Question about manual flush toilet

[FREEDOM!!!]

I have never had a toilet on my boat before and people have told me "DO NOT EVER USE IT". I don't plan to use it except maybe in emergency #1s only. Anyway. To keep it simple, instead of having to pry open the hatch on the deck and opening the seacock to be able to pull salt water into the toilet bowl, what about keeping a couple of gallon jugs of fresh water in the head and using that to fill the bowl? Then, do I need to put any chemicals in the dirty water tank to keep it from stinking?

 

[JJF]

1. Don't be afraid to use the head for #1 or #2. It's one of nicest conveniences on the boat.
2. I think the fresh water idea would work. Do you have a shower/sink inside the console?
3. Use only marine toilet paper.
4. You should add the proper treatment to your holding tank. See link below.
5. If/when you put the boat up for storage (e.g. winter storage), you want to make sure the system is winterized and I like to "flush" it by filling/emptying a few times.

Marine Toilet Chemicals | West Marine

Shop the best selection of Marine Toilet Chemicals from West Marine. Visit for products, prices, deals and more!

www.westmarine.com

 

[Beyond A Wake]

Are you sure the vacu-flush uses salt water? Mine uses fresh water from the tank and the fresh water pump has to be on to feed it with water?
Do you have a macerator that allows for emptying out at sea? Or is only emptied through a onshore vacuum system through a deck access cap?
In any case use it occasionally even if it would be with only water to keep it in working condition. The additives for the tank also work as lubricant so yea use some. Where the water comes from does not make a difference just like your home toilet can be flushed with a bucket of water this one can as well.

If it is a manual pump and not vacuum then likely sea water is used but same flush with fresh works.

H

 

[SkunkBoat]

I’m not sure the head will flush without inlet water. It pull and pushes in the flush position

 

[Coastboater]

On Grady’s website both marine head options, one manual flush, one electric flush, show holding tank, macerator pump, and overboard discharge. My guess is the flush supply is from the freshwater and the valve you need to access is for emptying the holding tank overboard, when in waters where it’s allowed, of course

 

[glacierbaze]

What's your plan for the guest with the emergency #2, if not in the toilet?

 

[Beyond A Wake]

Emergency plan; lifejacket and overboard
I have a friend with a big CC and he dissed the head. Anybody onboard use a bucket when needed, confirmed before boarding...Big fishermen.... and vacationers in the Bahamas.

h

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Are you sure the vacu-flush uses salt water? Mine uses fresh water from the tank and the fresh water pump has to be on to feed it with water?
Do you have a macerator that allows for emptying out at sea? Or is only emptied through a onshore vacuum system through a deck access cap?
In any case use it occasionally even if it would be with only water to keep it in working condition. The additives for the tank also work as lubricant so yea use some. Where the water comes from does not make a difference just like your home toilet can be flushed with a bucket of water this one can as well.

If it is a manual pump and not vacuum then likely sea water is used but same flush with fresh works.

H

I could have sworn that during my orientation the guy said to operate the toilet you have to open the seacock under the deck so it can pull water in from outside. But I could be wrong....maybe it does pull from the fresh water tank. Surprisingly, there is almost no information about it on the Grady website or Captain Grady app. They really do need an in-depth article or video on how the system works. It does have a way to dump at sea and the onshore vacuum port.

My whole idea behind using gallons of fresh water is to keep the whole thing as simple as possible. Pour water in the bowl, do your business, pump out to the holding tank. I would like to have the toilet available in emergencies...already had one where I took some friends out to diner by boat and on the way back one of the ladies had to go real bad. We were in normal clothes so jumping in was not an option. Kind of felt like a jerk telling her that the toilet was not in use...

 

[SkunkBoat]

I could have sworn that during my orientation the guy said to operate the toilet you have to open the seacock under the deck so it can pull water in from outside. But I could be wrong....maybe it does pull from the fresh water tank. Surprisingly, there is almost no information about it on the Grady website or Captain Grady app. They really do need an in-depth article or video on how the system works. It does have a way to dump at sea and the onshore vacuum port.

My whole idea behind using gallons of fresh water is to keep the whole thing as simple as possible. Pour water in the bowl, do your business, pump out to the holding tank. I would like to have the toilet available in emergencies...already had one where I took some friends out to diner by boat and on the way back one of the ladies had to go real bad. We were in normal clothes so jumping in was not an option. Kind of felt like a jerk telling her that the toilet was not in use...

So do you have a manual Jabsco pump flush that draws from a thru hull? It has twp positions Fill bowl and Flush. It has a rubber valve inside. To Flush it pulls from the open seacock and pushes the waste to the holding tank.
If the seacock is closed, I don't think you can push the waste to the tank. You would be trying to pull a vacuum on the inlet(because the seacock is closed).
That being said, why does your plan use gallons of fresh water. A bucket from overboard is would be easier. (It still probably won't work)

As for using the head;
If your crew is a bunch of fishermen, the boat has a self flushing urinal at the transom for #1. You can get away with a bucket for a rare emergency#2

but

You seem like a "boater" who takes a lot of guests out for a nice day on the water. Some of those guests are female. The need for a toilet goes up exponentially with every female onboard. You don't have a choice. Use the head.
Make sure they only put the "RV toilet paper" in the head. Put the blue stuff in the bowl. Find a pumpout near you. Pumpout often. Don't let it ferment.

 

[glacierbaze]

What Skunk said, and especially if your head is salt water. It is all the micro organisms in saltwater, that die in your system, as much as it is the waste, that causes these systems to smell bad.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

So do you have a manual Jabsco pump flush that draws from a thru hull? It has twp positions Fill bowl and Flush. It has a rubber valve inside. To Flush it pulls from the open seacock and pushes the waste to the holding tank.
If the seacock is closed, I don't think you can push the waste to the tank. You would be trying to pull a vacuum on the inlet(because the seacock is closed).
That being said, why does your plan use gallons of fresh water. A bucket from overboard is would be easier. (It still probably won't work)

As for using the head;
If your crew is a bunch of fishermen, the boat has a self flushing urinal at the transom for #1. You can get away with a bucket for a rare emergency#2

but

You seem like a "boater" who takes a lot of guests out for a nice day on the water. Some of those guests are female. The need for a toilet goes up exponentially with every female onboard. You don't have a choice. Use the head.
Make sure they only put the "RV toilet paper" in the head. Put the blue stuff in the bowl. Find a pumpout near you. Pumpout often. Don't let it ferment.

My thought on using gallon jugs was simply to eliminate half of the process. No need to open the seacock, flip the switch, pump to fill the bowl. I barely know how to use this thing....can't imagine having to explain the process to a guest. Figured it would be easier to keep everything in the flush mode and tell guests just to fill the bowl half way with the gallon jug then pump the handle to flush. But if the whole flushig system relies on the seacock being open, then my plan won't work...also, pulling in salt water to the bowl then out to the holding tank seems like a good way to ensure your hoses are always filthy.

Someone a while ago said they had a laminated document posted in their head to educate guests. I'd love to see that....

 

[Hookup1]

I would leave the "fill" seacock "open". That is legal. Then just get it pumped out or empty it frequently.

The fresh water flush does reduce odors but its best to empty the tank and flush clean.

I use the head as little as possible. I try to keep it empty. I have plastic bags for bowl liners if #2 is required. Tie them up and put in bucket on the bow. If one of my guests has to go they can use it - that's what its there for.

Are you in an area where marina pumpouts are available?

My macerator pump was out of order one year. I had a hard time finding a pumpout in the Islamorada area. Only one available to the public was at Bass Pro Shops and it was broken. I fixed the pump (impeller bad), pumped onto a 5-gallon bucket (3' of 1" hose) and dumped in the house toilet. Wasn't messy or difficult.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

I would leave the "fill" seacock "open". That is legal. Then just get it pumped out or empty it frequently.

I use the head as little as possible. I try to keep it empty. I have plastic bags for bowl liners if #2 is required. Tie them up and put in bucket on the bow. If one of my guests has to go they can use it - that's what its there for.

Are you in an area where Marin pumpouts are available?

My macerator pump was out of order one year. I had a hard time finding a pumpout in the Islamorada area. Only one available to the public was at Bass Pro Shops and it was broken. I fixed the pump (impeller bad), pumped onto a 5-gallon bucket (3' of 1" hose) and dumped in the house toilet. Wasn't messy or difficult.

Yes, there is a marina about 3 miles from my dock that does pump out. My main concern is that the manual flush system is a bit complicated. I have concerns about a guest messing it up. Trying to keep things as simple as possible.

 

[Beyond A Wake]

I guess it is a Jabsco manual pump then. And as others have said u need the seawater for the pump to work.
the Electric vacu flush ones (it looked like it was an option for the boat) work differently, they get pressurized water into the bowl by lifting foot pedal, and then after u r done you press the pedal and it sucks out what's there. Then you fill it up some again as a vapor lock and half ready for next session.

Just use the head once every time u go out to keep it working, don't let it sit too long as seals etc just harden and when u need it it wont work.

I use it frequently with just water and then I pump out at sea frequently as well so black water tank is almost always mostly empty with some RV campo fluid added to it.

Enjoy the boat and use all systems on it, don't worry so much about it as long as Only marine/RV tp is used and no one puts objects that have not gone through a human in it. "If you did not eat it, don't leave it in the head"

H

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

So is it not a concern to pull salt water through the system from the hull to the bowl to the holding tank without being able to rinse everything with fresh water?

 

[JJF]

It doesn't concern me....it's how it was designed.

 

[Hookup1]

So is it not a concern to pull salt water through the system from the hull to the bowl to the holding tank without being able to rinse everything with fresh water?

Vacuflush Parts and Systems for marine and RV toilets.

Vacuflush toilet systems are the standard of high performance for the marine head.

marinesan.com

 

[glacierbaze]

What is your concern? Is it mechanical, or mental, i.e., the thought of poop in your new boat?

 

[Beyond A Wake]

As said it is designed for that but don't let stuff stay in tank too long and dry out. You can theoretically at least attach a hose with a connector to the outside of boat when in a rack and flush with fresh but it is a mess to keep the hose feeding the pump at low pressure, u cannot force with.

 

[glacierbaze]

I bought a 30 foot Sea Ray from a guy who just used it as a man cave tied to the dock, to drink beer, watch TV, and take a dump, with no tank additives. I was recovering from ACL surgery, and when I got ready to use it, I called the marina to do a tune up, oil change, etc.
I don't recall the tank size, but it was full, and while they had it inside the shop, someone hit the overboard discharge switch without knowing it, and couldn't figure out how to turn it off for a couple of minutes. The switch was on a little panel down by the driver's right ankle, and was Off/On, instead of momentary.