The best marine head

[Brad Kelneck]

Hi:

I agree totally with Jim - the Lavac marine heads are absolutely the best and most odour free and reliable on the market. The have the added advantage of functioning as a spare bilge pump with a y valve installed. The large size pump ensures you don't get blockage and they are incredibly easy to use. The only negative is that they do use a fair bit of water per flush.

Numerous upscale builders are now specifying them and, when they do, they inevitably merit mention in the boating press; see, for example the review of the $838,000.00 Bruckman 50 in August 2005 edition of Blue Water Sailing.

They are available at Defender Industries over the net and are quite reasonably priced.

Brad Kelneck

[MikeJohns]

I have to add my accolade for the Lavac.
Simple reliable and long lasting they are always my recommendation to anyone who asks, and I wouldn't install anything else.

[mattotoole]

I don't have much experience with the others mentioned here. But the two Raritan electric macerator heads we've had in heavy service for the last 7-8 summers have given us absolutely no problems. They use seawater and work fine with normal toilet paper. While some butthead will always manage to clog any head, these will always clear (and not overflow) if you just shut off the inlet valve. In comparison, the manual heads I've always used are a joke. I'm sold.

I don't understand freshwater heads -- what a waste! Why not seawater?

[FAST FRED]

"I don't understand freshwater heads -- what a waste! Why not seawater?"

At least 2 reasons , the seawater salts slowly accreate (build up) inside the piping , eventually requiring replacement or some sort of chemical cleaning.

A modern RV head (Sealand) is best for no discharge areas as it flushes with a half pint of water , rather than a half gallon.

FAST FRED

[yipster]

Fast Fred,
that salt builds up only very slow and occasionaly you can drop a tablet.
i have a simple 1 meter hose out, the only time i easely replaced it was to accomodate an electric pump.
do remember though the shop saying its a special smell sealed head hose.

[kjell]

If you are using sea water in Mediterranean to flush your toilet you will have problems. The warm salty water is building up a hard scale in the pipes and on the valves in the pump, making it impossible to use the toilet. The only toilettes that works are the sweet water toilettes like Sealand and they are using very little quantity of water so you don’t need big holding tanks.

[stevel]

Saltwater toilets also cause smell problems if they sit for long periods of time between uses. The once-living things in the water smell bad as they decompose.

[Lecter]

Has anyone anything to say on the notion of composting and retreiving methaine on board?

PS: Sorry if my spelling isn't so good.