Help With Marine Head System

[emudryj]

OK, I'm lost... Need help putting my head system togheter....

The only thing I already have is a Jabsco QuietFlush electric Marine head...

Here is a picture

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...tn%3D3%26ps%3D5

It has some Jabsco Pump on the very base of the Head with an out port of 1". I assume that thats the macerator pump, that will pull the residues to the tank. Am' I right???.

I need advise over:

Holding tank (type, brand any recommendation???)

water pump for flushing (type, GPH, PSI, brand any recomendation???)

3 way valve (type, brand any recommendation???)

vent odor filter (type, brand any recommendation???)

How thick should be the Hose bringign sea water to the water pump???3/4?? 1 inch??

The head came with certain type switch panel. seems to have a rocker switch to flush water in to the bowl, and the other one is a double position rocker switch that flush water on the first position and activates the macerator on the second position.

I've been told that some places, requires you to be able to "lock" your Y valve on the Holding tank position, or having a key switch to avoid accidental discharge on the wrong area.... what can you say about this.

I'm totally ignorant about this matter, so any advise will be greatly appreciated.

[Boz]

Jansco has a somewhat-limited installation manual at

http://www.ittjabsco.com/files/37045_qf_toilet.pdf

And for a 'generic' overview of head installation, BoatUS has this:

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/13.htm

[ScarabChris]

The pump mounted to the toilet is what flushes it. This pump brings flush water from your freshwater tank or raw water and sucks the waste and water from the toilet and pumps it in the tank all at the same time. Yes it is a macerator as well. You don't need any other pumps to use the toilet.

The only other pump you would need is one hooked to the tank to dump the waste overboard.

For the holding tank just look at the Todd tanks. West Marine carries a good amount in stock. Just go over there and take a look at them and see which one will fit best. You will probably have to do what I did which is mount the tank in the very front of the cabin under the berth. I used the 6 gallon size.

Not many boats use Y valves. You will usually only find these valves on boats capable to live aboard. The Y valve simple allows you to flush directly overboard instead of into your tank. You will likely never be in any situation where you need to flush directly overboard. Just flush directly into the tank and then install an seperate macerator to pump overboard when full...but only in a legal manner of course.

I used 1/2" hose to feed water to the head. I have mine rigged so I can use seawater or freshwater to flush. I use the fresh water as the seawater tends to smell after a while.

[emudryj]

The pump mounted to the toilet is what flushes it. This pump brings flush water from your freshwater tank or raw water and sucks the waste and water from the toilet and pumps it in the tank all at the same time. Yes it is a macerator as well. You don't need any other pumps to use the toilet.

The only other pump you would need is one hooked to the tank to dump the waste overboard.

For the holding tank just look at the Todd tanks. West Marine carries a good amount in stock. Just go over there and take a look at them and see which one will fit best. You will probably have to do what I did which is mount the tank in the very front of the cabin under the berth. I used the 6 gallon size.

Not many boats use Y valves. You will usually only find these valves on boats capable to live aboard. The Y valve simple allows you to flush directly overboard instead of into your tank. You will likely never be in any situation where you need to flush directly overboard. Just flush directly into the tank and then install an separate macerator to pump overboard when full...but only in a legal manner of course.

I used 1/2" hose to feed water to the head. I have mine rigged so I can use seawater or freshwater to flush. I use the fresh water as the seawater tends to smell after a while.

Hey thanks everybody, very good info....

Chris, let me make sure I understand correctly....

If I read it right, this toilet needs to be connected to a water supply source that can provide 31/2 gal per minute, so I will have to run a hose from my wash down pump to feed the head. Also another hose from my fresh water tank, if I want this capability and a Y valve to chose which one I'm using to flush the head.

The toilet has its own macerator pump to pull the "stuff" to the tank, but I will need another one to pull it from the tank to the outside. Am I right??? I know that for waste disposal at the dock they have some kind of vacuum, but I will still need the macerator for when I want to discharge waste directly into the ocean. If I assume correctly, thats the pump that needs to be secure to avoid accidental activation on prohibited areas.

I will also need another Y valve between the tank, the ocean discharge, and the deck fitting for dock disposal.

Any recommendation on the macerator pump between the toilet and the ocean??? brand??? type???

Any recommendation for the Y valve?? any specific brand??

Thanks guys, really appreciate the help

[30Tournament]

Be careful about hooking your head to an existing fresh water supply supplying sinks if that is what you are thinking about. I wanted to do this on my boat but then thought about possible bacterial back contamination through the water supply and decided against. I don't trust any check valve to protect against this.

Macerator pumps come in either standard rotary impeller with grinder or the more recent diaphragm type. The rotary pumps are prone to locking up, so they have a slotted shaft at the end of the housing, and you turn the shaft with a screwdriver to break it free. Install this type of pump where you can access the shaft. The new diaphragm pumps are supposed to be much more reliable but they are pricey, around $250 and up.

Water supply to the head is usually 3/4", holding tank to y-valve and/or macerator is 1 1/2" (or just screw the pump directly into the tanks bottom outlet, macerator discharge is 3/4", tank vent is 3/4", tank pumpout suction line to the deck plate is 1 1/2".

Use a good seacock on the discharge and double clamp your approved-for-below-waterline hose (same for supply hose to the head if it is below the waterline). Some have a feature to install a lock and this might eliminate the need for a y-valve, but check your local laws

Flush your tank with freshwater and pump it out after use to minimize odors.

[ScarabChris]

You don't need to supply water to the head with a pump. There is a "water in" port on the head, this will suck water from where ever you supply it from. The pump on the head will pull the water from either your fresh water tank or the seawater.

I'll give you a call tomorrow and explain it better for you.

[emudryj]

You don't need to supply water to the head with a pump. There is a "water in" port on the head, this will suck water from where ever you supply it from. The pump on the head will pull the water from either your fresh water tank or the seawater.

I'll give you a call tomorrow and explain it better for you.

Thanks!!! I know... I'm slow..... what is throwing me away is the note on the manual calling for a presurised water system that can provide 3 1/2 gals per minute....

[kerno]

I must have missed the part in the manual about a pressurised supply, because my Jabsco head works great sucking right off the fresh water system. As Chris suggested, run a 1 inch hose from the output of the jabsco pump to your waste tank. The waste tank needs to be at least 8 gallons to be safe. If you can see it to check the level, great. If not, the Snake River capacitive system works well for monitoring the level. I have a tee in the outlet of my holding tank. One hose goes to the vacuum clean out port and the other goes to a Whale Gulper macerating pump. When I am where I can legally dump, I open the seacock, turn on the pump and drain the tank. Unless you know the overboard macerating pump is there, the system appears to be only emptied by pump out, since there is no Y valve. I use fresh water because sea water makes holding tanks stink like crazy. A charcoal filter on the vent line will help if the smell does become a problem.

[emudryj]

I must have missed the part in the manual about a pressurised supply, because my Jabsco head works great sucking right off the fresh water system. As Chris suggested, run a 1 inch hose from the output of the jabsco pump to your waste tank. The waste tank needs to be at least 8 gallons to be safe. If you can see it to check the level, great. If not, the Snake River capacitive system works well for monitoring the level. I have a tee in the outlet of my holding tank. One hose goes to the vacuum clean out port and the other goes to a Whale Gulper macerating pump. When I am where I can legally dump, I open the seacock, turn on the pump and drain the tank. Unless you know the overboard macerating pump is there, the system appears to be only emptied by pump out, since there is no Y valve. I use fresh water because sea water makes holding tanks stink like crazy. A charcoal filter on the vent line will help if the smell does become a problem.

Hey Kern!!!! thanks for chiming in too!!!

It's on my toilet manual, on the link that BOZ posted on the second post on this thread, first page under instalation,

http://www.ittjabsco.com/files/37045_qf_toilet.pdf

I called Jabsco and they confirmed so I'm thinking to connect the intake of the toilet to a T or Y between my freshwater pump and the shower.

I have to buy a 1" macerator pump to drain the tank to the ocean, the Y valve and the vent filter....

Do you guys have any advice on brands or types for these things???

[kerno]

You don't need a stinking Y valve if you plumb it right. The Macerating pump is a Whale Gulper and our bandit friends at West carry the charcoal vent filter. They also carry the Whale. You can use a second Jabsco 1 inch macerator, but they are slower and don't have the one way valves the Whale does. With the Whale, it can be hooked into the pump out line and as long as the seacock is closed, they can vac out the tank with no problem or you can turn the pump on and pump it overboard.