A fresh start for the head on my boat need advice

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Not every boat designer is willing to give up valuable living space for waste storage. Many/most waste tanks are located below decks, like most fuel and water tanks. Where they are below the waterline, pumping them out is the only choice. So this is just not practical on most boats.

As far as gravity feed, I would much prefer a gravity fed holding tank (like the one in my '68 Silver Streak travel trailer) than gravity discharge, as it would eliminate daily pumping, requiring pumping only for emptying the tank periodically. The tiny 5-6-gallon holding tanks are really too small.

BTW a deck pump-out is an outlet (not inlet, even though you might rinse) that is very simple to add to a waste holding system.

Outlet, not an inlet, makes sense if I need to go 'on deck' one day and undo it and 'pee' in it, is it an inlet then or am I just peeing in the outlet?

[appick]

Peggy is correct for me anyways that I am a couple of thousand miles from the nearest place where you can legally discharge you're holding tank into the water. Here in the Great Lakes they are considered a no discharge zone throughout at least all of the US side. Around here a 20-40 gallon waste tank is not uncommon. While a gravity discharge sounds like a great idea for when we go cruising I don't think I'll have a need for it in the next 7 years or so. Also I'll probably end up with some form of Raw water flush toilet as every flush around here is a fresh water flush . When we go cruising I can always get one of the conversion kits for plumbing in water from a tank or something.

I'm still torn on buying a Raritan PHII or dropping the big coin on some macerating electric head. My inner cheapskate says go with the simple and manual toilet, but I'm sure my wife and guests would appreciate the ease of the electric... Decisions decisions.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by appick

Peggy is correct for me anyways that I am a couple of thousand miles from the nearest place where you can legally discharge you're holding tank into the water. Here in the Great Lakes they are considered a no discharge zone throughout at least all of the US side.

Just to confirm, the Great Lakes are zero discharge throughout the entire region, both US and Canadian waters. I assume the same is true till you are well out the St. Lawrence. As a cruiser who used to disappear into the remote areas of Lake Superior for weeks or months, managing our holding tank (25 gallons) was a perpetual problem. Its a big reason we went to a composting head.

[Rustic Charm]

the threads getting on now. I forgot the op was on a lake.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

The name of this thing is a bit deceptive. It's gravity flush into the tank, but then looks like it's a pump out from the tank.

Whilst the OP has to decide what he wants himself, I can't understand why anyone who has the room, and it sounds like he has the room, doesn't go for a gravity emptying below the water line system such as in this picture. To me it was a no brainer. My only regret is that I didn't install a bigger tank. But the system remains in my opinion the best out there for a cruising boat. And mine is 36 foot too.

Yeah, I like that system. Not sure why you need the 3 way valve and Y though? Mine just always went into the tank, if you want to discharge thru the hull just open the seacock. It then goes thru the tank and down thru the hull exit.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yeah, I like that system. Not sure why you need the 3 way valve and Y though? Mine just always went into the tank, if you want to discharge thru the hull just open the seacock. It then goes thru the tank and down thru the hull exit.

yes Cheechako, I didn't put the 'Y' valves in mine either. I'm guessing they are there to bypass the tank in case of a blockage in the tank.