Which Raritan head to go with?

[2gr8escape]

Hello, complete head installation in my project boat (currently nothing plumbed). I have a Raritan powerflush that came with the boat and is in good order and I have already cleaned and changed out all the valves and the joker.

Was planning to install this but a lightly used Marine Elegance just came up for $150, should I install this instead?

Head will have its own circuit and 8g wire. with a 30' total wire run (its a catamaran).

I am just finishing the mounting composite plate the head will sit onto so nothing has been installed/fitted yet.

Planning to plumb to a gravity holding tank so 4'vertical pressure head on the discharge line. The head intake will share a seacock with head sink drain with a tee fitting so planning on flushing with sea water then rinsing though with fresh intermittently to keep it a bit fresher.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[peghall]

I'd be very leery of a Marine Elegance for that price... There has to be a reason. It may just be that it's JUST the toilet, no solenoid, no flush control...in which case you'd have to spend a least another $300 to make it operational. It's designed to use pressurized fresh water There are several configurations...Will that one fit your location? An angled back is designed to sit against the hull...straight back against a vertical bulkhead. The short version is meant to sit on a raised platform...it'll be too short if your head has a flat sole.

The head intake will share a seacock with head sink drain with a tee fitting so planning on flushing with sea water then rinsing though with fresh intermittently to keep it a bit fresher.

That's not gonna work. The Marine Elegance is designed to use pressurize flush water...you'd need a remote intake pump AND the "sea-fresh kit" to install it to use raw water.

And then there's the matter of a 30' wiring run.

I suggest you spend a little time with the literature for the Marine Elegance...Raritan's promo sheet for it is here Raritan Marine_Elegance Promo.pdf ...the Installation, Operation and Maintenance Instructions (aka "owners manual") is here Raritan Marine Elegance Owners Manual The wiring specs are in it.

As for the Raritan PowerFlush (PHII with a motor added)... Putting motor on a PHII turns the top rated manual toilet since Raritan introduced it in 1983 into the poorest excuse for an electric toilet on the planet. The motor ONLY replaces the pump HANDLE...it's still a manual toilet pump that's being pumped much faster and with a shorter stroke that pumping manually, which causes it to take longer to prime and to "choke" on flushes that deliberate manual pumping can easily push through. Almost everyone I've met who've added the motor has gotten rid of it within a year.

If you want an electric toilet, the Raritan SeaERA is also top rated. Raritan SeaEra Promo Sheet It's also available as a "conversion" which will allow you to 'recycle' your PHII bowl seat and lid Raritan SeaEra Conversion Promo Sheet and this retailer has it for the best price I've found Boatersland - Raritan Sea Era Conversion Kit.


That 30' wiring run may be a problem for any of these toilets...so here are owners manuals for the PowerFlush and the SeaEra.

Raritan SuperFlush Owners Manual (powerflush wiring specs are included) Raritan SeaEra owners manual

Hope you find all this useful and I'll be glad to answer any questions.



--Peggie

[2gr8escape]

Thank you so much for all this information!!! I did not realize the Elegance only ran off of fresh water, I think that rules it out and you are probably right, too cheap to be the whole unit....

I think the Sea Era conversion kit may be the way to go for me with upsizing the wire. I would probably just use the manual PHII but the wife really wants electric flush....


I have a 1" seacock for the raw water inlet in the head. I was planning to tee this below the waterline with a 3/4" branch going to a strainer then the head. Other 3/4" arm going to the head sink drain with an adapter for 1" sink drain (will be a manual pump a sink). Is there a risk of sucking down air through the system? Or only if the inlet gets clogged or seacock turned off?

Thanks again for sharing your extensive knowledge of all of this, very much appreciate it!

[peghall]

Your plan to tee the toilet intake line into the head sink drain line will work with the SeaEra (intake is 3/4" btw). Just be sure that the tee is below waterline as close to the seacock as possible. If the toilet pulls air into the drain line, or--as can sometimes happen--an effect known as "ram" water when the boat is underway turns the sink into a fountain, just keep a $.50 rubber plug in the sink.

I also suggest you upgrade the single push button flush to the 3 option "Momentary Control" Raritan Momentary Control owners-manual that will provide a lot more control over the amount of flush water needed.

As for just upsizing the wire for a 30' run, I strongly recommend that you have a chat with Raritan tech support about that 'cuz there's bound to be loss of power in a run that long and low voltage to the toilet--to any electric motor--will definitely cause sluggish discharge and can burn out the motor. Raritan's phone # is 800-352-5630...Jerry at extension 236 will give you good advice.

And I'm always happy to answer questions....


--Peggie

[MJH]

Originally Posted by 2gr8escape

Hello, complete head installation in my project boat (currently nothing plumbed). I have a Raritan powerflush that came with the boat and is in good order and I have already cleaned and changed out all the valves and the joker.

Was planning to install this but a lightly used Marine Elegance just came up for $150, should I install this instead?

Head will have its own circuit and 8g wire. with a 30' total wire run (its a catamaran).

I am just finishing the mounting composite plate the head will sit onto so nothing has been installed/fitted yet.

Planning to plumb to a gravity holding tank so 4'vertical pressure head on the discharge line. The head intake will share a seacock with head sink drain with a tee fitting so planning on flushing with sea water then rinsing though with fresh intermittently to keep it a bit fresher.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

I have been using Raritan PHII manual head units in two different boats since 1995...they are good toilets. Just carry a spare joker valve and replace the pump assembly when it dies. FWIW the unit that came with my present boat also came with a electric conversion feature which the previous owner had removed...enough said. Keep It Simple, keep it manual.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[peghall]

I have been using Raritan PHII manual head units in two different boats since 1995...they are good toilets. Just carry a spare joker valve and replace the pump assembly when it dies.

PHII pumps don't "die" unless they're abused or seriously neglected. It has been the top rated manual toilet pump since Raritan introduced it in 1983. It'll provide at least 20 years of reliable trouble-free service if you just keep it well lubricated, replace the joker valve at least annually and put a rebuild kit (about $60) in it every 5-6 years. It may occasionally need a repair part (air valve or dry/flush assembly) after 7-8 years, but nothing that even comes close to the $250 cost to replace the pump assembly.

-Peggie

[Capt. Ray]

I like the Raritan Fresh Head which uses pressurized water and a standard hand pump. I am never going to use seawater flush again, and I am getting away from electric heads when I can because the macerator is just another damn thing to go wrong. In case there is ever a fault with pressure fresh water or gooing offshore with limited water, I plan to bring a hose from the seawater pump to flush as a backup. I bought the Household Size bowl, the marine bowl isn't big enough to fit your arse and balls at the same time!

Originally Posted by 2gr8escape

Hello, complete head installation in my project boat (currently nothing plumbed). I have a Raritan powerflush that came with the boat and is in good order and I have already cleaned and changed out all the valves and the joker.

Was planning to install this but a lightly used Marine Elegance just came up for $150, should I install this instead?

Head will have its own circuit and 8g wire. with a 30' total wire run (its a catamaran).

I am just finishing the mounting composite plate the head will sit onto so nothing has been installed/fitted yet.

Planning to plumb to a gravity holding tank so 4'vertical pressure head on the discharge line. The head intake will share a seacock with head sink drain with a tee fitting so planning on flushing with sea water then rinsing though with fresh intermittently to keep it a bit fresher.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[peghall]

In case there is ever a fault with pressure fresh water or gooing offshore with limited water, I plan to bring a hose from the seawater pump to flush as a backup.

Not a good idea because you'd have to connect it to the same inlet fitting that the fresh water line uses. The sea water would leave micro-organisms in the system which would put your fresh water supply at risk of contamination. There are a few toilets designed to use either raw or pressurized fresh, but they have two inlet fitting on the bowl to keep sea water separate.


If it become necessary to use sea water, best to use a bucket and a ladle.


--Peggie

[Capt. Ray]

No Peggy I thought it through. It will simply be a seawater hose hanging next to the toilet with a tap, unhook it, point and spray.

QUOTE=peghall;3409244]In case there is ever a fault with pressure fresh water or gooing offshore with limited water, I plan to bring a hose from the seawater pump to flush as a backup.

Not a good idea because you'd have to connect it to the same inlet fitting that the fresh water line uses. The sea water would leave micro-organisms in the system which would put your fresh water supply at risk of contamination. There are a few toilets designed to use either raw or pressurized fresh, but they have two inlet fitting on the bowl to keep sea water separate.


If it become necessary to use sea water, best to use a bucket and a ladle.


--Peggie[/QUOTE]

[peghall]

No Peggy I thought it through. It will simply be a seawater hose hanging next to the toilet with a tap, unhook it, point and spray.

The reverse of using the shower head to flush a sea water toilet with fresh water...clever idea!


--Peggie