Head conversion

[Little Zip]

Hi, new to this group and looking for some help with the heads on my boat. I currently have vacuflush freshwater toilets and they’re not working. I’d like to switch to manual saltwater toilets.
Does anyone have any experience/thoughts on this?
Any help is appreciated.

[Mike OReilly]

Composting head. Best option for smallish crews on smallish boats.

[mjscottinnc]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Composting head. Best option for smallish crews on smallish boats.

Ditto!

[mvweebles]

If you want manual raw water, the Groco Model K is the best on the market - it's a heavy duty bronze head that has fallen out of favor over the years. There are many out there used for less than half new price. Lifetime head.

Most people with Vacuflush units and fresh water go to Raritan Marine Elegance units. They have proven to be very reliable.

If you are tired of the head system entirely (holding tank, pumps, vents, etc.), then a compost head is viable. Like the previous two posts, I went compost too for those very reasons.

Personally, for a 2-head boat, the best setup in my opinion is one head traditional (Marine Elegance is my vote) and one head Compost.

[SailingHarmonie]

I have lived on boats with both vacuflush and manual heads. About 10 years with each system. I personally found the vacuflush on my old boat to be a reliable, bullet proof system. It required minimal maintenance, but if you ignored it, things could go bad. If you are the type of person who waits for things to break before working on them, you will have problems with any marine toilet.

The last 7 years on a bigger fancier boat with Jabsco manual heads. I have also found them to be a reliable, bullet proof system, although the saltwater flush does add more maintenance.

If I had vacuflushes on my boat, I'd make them work. But, as you can see, I have not swapped the manual heads for vacuflush, mostly because there is always a much higher priority project for my time and money. Maybe someday...

[smj]

We have been composter users for the past 16 years and love them, but purely a personal choice.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Personally, for a 2-head boat, the best setup in my opinion is one head traditional (Marine Elegance is my vote) and one head Compost.

That's what I did. Toilet in the master system head wasn't working, replaced with a composter. Freshwater flush toilet in forward head was retained. The single holding tank is only a few feet away, the original aft head had to pump a good 30 feet to reach it which may be why it wasn't working.

[Calif.Ted]

I use Raritan Superflush, used to be called the PHII, been very happy with them, shop around for price, should be around $350 USD. Not the outrageous list price on the manufacturers website.
https://www.raritaneng.com/en_US/products/ph-superflush

[peghall]

I see you've just joined our merry band...welcome aboard!

The Raritan PH SuperFlush is the top rated manual toilet...it uses their PHII, which has been the top rated manual toilet ever since they introduced it in 1983. Raritan modified the base a few years ago and renamed, but the pump is still the tried and true PHII. Its a good bit more expensive than most, but unlike most it will provide 20 # years of reliable trouble free service with minimal repair.

But why do you want to switch to manual, with all maintenance needed and sea water odor issues, when there are macerating electric toilets that use fresh water and require almost -0- maintenance? Instead of all the plumbing needed for the VacuFlush, you'd need only 2 hoses--the flush water intake and the discharge line.


--Peggie

[TrentePieds]

Zip sez: "I’d like to switch to manual saltwater toilets."

I take it that Zip is asking how to remove the clobber that goes with a VacuFlush to gain the splendid simplicity of a garden variety pump-toilet.

First you need a saltwater intake, protected by a seacock. You can install that at you next haul out.

Secondly, you need to locate your present holding tank. It will have both an overboard discharge protected by a seacock, and a shoreside discharge. This tank stays in place, but the inlet hose from the vacuum accumulator/tank is disconnected.

Thirdly, the Vacuum accumulator/tank is removed as it is now redundant.

Fourthly: A "Y" valve ("diverter valve") is installed where the Vaccuum tank used to be

Fifthly, the Vacuflush toilet bowl is removed and replaced with a garden variety bowl c/w hand pump.

Sixthly, the saltwater intake seacock is connected with a hose to the saltwater intake on the pump on the new toilet bowl. Double hose clamps on the ends, plz,

Seventhly, the overboard discharge seacock is connected to one discharge spigot on the "Y" valve. Double hose clamps on the ends, Plz.

Eighthly, the other discharge spigot on the "Y" valve is connected by hose to the intake on the holding tank.

Ninthly, the discharge spigot on the pump on the toilet bowl is connected to the intake spigot on the "Y"-valve.

Abracadabra - you are good to go. So to speak :-)!

There are a few niceties to think about, and we can come back to those. Common sense makes smooth the path.

I'm sure it'll all come out alright in the end!

But, then again, as Peggy sez...

TrentePieds