What's the best portable toilet brand

[Fish-a-Palooza]

OK, here's the deal. All of a sudden the probably 30 year old lines on my toilet system have really started to reek. So this winter it has to be fixed. As I started looking into what needs to be done it occurred to me that perhaps instead of replacing all the lines, valves and possibly the holding tank, I would just remove it all and install a portable which would be much easier to deal with plus free up some much needed cabin storage space where the current holding tank is now. So I started looking at replacements and was hoping to get some (crappy;)) opinions.

Here's what I'm thinking so far;

Electric flush (battery)
5 gallon holding tank
Removable holding tank as opposed to MSD. Seems to me being able to just remove the tank and dumping it down most any toilet would be a lot easier than dealing with the hassle of pump outs.

What's the best brand in your opinion?
Also, if there is any reason this is a bad idea I would love to hear why.

Somehow I think I will like this project a whole lot less than last winters transom, stringer, fuel tank, engine replacement.:argh2

Thanks!

[2859er]

Lots of people have Jabsco heads, that is what we have and it gives us no trouble. I don't think I would like a removable tank that I would have to drag out of the boat and carry over to a toilet. Too much work. I installed a macerator that we use to empty the tank at RV dumps and at home. It works well, empties the tank with the flick of a switch. The boat came with a deck fitting that we use to empty the tank via the marine pump out stations too. A five gallon holding tank would be way too small for us as we can fill our 30 gallon holding tank in a week easily.

Just my thoughts

[Go Aweigh2452]

Try changing out your tank lines first. They degrade from the inside... There is a test to check but I cannot recall it right now. I think it was to wrap an old (damp?) towel around it and leave it over night. Next day take it out and smell it when away from the boat...

I'm sure someone will correct this or point in the right direction...

[Randygh]

We had a porta-potty in the Tolly. It had a detachable 6 gallon holding tank. In our situation it was too small to be practical. While cruising I make a trip up the dock to a restroom or outhouse to dump at least every other day. It got old carrying a 6 gallon tank full of pucky up to a restroom. I installed an electric head with 20 gallon holding tank in our boat. It works great and would never go back to a porta-potty.

[1northernstar]

Try changing out your tank lines first. They degrade from the inside... There is a test to check but I cannot recall it right now. I think it was to wrap an old (damp?) towel around it and leave it over night. Next day take it out and smell it when away from the boat...

I'm sure someone will correct this or point in the right direction...

Doug's right with the damp towel wrapped around the line, but it only needs to be there a minute or two.
Maybe see if you can use black ABS pipe instead of the flexible hose. It will make sure you never have smell again.

[toukow]

You should also check out the 'Head Mistress' forum at the link below where Peggy Hall holds court and is well know in marine sanitation circles. It has the most consolidated information I've found on the subject matter. Ignore the references to 'go see my Marine Sanitation 101' document as that has been removed from the site at the request of her publisher. The test mentioned here is discussed as are the +/- of the various types of hoses/pipes. Hope this helps, Dean

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/

[gpspowell]

We use a Thetford 465 electric porta potty in our boat and an older model of the same when camping. It has a flush tank capacity of 4 gallons and a waste tank capacity of 5.5 gallons. We've had the older unit for 9 years and the one in the boat for just this season. No problems ever. All have their own opinion of marine head vs: porta potty but I'd not consider going back to a marine head.

[Fish-a-Palooza]

We don't do a lot of extended cruising and when we do it's usually not on the hook. So the toilet is mainly used for day trips. I was just basing putting in a portable with removeable tank on how we have been using the head for the past 2 years as well as eliminating future plumbing problems such as clogs and what not.

I will check out the link. Thanks!

Thanks for the test idea. There is no doubt the lines are the major problem. I just don't know why I went from no noticeable problem to holy crap that smells bad. I would have thought it would be a more gradual smell.

I was looking at the 465 as well. I'm glad to hear it's problem free. I had good luck with my last thetford.

[Fish-a-Palooza]

I would love to hear any other opinions, especially if you did what I am thinking about and wish you hadn't. Thanks!

[tolly28]

I wouldn't even consider a porta-potty... Yuck! Besides the inconvenience factor of having to lug the thing up and down the dock and find a place to dump it, a potential future buyer would turn their nose up to a bastardized sanitation system... You may not be doing much cruising now, but you might want to in the future, and you might as well do it right.

Check out some of the new electric macerating heads like Master Flush, Tecma, or Jabsco Quiet Flush. They use a 1" discharge line, which is a lot easier to work with for plumbing. Chances are your tank, unless leaking, is fine.

[Go Aweigh2452]

We wouldn't consider going back to a non-electric flush head anymore. We have the 1.5" hose but are almost religious in keeping the tank fully rinsed after every outing. Water is almost clear coming out after the final rinse. It ticks off those waiting to use the pump out stations but I don't want to see another Webjammin accident... so we don't rush. We also add tank cleaners about every other trip. Only had one problem so far and that was the macerator pump popped a fuse. Once reset, we were good to "go" again. ;}

[Papa Charlie]

I agree with the others here. There is no way I would get rid of an installed system for a port a potti. I have watched too many people struggle with them removing them from the boat and carrying them up to empty and flush. The ones that are the worse are when they have been over filled.
Your capacity is greatly reduced over an installed system and the more they hold the heavier they are.

[Fish-a-Palooza]

We wouldn't consider going back to a non-electric flush head anymore. We have the 1.5" hose but are almost religious in keeping the tank fully rinsed after every outing. Water is almost clear coming out after the final rinse. It ticks off those waiting to use the pump out stations but I don't want to see another Webjammin accident... so we don't rush. We also add tank cleaners about every other trip. Only had one problem so far and that was the macerator pump popped a fuse. Once reset, we were good to "go" again. ;}

Doug are you using raw water or fresh for flushing?

[Fish-a-Palooza]

I wouldn't even consider a porta-potty... Yuck! Besides the inconvenience factor of having to lug the thing up and down the dock and find a place to dump it, a potential future buyer would turn their nose up to a bastardized sanitation system... You may not be doing much cruising now, but you might want to in the future, and you might as well do it right.
Check out some of the new electric macerating heads like Master Flush, Tecma, or Jabsco Quiet Flush. They use a 1" discharge line, which is a lot easier to work with for plumbing. Chances are your tank, unless leaking, is fine.



I agree with the others here. There is no way I would get rid of an installed system for a port a potti. I have watched too many people struggle with them removing them from the boat and carrying them up to empty and flush. The ones that are the worse are when they have been over filled.
Your capacity is greatly reduced over an installed system and the more they hold the heavier they are.




Thanks Steve and Pat. I have considered possible repercussions on a sale. You guys are right, A 5.5 gallon tank of anything is heavy and an overfill condition is ugly to say the least.:oops:

[Go Aweigh2452]

Doug are you using raw water or fresh for flushing?

Wayne, I am plumbed for either raw or fresh water. Normally I use fresh but up in Desolation we use raw due to past two years drought and lack of good fresh.

[SomeSailor]

I'd be afraid to plumb to my potable. Sitting over any period of time would mean bacteria could cross through the lines. Unless I had a dedicated freshwater tank, I'd stick to free saltwater myself.

[Go Aweigh2452]

I'd be afraid to plumb to my potable. Sitting over any period of time would mean bacteria could cross through the lines. Unless I had a dedicated freshwater tank, I'd stick to free saltwater myself.

Not sure that would be possible in the way ours is set up. I can certainly understand your concerns.

BTW, we are spending the day in Port Townsend due to the current winds and wave height across Jun de Fuca today...They are having a film festival this weekend. Watched American Grafetti last night open air. They have over 90 films and all free to watch. PT is a happening place so we are comfortable and having fun using the boat. Will head to Roche tomorrow and Canada on Monday...

[SomeSailor]

Not sure that would be possible in the way ours is set up. I can certainly understand your concerns.

If potable water... and raw water are ever in the same line, the cross-contaminate. If there's a simple ball valve between raw and fresh, they can cross-contaminate. There's a huge risk if any critters get in your potable water, and by critters, I mean stuff like fecal form e coli. :(

[Papa Charlie]

As we are talking about a miniature, living, mobile, organism, they are very capable of traveling along any path given them. If fresh water flush is desired it must be a separate, isolated source. There is no other way to ensure that there can be no possibility for cross contamination.

[tolly28]

Cross contamination is a real concern. However, most fresh water heads use the same on-board water supply as the rest of the boat. The fresh water flush heads use a solenoid valve/ anti-siphon breaker.

I'm considering a Jabsco Quiet Flush, Tecma, or Masterflush. The saltwater flush models come with a saltwater pump, while the freshwater models come with the solenoid valve. I'm probably going with saltwater flush...

[Fish-a-Palooza]

If I stay with the plumbed system (which I probably will) I wll also stay with salt water flush. I know it presents it's own issues but fresh water on my boat is at a premium.

[SomeSailor]

Cross contamination is a real concern. However, most fresh water heads use the same on-board water supply as the rest of the boat. The fresh water flush heads use a solenoid valve/ anti-siphon breaker.

I'm considering a Jabsco Quiet Flush, Tecma, or Masterflush. The saltwater flush models come with a saltwater pump, while the freshwater models come with the solenoid valve. I'm probably going with saltwater flush...

Only way I would consider it would be with a dedicated tank. You could plumb that to a raw water seacock y-valve to use salt water if you ran low, but unless it was COMPLETELY separate from the potable system, I'd avoid it on a small boat. The difference is you are so close to contamination and our tanks so small that they would get dangerous pretty quick. You'd be doing the Tejuana Tango in no time. :)