritan Elegance toilet It's designed to use pressurized flush water and is the quietest toilet on the planet...you'll want to optional "Smart Flush" panel that offers a choice of 4 flush options. Defender has it for about $650.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|806|315136|828741&id=1342999
The ONLY hose I recommend any more is Trident 101/102 (identical except for color) Trident Marine: Sanitation Hose . It's been on the market for more than 15 years without a single reported odor permeation failure...something that cannot be said for ANY other hose, including SeaLand "OdorSafe" (I've personally seen it fail catastrophically!) The online store on this site has 101 for a very good price sbo.com plumbing
Luz, it sounds like you may have rerouted your head intake line to tee it into the head sink drain line...something I highly recommend. However, it's not necessary to always flush with fresh water to eliminate sea water odors...it's only necessary to flush all the sea water out of the whole system before the boat sits. To do that, just close the seacock, pump the toilet as dry as possible...fill the sink with clean fresh water...flush the toilet. Problem solved without wasting all your fresh water.
If you go with a toilet that's designed to use pressurized fresh water, it is NOT necessary to install a separate flush water tank...althought tolilets designed to use SEA water should never be connected to the potable water system, toilets designed to use pressurized fresh water have all the fail-safes built into 'em that make it safe...in fact, they're supposed to be connected to the potable water system.
In addition to eliminating sea water odors, there are other advantage to fresh water--lower amperage draw (10 vs 16 for sea water toilets), 20-30% less flush water needed, and at least 50% noise reduction.
So I'd send back the Jabsco and replace it with the fresh water version of the Raritan SeaEra Raritan Sea Era which was designed to be a "plug and play" upgrade for the Jabsco 370xx series...or, if you want a VERY nice all china "throne" for about the same price, you will LOVE the Raritan "Marine Elegance!" Raritan Elegance toilet It's designed to use pressurized flush water and is the quietest toilet on the planet...you'll want to optional "Smart Flush" panel that offers a choice of 4 flush options. Defender has it for about $650.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|806|315136|828741&id=1342999
The ONLY hose I recommend any more is Trident 101/102 (identical except for color) Trident Marine: Sanitation Hose . It's been on the market for more than 15 years without a single reported odor permeation failure...something that cannot be said for ANY other hose, including SeaLand "OdorSafe" (I've personally seen it fail catastrophically!) The online store on this site has 101 for a very good price sbo.com plumbing
Luz, it sounds like you may have rerouted your head intake line to tee it into the head sink drain line...something I highly recommend. However, it's not necessary to always flush with fresh water to eliminate sea water odors...it's only necessary to flush all the sea water out of the whole system before the boat sits. To do that, just close the seacock, pump the toilet as dry as possible...fill the sink with clean fresh water...flush the toilet. Problem solved without wasting all your fresh water.
Peggy, I have read your recomendations about using the fresh water as you describe and really appreciated reading that in the past, it all made sense. We don't use our head for solid (at least so far) as we have had good timing on our 24 hour races etc. (wink, wink) but would certainly use sea water if we needed a hearty flush!
We were lucky that we figured out that our boat was already routed to use fresh water via the sink, it just took some thinking for us to stop dragging the hand held sprayer across the sink into the bowl! We love our set up.
We were lucky that we figured out that our boat was already routed to use fresh water via the sink, it just took some thinking for us to stop dragging the hand held sprayer across the sink into the bowl! We love our set up.
In addition to what Peggie had to say, toilets that flush with fresh water, rather than salt water, tend to last a lot longer. This really doesn't discriminate over where the fresh water comes from, be it pressurized fresh water from the ship's onboard water pressure system; or a raw water head that is only used in fresh water - rivers and lakes. I still have people call me that have houseboats on fresh water lakes that are looking for parts for toilets that were built in the '60's and '70's. Of course mostly, the replacement parts have not been available in years, but it DOES say something for heads that do not flush with salt water.
To avoid any confusion, in marine toilet jargon, there are RAW water-flushing toilets, and there are toilets that flush with PRESSURIZED fresh water. Period. that's all. A toilet that flushes with fresh water from Lake Superior or Lake Cumberland, or the Colorado River is still a RAW water toilet - it is not a fresh water toilet - there's no such thing as a fresh water toilet. But there are plenty of toilets that flush with PRESSURIZED fresh water. So when discussing problems with your toilet, the question becomes does it flush with raw water or with pressurized fresh water?
There are also a few marine toilets around that flush with pressurized salt water, but they are shunned by all the professionals - we don't count them or recognize their existence. <grin>
<wink>
To avoid any confusion, in marine toilet jargon, there are RAW water-flushing toilets, and there are toilets that flush with PRESSURIZED fresh water. Period. that's all. A toilet that flushes with fresh water from Lake Superior or Lake Cumberland, or the Colorado River is still a RAW water toilet - it is not a fresh water toilet - there's no such thing as a fresh water toilet. But there are plenty of toilets that flush with PRESSURIZED fresh water. So when discussing problems with your toilet, the question becomes does it flush with raw water or with pressurized fresh water?
There are also a few marine toilets around that flush with pressurized salt water, but they are shunned by all the professionals - we don't count them or recognize their existence. <grin>
<wink>
Luz...why do you avoid using your toilet for solid waste?
There's no reason to do that...it won't make your toilet last any longer...won't prevent odor from the tank or permeated hoses. In fact, it's kinda like avoiding using your shower when you're sweaty and dirty 'cuz you don't want to get the sump dirty. All you need to do is add a couple of cups of water from the sink to the bowl ahead of use (I've never understood why it doesn't occur to more people to do that!)
There's no reason to do that...it won't make your toilet last any longer...won't prevent odor from the tank or permeated hoses. In fact, it's kinda like avoiding using your shower when you're sweaty and dirty 'cuz you don't want to get the sump dirty. All you need to do is add a couple of cups of water from the sink to the bowl ahead of use (I've never understood why it doesn't occur to more people to do that!)
Peggy,
first, never thought I would be discussing toilet use in such a public way but ......
The only reason we don't is cause we have not needed to. Not particularly worried about it, just found it unnecessary so far. I agree completely, I would fill the bowl with water first, makes perfect sense.
We also have a Jabsco and there is that tiny little voice in the back of my head that does not completely trust this toilet so it has been in my mind that sometime down the road we will make the change to the Raritan. A couple years ago, while going to pick up a few replacement parts we reallized it was the same price to replace everything but stayed with Jabsco. The better one is on the wish list for the future, behind wind instruments, a racing headsail, .....
first, never thought I would be discussing toilet use in such a public way but ......
The only reason we don't is cause we have not needed to. Not particularly worried about it, just found it unnecessary so far. I agree completely, I would fill the bowl with water first, makes perfect sense.
We also have a Jabsco and there is that tiny little voice in the back of my head that does not completely trust this toilet so it has been in my mind that sometime down the road we will make the change to the Raritan. A couple years ago, while going to pick up a few replacement parts we reallized it was the same price to replace everything but stayed with Jabsco. The better one is on the wish list for the future, behind wind instruments, a racing headsail, .....
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