Re: Houseboat Toilet

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

Hooked

Member
Such a great topic..😃😃 We need to replace our 12 year old toilets on our houseboat, as we are tired of replacing parts and still having problems. Any suggestions of what people have and are happy with would be appreciated. I have read some reviews and they all had some big "cons" in my opinion. Thanks in advance.
 
Are you looking for a 'drop-through' or a 'pump' type head system?

For a pump system, you can't beat the VacuFlush system. They use very little water (1/4 that of a macerator pump system), so your holding tank goes a lot farther until full than any other system I'm aware of. My experience after many years of tracking such use of a VacuFlush for trip planning purposes is 1 gal per day per person, so if you have an 80-gallon tank, it would be good for 80 man days, or 10 people for 8 days, or 8 people for 10 days. My holding tank on my big cruiser is 40 gal, so I plan on 40 man-days, but in the summer, the 1 gallon per day per person has been higher than reality meaning we have got +50 man-days in the summer in our 40-gallon tank. These systems are installed OEM on most yachts from 30' to +150'.

The con is the system is expensive upfront - $700 for the pump and $400-$600 for the toilet. But like having ice while on the lake, if you account for travel to/from the marina to pump out, it can pay for itself relatively quickly. If you currently run into full holding tanks in the middle of trips, I'd highly recommend a VacuFlush system - it could extend your trips without worrying about tank issues. If you don't currently have holding tank size concerns, there are other less expensive options others will recommend.
 
Last edited:
Lots of variables such as tank placement and water capacity. If you can "direct drop" into the tank/s , RV style, it's much easier and cheaper than any other, except for a porta-pottie, but it is generally smelly and not too appetizing. You can always use the water at the honey hut to flush the tank/s clean. Really depends on the current configuration of your systems. .Lots o fun !!!
 
For RV style toilet, foot lever comes in handy when water at the pump out station is out of service (it DOES happen).

Dumping buckets of water into the bowl while trying to hold a hand flush lever open doesn’t work so well.
 
We have 2 - 100 gal tanks for the toilets. We do have fairly large groups sometimes as our houseboat is 75 ft. but have hardly ever had a problem with the tanks getting full before the end of a trip. We have 2 - Dometic 510 gravity feed toilets now directly above the tanks. The problem we have is the foot pedal keeps sticking down or up and we have replaced all the components numerous times and they still keep sticking. Also, the ball inside will not always hold water and seal completely. We have replaced them more than once and I clean them well. I have read to spray pam or furniture polish on the seal. Sometimes this help but not always. So since the toilets are 12 years old, we are thinking maybe we need new ones. I was wondering what others were using that had worked well.
 
when I was working at boat rentals we would apply a lubricant like faucet o-ring grease directly on the lever where it contacts the plastic 1/2 round plastic cap and the shaft under the plastic cap. The seal needs to be nearly perfectly placed on the flushing ball mechanism and the clamp needs to be very tight to put the proper tension on the seal against the ball mechanism. Nasty business but so important. The only sunk houseboat I've seen at the rental dock (a 59' sumerset) was caused by a cleaner who used the toilet and the valve stuck. When she left the boat the water pump was left on. It is odd to see the canopy under water first and then try to figure out what you are seeing.
 
Rivergoer said:
Don’t use the blue chemicals, very hard on toilet seals and only masks odors.

I’ve used Happy Campers powder for years and LOVE it.

Amazon.com: Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment - 64 Treatments: Automotive

Buy Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment - 64 Treatments: Sewer Chemicals & Cleaners - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
I agree on the blue chemical. Have used TST Pods. But finding them harder to get, so good to know about "Happy Campers". Even though I have been told it is not a good thing to change, but might have too.
 
birdsnest said:
when I was working at boat rentals we would apply a lubricant like faucet o-ring grease directly on the lever where it contacts the plastic 1/2 round plastic cap and the shaft under the plastic cap. The seal needs to be nearly perfectly placed on the flushing ball mechanism and the clamp needs to be very tight to put the proper tension on the seal against the ball mechanism. Nasty business but so important. The only sunk houseboat I've seen at the rental dock (a 59' sumerset) was caused by a cleaner who used the toilet and the valve stuck. When she left the boat the water pump was left on. It is odd to see the canopy under water first and then try to figure out what you are seeing.
Click to expand...
Wow.. not a good way to have your houseboat boat sink. Thanks for the faucet o-ring grease tip and the other information.
 
We have two Raritan's. They are the macerator type. We replaced the two original ones that came with the boat because they had plastic macerator blades and were worn and I kept having to fix plugs with is not pleasant. The new ones work great. No problems in three years. Have to have 12 volt 30 amp power supply. Ours came with an optional electric flush which has a water saving feature. The regular flush flushes three times which uses about 1/2 a gallon each flush. You can also just add water or just empty with the push of a button. They were expensive, best I remember about $800 each.
 
Pegasus said:
Are you looking for a 'drop-through' or a 'pump' type head system?

For a pump system, you can't beat the VacuFlush system. They use very little water (1/4 that of a macerator pump system), so your holding tank goes a lot farther until full than any other system I'm aware of. My experience after many years of tracking such use of a VacuFlush for trip planning purposes is 1 gal per day per person, so if you have an 80-gallon tank, it would be good for 80 man days, or 10 people for 8 days, or 8 people for 10 days. My holding tank on my big cruiser is 40 gal, so I plan on 40 man days, but I've actually had 45 man days in the past and have not been full. These systems are installed OEM on most yachts from 30' to +150'.

The con is the system is expensive upfront - $700 for the pump and $400 for the toilet. But like ice on the lake, if you account for travel to/from the marina to pump out, it can pay for itself relatively quickly. If you currently run into full holding tanks in the middle of trips, I'd highly recommend a VacuFlush system - it could extend your trips without worrying about tank issues. If you don't currently have holding tank size concerns, there are other less expensive options others will recommend.
Click to expand...

Pegasus, so happy you've posted this. When we get a remodel on our boat we'll definitely go with this system!
 
Look up the Geo System. It is just Calgon water softener from Walmart and laundry soap. Inexpensive, and works very well. We all know how hard the water at Powell is. On our shared houseboat we use TST liquid from Walmart which works well too. Our first camper had a broken toilet that wouldn't flush. The previous owner had cut the line to the toilet and added a sprayer. He said he liked it so much he left it that way. I thought he was blowing smoke, but after trying it, I found he was right. Much better than a flush, because you clean out the skid marks with the sprayer. Our houseboat is a Boatel, and the vent that came with it did not work. It made two 90 degree turns before it went up, so it filled with sloshed crap and clogged permanently. The tank would expand enough to bend two hefty angle irons that hold up the tank. We ran the new vent up through the bathroom with two 45 degree couplings and added a 6' black pipe on the roof, and haven't smelled the toilet since. The black pipe creates a convection air flow, so even when the toilet is open, the air goes down into the tank and not up into your nose.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top