35-3 Water Supply to Head

[joerun26]

One of my many winter projects this year is to replace the holding tank on my 1987 35-3. I don't know if the currently installed RONCO 130 holding tank (the one with the "wing") is original and leaking, or whether one of the drain fittings below are the source of "smell" and minor leakage into the bilge ( I haven't pulled it yet)..

I don't anticipate getting into the extensive effort that Sean did, but I've already found his excellent posting on this subject under "owners projects " to be a big help. If I get into a tank replacement, I'll use Sean's suggested RONCO B192 (without the wing) or possibly even a smaller tank.

Now for my question .... I am considering converting the supply water to the head to fresh water from the port side water tank. I was thinking about T'ing off from the 3/4 drain line (prior to the pressure water pump), installing a check valve, and routing to the head pump. Has anyone done this, and does anyone have a better solution for getting fresh water to the head ?

Thanks very much ...
joe

 

[chaco]

Joe.......a couple thoughts on your Dream Piping Project.
Little critters are moving in to your piping as we speak.
They eat whats left in your hoses, create nasty gases and a coral like
crust that eventually plugs your vital plumbing. Lots of use helps keep
your pipes clean. Use your head and flush it out any time you are offshore
enough to meet local code requirements. (3) miles here in Oceanside.
The SMELL will come right through old hoses without ANY leaks.
The new waste rated white vinyl hose has a SUPER BARRIER design
that prevents this. Replace all your old hoses. Use waste smell control
chemicals in your tank and flush the system with them through the bowl.

The only reason to have a fresh water connection is to FLUSH your system
of salt water and give your pump and seals a break from corrosion during
extended non-use periods. Valve all the piping off and leave no chance
for cross connection when not flushing. Check valves always fill up with
crud and leak when you are not looking.

 

[rssailor]

Fresh water to the head

Joe,
Do not use fresh water with a manual toilet. They are designed for saltwater only and could contaminate your fresh water supply. If you want to elimanate the smells from the salt water intake, get rid of the manual toilet and go with a toilet like the Wilcox Crittenden quiet flush which is designed to use the pressure water system for flush water with no chance of fresh water contamination. Change those old hoses while you are changing the holding tank. Use sealand odor safe hose for the replacement hose, this is the best head hose on the market even though its expensive.
Ronco is a good company to work with no mater what holding tank you choose. Good luck, Ryan

 

[stbdtack]

freshwater flush

Hi joe,
I have a PH II head and i did just what you are talking about. I installed a 3 way bronze ball valve and tee'd into the freshwater supply hose from my forward tank. Since the ball valve will only connect one supply at a time and block off the other, there isnt much way for any saltwater contamination. And if your head is in good condition flushing water shouldnt flow backwards anyway. A check valve in the freshwater supply line is another yet another safeguard to protect against any back flow.

I can easily reach under the sink and switch back to seawater when i'm offshore and want to conserve fresh water or when I'm away from the boat for extended periods. When on seawater the freshwater circuit is closed off. I put a teaspoon of cooking oil in the head occasionally to keep it all smooth. My other boat has 2 of these heads with the same configuration that have been working happily for 10 years.
The head NEVER smells now and I'm a happy sailor.

 

[Geoff Johnson]

My head sink shares a thru hull with the head inlet so before leaving the boat I close the thru hull, fill the sink with fresh water, and pump it through the toilet. That eliminates the smell of stagnant seawater sitting in the hoses while I am away.

 

[Sean Engle]

My head sink shares a thru hull with the head inlet so before leaving the boat I close the thru hull, fill the sink with fresh water, and pump it through the toilet. That eliminates the smell of stagnant seawater sitting in the hoses while I am away.

Ditto what Geoff said. Why would you want to connect the two systems at all? Just flush it out with fresh at the end of the day via the sink - put in new hose - and hose out the tank once a year to keep it clean......

On integration of systems - the one I would choose to do is to merge the fresh water tanks via a tee into the raw water inlet for the engine. Then, when you get back to the dock, you flip the valve, and let the entire system flush out with fresh water before you shut it down.

Ahhhhhhh, oh well - that was project 434,234g - which I never got to...

//sse

 

[joerun26]

Thanks all for your insights and suggestions. You've given me several options I hadn't considered. I want to employ the"KISS" concept so it looks like the biggest bang for the buck in addition to replacing the tank & hoses, will be to install an inspection / cleanout plate for periodic flushes, and arrange for a fresh water flush via the sink drain (maybe this won't be as quick project as I had hoped after all - then again, it rarely is).

Happy Holidays,
Joe

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

I'm working on a replumb of my head system as well and am replacing all of the discharge hose with the sealand odor proof stuff. I am simplifying the system soem by eliminating the Y valve and vented loop to overboard discharge circuit. I will be able to pump out the holding tank when in legal waters via the manual pump or at a marina via the deck fill. No direct overboard discharge. I like the idea of a freshwater flush but doing it with the sink drain has the problem of sucking air through the sink when in the salwater flush mode. You can add a stopper to the sink to get by that. I asm still thinking on that part. I had this setup on my old boat and worked fine. Was easy to winterize too. I got tired of the stopper i had that leaked though...I guess you could add some valves that would allow fresh only for a flush then use salt most of the time, but it sounds like added plumbing that does not go with the KISS....

 

[Geoff Johnson]

On my boat the lip of the toilet is an inch above the design water line. Therefore, all of the plumbing from the inlet to the toilet is "below water" and sucking air through the sink is not a problem even though it is tee'd to the head inlet thru hull. It's probably the same on your boat.