Convert head to fresh-water flush

[Mikebat]

In my head, the E32-200 has a compartment with a cover built into the countertop. I don't use it for anything since whatever is put in there gets wet. I guess its purpose is for disposal of used toilet paper, since you aren't supposed to put that down the head. It's big enough for 2-3 gallons of water.

I was thinking of converting it into a tank for fresh-water flushing. The through-hull for seawater intake is just a few inches away from the bottom of this compartment. I was thinking of installing a hose barb to the bottom of the compartment and moving the head's seawater intake hose to it. The tank could be filled with freshwater using the retractable shower hose just before using the head. That would also ensure no possibility of backwash from the head into the freshwater system. I'd also have one fewer through-hull.

What do you think?

 

[treilley]

Why? Do you have a problem with the salt water flush?

You can put TP down the toilet if it is a fast dissolving type. Put a sheet in a glass of water and it should dissolve fairly quickly. We use the Scotts 1000 sheet rolls. They last a long time, dissolve quickly and are pretty cheap.

 

[u079721]

We also never put TP down the head - but that's another discussion.

As for using fresh water to flush, I assume that is to prevent odor from stale seat water in the hose? There is another way to do that that might be easier. Put a T at the base of the head sink drain hose, and run the toilet water intake to that T. This point is usually under the waterline, so you can get sea water as normal when flushing. But if you want to do a fresh water flush you close the seacock to the head sink, and then fill the sink with fresh water. Then when you pump the toilet you are sucking in fresh water from the sink. This is a quite common thing for folks to use last thing before leaving the boat for awhile to avoid having seawater go stale in the hose.

It does involve remembering to close and then open the seacock, but it does prevent any possible contamination of your fresh water system, and is probably no more makeshift than using the shower wand to fill your remote tank.

 

[Rocinante33]

Steve's description is the way our boat is plumbed. It works well for us to just close that sink drain seacock, then fill the sink and pump the head, which then empties the sink. Are you sure your boat is not already plumbed that way, also? It took me quite a while after we got our boat to figure it out. You have to stick your head under the sink to see where the hoses go.

 

[Mark F]

The system Steve and Keith wrote about is what I use. Works fine. Isn't another advantage to using fresh water the reduction of scale build-up in the hoses?

 

[Mikebat]

I will look again, but I am pretty sure there is no T installed already to allow the sink to serve as a freshwater flush tank.

But that seems like a pretty simple thing to add.

And yes, the odor of stale seawater is what I want to avoid. I already do a freshwater flush anyway using the shower hose to rinse the bowl.

Getting ready to order a Lavac head (dislike pumping poo through the Jabsco), that's why this is on my mind.

 

[treilley]

My 35 also has the Tee.

 

[Lawrence B. Lee]

Flush more breath better

Flushers Unite!

We've been carrying fresh water to assist the flush to avoid the smell of the water caught in the uptake hose since the last flush. This weekend we went on an four day cruise out into the ocean and back in behind some of Georgia's pristine barrier islands. Lovely. But anyway we just couldn't spare fresh water every time we flushed so we had to use ocean water. Guess what? After 3-4 flushes the odor was gone. No kidding...gone. I mean we were out in nature where the wind blows and the geese soar North in wonderful V formations but really the odor went away. IMHO it may mean we just need to use it or lose it.

Larry Lee
Annabel Lee E32-200
Savannah, GA

 

[Mike Tinder]

We have our fresh water system hooked up to the toilets, all fauctes, and the shower. We have the Basic Jabsco toilet, the one where you flip the latch to put in water. We put in the water, flush, then put some back in. We have had this set up for 3 years now and have had zero problems with this system. I have had to replace the joker valve in the discharge line once for each toilet in a little over 3 years. We also do not have any hose on the discharge side, it is all hard piped, so no ordor. Having our toilet's on fresh water is one of the top best 3 things we have ever done to our boat, we have lived aboard for almost 4 years now. Fresh water for toilets is great and uses very little water. As of now we use the toillet brush if we make a mess!!!!. That will change in the next month or so. I am adding kitchen faucet sprayers for the heads. You will turn a ball valve on, squeeze the sprayer, and clean the toilet after you flush if there is still something hanging around in there. Go fresh, hope this helps.