Composting head vs classic head

[smbdyiam2]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

Seriously? Are you unable to use a search button? If you are unable then simply scroll back a few days in the new posts for more verbiage and opinions than one can stand. This topic has been covered and recovered in a dozen threads over the past year. We don’t need another one.

and this was second post on thread that goes for 4 pages.
Interesting. But I still had to read every post.
I think the composting heads win. at least with me lee

[Toccata]

FWIW
I hate wet sewage on a boat (or RV)
My 46' centre cockpit, has 2 heads.
Did I mention I hate wet sewage on a boat (or RV)
So, C-Toilet in fwd head, the area doubles as a shower space. The C Head is easily removable to use the extra space for showering/washing.
The aft head has a conventional pump out with no holding tank.
Theory is; C Head available when in a no discharge zone, store paper in plastic bags in the anchor locker. Pump out loo for passages off shore.
Does this make sense Mike?

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Toccata

FWIW
I hate wet sewage on a boat (or RV)
My 46' centre cockpit, has 2 heads.
Did I mention I hate wet sewage on a boat (or RV)
So, C-Toilet in fwd head, the area doubles as a shower space. The C Head is easily removable to use the extra space for showering/washing.
The aft head has a conventional pump out with no holding tank.
Theory is; C Head available when in a no discharge zone, store paper in plastic bags in the anchor locker. Pump out loo for passages off shore.
Does this make sense Mike?

That makes perfect sense and seems like the best of both worlds. Why suffer from the tyranny of OR when you can have the genius of AND!

[chriswheat]

I have lived aboard with both systems and will never go back to a holding tank. My composting head of choice is the C-head which I'm using now (well, not at this moment). It's slightly smaller than the others and you can easily replace the liquids container when it gets funky, but I'm sure the others work just as well. If you go for an extended time between pump-outs and the tank gets full, then what? Been there done that, no fun. Many more options for disposing of the waste than with a holding tank system.

Just an addendum to the valid points previously made.

[ramblinrod]

I like Dodge vehicles. Have owned many. Have owned two Fords. Couldn’t stand them. I have never owned a Ferrari, and yet I am absolutely 100% positive, I don’t want one.

I have owned a farm and shoveled more than my share of $#!+. I will gladly flip the pump out kid a fin tip.

[Pizzazz]

A regular (wet) toilet, properly installed beats a composting head every time. Properly installed for means, PVC tubing, at least from holding tank to thruhull, electric flush and switchable between fresh and sea water. You get no smell (as in zero smell), you can use it as a regular toilet at home, all your guests need to learn only one action, which is how to press a button, and emptying the tank is easy if you have gravity drain. Another big benefit is that the toilet is small and does not take valuable space. Composting heads are not bad but no one uses them at home. So it brings you away from civilization and makes you more weird than necessary. The ick factor, most hard core sailors can learn to live with but any non boater friend will look at you as an alien. Enough said.

SV Pizzazz

[NorthCoastJoe]

When I got my Pearson it smelled bad. Got rid of the head, tank, hoses and sealed up the holes in the hull. It now has a porta-potty that I am happy with no smells ever. Downeaster had the same smell, got rid of all the head equipment and went with an Air Head. I have very happy with both, I would much rather dump pee and compost than deal with smelly effluent filled hoses and the weight of a holding tank. I have more space for storage less weight and never have to play with hoses and valves again.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

A regular (wet) toilet, properly installed beats a composting head every time. Properly installed for means, PVC tubing, at least from holding tank to thruhull, electric flush and switchable between fresh and sea water. You get no smell (as in zero smell), you can use it as a regular toilet at home, all your guests need to learn only one action, which is how to press a button, and emptying the tank is easy if you have gravity drain. Another big benefit is that the toilet is small and does not take valuable space. Composting heads are not bad but no one uses them at home. So it brings you away from civilization and makes you more weird than necessary. The ick factor, most hard core sailors can learn to live with but any non boater friend will look at you as an alien. Enough said.

SV Pizzazz

Compost head a deterrent to guests staying too long? Sounds like yet another benefit.

Vast majority of boats I step aboard have a head smell. You might be right about what a proper install looks like. But from my experience, it's a unicorn. And I'm a bit befuddled by the claim that the head is a more compact. Visible footprint - true. But that's comparing an iceberg to a log.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by ramblinrod

I like Dodge vehicles. Have owned many. Have owned two Fords. Couldn’t stand them. I have never owned a Ferrari, and yet I am absolutely 100% positive, I don’t want one.

I have owned a farm and shoveled more than my share of $#!+. I will gladly flip the pump out kid a fin tip.

Have you actually ever owned and used a composting head?
If so fine then positives and negatives please
if not well that speaks for itself.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

A regular (wet) toilet, properly installed beats a composting head every time. Properly installed for means, PVC tubing, at least from holding tank to thruhull, electric flush and switchable between fresh and sea water. You get no smell (as in zero smell), you can use it as a regular toilet at home, all your guests need to learn only one action, which is how to press a button, and emptying the tank is easy if you have gravity drain. Another big benefit is that the toilet is small and does not take valuable space. Composting heads are not bad but no one uses them at home. So it brings you away from civilization and makes you more weird than necessary. The ick factor, most hard core sailors can learn to live with but any non boater friend will look at you as an alien. Enough said.

SV Pizzazz

Your dream head system is my greatest headache. So many opportunities for failure.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

A regular (wet) toilet, properly installed beats a composting head every time. Properly installed for means, PVC tubing, at least from holding tank to thruhull, electric flush and switchable between fresh and sea water. You get no smell (as in zero smell), you can use it as a regular toilet at home, all your guests need to learn only one action, which is how to press a button, and emptying the tank is easy if you have gravity drain. Another big benefit is that the toilet is small and does not take valuable space. Composting heads are not bad but no one uses them at home. So it brings you away from civilization and makes you more weird than necessary. The ick factor, most hard core sailors can learn to live with but any non boater friend will look at you as an alien. Enough said.

SV Pizzazz

Have you owned and used a composting head?
Please post the positive as well as the negative of your brand.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Toccata

FWIW
I hate wet sewage on a boat (or RV)
My 46' centre cockpit, has 2 heads.
Did I mention I hate wet sewage on a boat (or RV)
So, C-Toilet in fwd head, the area doubles as a shower space. The C Head is easily removable to use the extra space for showering/washing.
The aft head has a conventional pump out with no holding tank.
Theory is; C Head available when in a no discharge zone, store paper in plastic bags in the anchor locker. Pump out loo for passages off shore.
Does this make sense Mike?

Makes perfect sense to me Toccata. Sounds like the best of both worlds. Just make sure you can lock off standard head's thru-hull when traveling in poop-policed zones. I've never encountered such, but hear about the rather anal policing some jurisdictions have about all this stuff.

I think direct discharge in areas of lots of water, with good flow and few others around (i.e. off shore) is probably the best way to deal with human effluent. It's simple, and environmentally benign. But when you get into areas of low flow, and especially when there are other human sources around, some sort of holding or processing system is needed. And of course legally speaking, it is also required.

[mvweebles]

2-year old CF thread asking how often people rebuild their heads. There are a lot more responses in the "every year" category than "every 2-4 year" category." though in all fairness, sounds like many change joker valves on a regular basis. I currently own a Groco Model K and get a out 2-yeara our of it. Rebuild kit is expensive $125 and takes a few hours to do, thus my interest in compost heads.

Also a funny post comparing compost owners to missionary zealots. I suppose so.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=199594

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

A regular (wet) toilet, properly installed beats a composting head every time. Properly installed for means, PVC tubing, at least from holding tank to thruhull, electric flush and switchable between fresh and sea water. You get no smell (as in zero smell), you can use it as a regular toilet at home, all your guests need to learn only one action, which is how to press a button, and emptying the tank is easy if you have gravity drain. Another big benefit is that the toilet is small and does not take valuable space. Composting heads are not bad but no one uses them at home. So it brings you away from civilization and makes you more weird than necessary. The ick factor, most hard core sailors can learn to live with but any non boater friend will look at you as an alien. Enough said.

SV Pizzazz

I've heard of these non-smelling wet toilets. I've yet to be on a boat with one...hmmm...

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by skipgundlach

Any garden composting I've seen takes a great deal longer to become usable material.

Do you chew the old stalks from your garden plants, run them through a 12-24hr acid bath and then inoculate them with large amounts of bacteria before putting the in a composting bin in a climate controlled space?

Back when we had a house, we just threw the yard and garden waste onto a compost pile. During the winter not much happened because it froze and yes, it took a long time to compost...but that is nothing like what's happening here.