Converting to electric head

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

That is likely because the positive and/or negative feed wires for your panel are too small.

Of course, but they are sized for the panel and none of this changes nothing far as would happen. Only the TV seemed to care!

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Of course, but they are sized for the panel and none of this changes nothing far as would happen. Only the TV seemed to care!

Sized for the panel as designed.

Has anything been added to the panel since the boat left the factory?

All connections checked for tightness and corrosion?

There is a reason and it might pay to find it. In the future other loads may have issues.

[sailorboy1]

sorry, I only met to provide a real related item and not drift into electrical 101

[peghall]

Sounds to me like the toilet and the tv were on the same circuit...a breaker is just an on-off switch that behaves like a fuse.

And yes, wire size--which can vary with the distance (always the round trip distance, btw) from the battery to the toilet--does matter.

--Peggie

[David B]

Originally Posted by Letterkenny

A Jabsco to replace the current Jabsco. I think the non quiet flush version. Not really sure the real difference here but I have used the supposed quiet flush and they don’t seem all that quiet. Not worried at all about the physical installation but just the electrical. There’s a couple other things I want to wire in from the head, mainly sensors for the black water tank, so hopefully can do them in the same go.

They aren't - the person who called then 'Quietflush' was obviously a frustrated comedian.
Having said that, they are cheap, and work very well - chewing through no end of paper you may want to put through there with ease.

We have two on board feeding up into gravity-emptying holding tanks - simple!

as to the difference, as far as I know, it is just the base - the bowl being the same. In fact you can buy conversion kits from Jabsco.

[u4ea32]

Be sure to use fresh water for the flush!!

And be sure to use best hoses and clamps.

And be sure that the holding tank has two vent, both at least 3/8 or 10mm inside diameter. Best if you can have one vent on now side of the boat, and the other to the other side, but put those two vents as far apart as is convenient. The two vents allow air to flow through the tank, and air MUST flow or else anaerobic bacteria will grow and that is the source of the STINK.

Noise is almost unavoidable on anything smaller than, say, 60 feet. Fresh water pressure pump, and toilet macerator, will both wake people up at night. Unless you put a lot of work into making everything quiet: its more work than you think to achieve silence or even reasonable quiet.

[Merrimac3]

Skip converting to electric head! Last time we bought a new boat, second hand but new for us, both heads had already been converted to electric. It’s a Bavaria 39 cruiser. After a couple of years, we changed both back to manual, for three main reasons (There were more):

1. They consume quite a lot of electricity.
2. Worse, they consume a lot of water to get the **** out. Consequently, they fill up the holding tanks very fast, and in the Med, they are very strict on sewage disposal.
3. They are very noisy! If one had to visit the head during sleeping hours, it was strictly forbidden to touch the empty button.

So teach your wife to use a manual head, it’s not rocket science! Actually, it was the previous owner’s wife who demanded electric heads, she got it but it didn’t help. She didn’t like sailing any better and the boat was sold, lucky for us!

[Letterkenny]

Originally Posted by u4ea32

Be sure to use fresh water for the flush!!

And be sure to use best hoses and clamps.

And be sure that the holding tank has two vent, both at least 3/8 or 10mm inside diameter. Best if you can have one vent on now side of the boat, and the other to the other side, but put those two vents as far apart as is convenient. The two vents allow air to flow through the tank, and air MUST flow or else anaerobic bacteria will grow and that is the source of the STINK.

Noise is almost unavoidable on anything smaller than, say, 60 feet. Fresh water pressure pump, and toilet macerator, will both wake people up at night. Unless you put a lot of work into making everything quiet: its more work than you think to achieve silence or even reasonable quiet.

What’s the main thought for fresh water? Smell and maintenance? I thought the trick was to drain it and then fill the bowl with fresh water before leaving the boat.

Originally Posted by Merrimac3

Skip converting to electric head! Last time we bought a new boat, second hand but new for us, both heads had already been converted to electric. It’s a Bavaria 39 cruiser. After a couple of years, we changed both back to manual, for three main reasons (There were more):

1. They consume quite a lot of electricity.
2. Worse, they consume a lot of water to get the **** out. Consequently, they fill up the holding tanks very fast, and in the Med, they are very strict on sewage disposal.
3. They are very noisy! If one had to visit the head during sleeping hours, it was strictly forbidden to touch the empty button.

So teach your wife to use a manual head, it’s not rocket science! Actually, it was the previous owner’s wife who demanded electric heads, she got it but it didn’t help. She didn’t like sailing any better and the boat was sold, lucky for us!

The boss won’t let that happen. We won’t have any issues with pump outs, etc for us as there are many nearby and we won’t be crossing oceans.

[David B]

Originally Posted by Letterkenny

What’s the main thought for fresh water? Smell and maintenance? I thought the trick was to drain it and then fill the bowl with fresh water before leaving the boat.


The boss won’t let that happen. We won’t have any issues with pump outs, etc for us as there are many nearby and we won’t be crossing oceans.

Ours are both seawater flush, and there is no smell. No way would we have manual flush on board.

[peghall]

I don't know when you acquired the boat or when the PO "converted" the toilets to electric, but today's macerating electric toilets only draw 10-15 amps and flush panel options are available that allow you to bring water in and hold it, dry flush or bring water in and discharge simultaneously, which greatly increases the number of flushes a tank can hold.


--Peggie

[peghall]

Two vents aren't always needed, it depends on tank location and other factors. In most cases, a single 1" vent, and sometimes even a single standard 5/8" vent (which I'm sure you meant to type instead of 3/8") can provide enough air exchange to keep the tank aerobic if the "vent" thru-hull has been replaced with a standard bulkhead thru-hull.



The earliest macerating electric toilets were definitely noisy, but today there are electric marine toilets designed use pressurized fresh water that are even quieter than household toilets. You'll find plenty of 'em on boats a lot smaller than 50'!


--Peggie

[David B]

Originally Posted by peghall

Two vents aren't always needed, it depends on tank location and other factors. In most cases, a single 1" vent, and sometimes even a single standard 5/8" vent (which I'm sure you meant to type instead of 3/8") can provide enough air exchange to keep the tank aerobic if the "vent" thru-hull has been replaced with a standard bulkhead thru-hull.



The earliest macerating electric toilets were definitely noisy, but today there are electric marine toilets designed use pressurized fresh water that are even quieter than household toilets. You'll find plenty of 'em on boats a lot smaller than 50'!


--Peggie

In fact on ours, there is a 2" overflow, plus the small vent, so that provides lots more ventilation (don't why why they bothered with the vent for that matter). Not a nice sight when it serves it's purpose (as I had to point out to a charter catamaran - "you have holding tanks, and they need to be pumped out, look over the side!")

For the modern quite units - on our wish list .

[more]

Originally Posted by Merrimac3

Skip converting to electric head! Last time we bought a new boat, second hand but new for us, both heads had already been converted to electric. It’s a Bavaria 39 cruiser. After a couple of years, we changed both back to manual, for three main reasons (There were more):

1. They consume quite a lot of electricity.
2. Worse, they consume a lot of water to get the **** out. Consequently, they fill up the holding tanks very fast, and in the Med, they are very strict on sewage disposal.
3. They are very noisy! If one had to visit the head during sleeping hours, it was strictly forbidden to touch the empty button.

I see you are from Norway. Mediterranean people all Law, regulations issued by the government, We consider it more of a recommendation than an obligation.
I converted this winter from manual to JOHNSON PUMP
Electric On-Board Toilet AquaT Silent / 12 V / comfort €357.09 new sanitation hose 38mmrubber inside 2m 50€ sea water 20mm 6€ and silicon tined wire 6mm2 10m 50€

Becouse boat is Bavaria 38 wire is conected in junction bar for Toilet i think number 14 . Simple on fuse/switch panel read number and read number on junction bar.

[malbert73]

Raritan Elegance. The best. Enough said. [emoji3]

Do an internet search if you don’t believe me.

[peghall]

An "overflow" would be illegal in the US. And a tank level monitor with lock-out that prevents flushing the toilet would be better choice...otoh, locking down the toilet may not be the best idea on a boat in charter.

--Peggie