Rebuilding the WC - PVC pipe or hose?

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I don't quite understand the claim that composting toilets are 'hassle free'.

You still have to empty them, and you still have to empty or 'hold' the urine.

It's much easier to either hold it in the first place and dump overside as you go and when you can. I can't personally see the benefit of these composting toilets. And the claim to 'no smell'? I've not seen one installed on a boat, but I've come across them installed elsewhere and when you open the lid, they smell and look unsightly.

I apologize if it looks like I meant to hijack this thread. By avoid the hassle I meant the hassle of redoing all the plumbing that the OP is having to deal with. With the C-Head you just install it & you're done. You don't even have to vent it. In terms of smell, once you put the lid on & stir it's done. Removing the contents is so simple & easy that it's not an issue.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

With the C-Head you just install it & you're done.

This is the same with plumbing with PVC, so the OP has the choice of spending $30 and investing a few hours of time, or spending $1200 and a few hours of time - potentially more if he needs to make heavy modifications to his head to fit it properly. Then he needs to deal with emptying the urine jar, finding peet in out of the way places, having the thing turn into an evil mess if he gets the runs or vomits, etc.

PVC will never permeate again. With minimal care, it will never calcify again. Even if it needs replacement many years from now for some reason, it will be cheap and easy.

Mark

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by colemj

This is the same with plumbing with PVC, so the OP has the choice of spending $30 and investing a few hours of time, or spending $1200 and a few hours of time - potentially more if he needs to make heavy modifications to his head to fit it properly. Then he needs to deal with emptying the urine jar, finding peet in out of the way places, having the thing turn into an evil mess if he gets the runs or vomits, etc.

PVC will never permeate again. With minimal care, it will never calcify again. Even if it needs replacement many years from now for some reason, it will be cheap and easy.

Mark

A few hours, cheap an easy. We are still talking about boats right?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

A few hours, cheap an easy. We are still talking about boats right?

Yeah, some of my projects start out that way, funny how they don't seem to end up that way?


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

A few hours, cheap an easy. We are still talking about boats right?

Are you implying that installation of an airhead composting toilet will be cheaper and easier than replumbing with PVC?

I don't understand your point.

Mark

[domander]

Somewhere on Cruisers Forum there is a discussion in which a member mentions a manufacturer in France for 60 mm (ID) odorless sanitation hose. This is used for connecting the holding tank to the gravity (dump) valve in French made boats. I can't find that post, nor can I find the hose! Does anyone know of a RETAILER for 60 mm (ID) sanitation hose, preferably in North America? Thanks so much!

- Brian Domander

[HopCar]

Brian, Look for Trident #321 Hose in 2-3/8" (60.3mm) diameter.
It is a multi purpose hose. One of it's recommended uses is as a sanitation hose.

I'm guessing you only need a few feet. Unfortunately I don't stock it. If you can't find shorter lengths, I can order a 12.5 foot length for you and have it drop shipped to you from Trident.

[domander]

Thank you HopCar for the lead! I will check into this.

- Brian Domander

[geoleo]

ABYS says PVC below waterline is 'Illegal" says my Surveyor

[geoleo]

If stressed it can crack and sink your lil dinghy

[colemj]

Originally Posted by georgetheleo

ABYS says PVC below waterline is 'Illegal" says my Surveyor

Originally Posted by georgetheleo

If stressed it can crack and sink your lil dinghy

I don't know about ABYS, but ABYC cannot designate anything "illegal" because it is not a body that can set legal standards. There is nothing at all illegal about not following ABYC guidelines.

Unless one has an uncontrollable pumping fetish and no situational awareness, it is difficult to picture how a cracked pipe between the toilet outlet vented loop and the holding tank, or between the holding tank and pumpout fitting, can sink a boat regardless of its being below the waterline.

Nobody has suggested a PVC raw water intake system.

Mark

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by georgetheleo

If stressed it can crack and sink your lil dinghy

Pressure pipe pic won't crack. And there are now plastic sea cocks like new Zealand's True Design that meet all sailing requirements. I'm eventually replacing all of mine with True Design.

Pipe work in my head from the sea cock to the outlet of the holding tank is all pressure pipe.

[dsteinfeld]

So has anyone done a glue joint (presumably using a pipe coupler) between sch 80 pipe and the Raritan Sani-flex hose, as opposed to the slip to threaded coupler followed by a hose barb and clamp? If not, a joint between pipe and other sanitation hose? I'd really like to eliminate any mechanical joints that I can.

[wsmurdoch]

It is not hard to bend PVC pipe. Tape off one end, then fill the part near that end that you don't want to bend with room temperature sand and fill the part that that you do want to bend with hot (450 F or so) sand. When the pipe heats up, bend it, then leave it bent 'till the hot sand cools. The pipe will feel like a piece of leather when it is hot, and you can bend the hot section much like you can bend soft tubing. The sand will keep the pipe from collapsing. The sand is easy to flush out when you are through.

Here is a utube video that is pretty much what I am talking about. (There may be better. It's the first one that I found.)

I watched an electrician bend big PVC conduit around some brickwork in my house. He did something that could not be done with stock fittings.

I put stiff sanitation hose in my boat when I replaced the head to holding tank piping and the holding tank to pump to thru hull piping. I'll not do it another time. I don't know enough cuss words to do the job again. With PVC pipe I'll be able to make the pipe go where I want to go rather than passing directly through my sink cabinet and using up all the good storage space there.

[IdoraKeeper]

PVC pipe? Yes by all means. No more stinky hose.....ever. Use vented loops like your supposed to...don't build in stress...then work on other stuff, you'll be done with the sewage end of things.