Toilet Flush Or Hand Pump

[Andrewcook]

Hi I've been on Two  different Boats  and found one Boat had automatic toilet flash when pressing a button and refill it with water the other one Just water flush around the pan. The old type is using Flush Pumping the toilet pan . Which one out of the Three is better to have on the  Boats?

[Smoggy]

Hand pumped loo any day, having a flat battery is a pain at anytime but even worse when your legs are crossed.

I've never felt pumping the loo enough of a trial or hardship to even consider changing it and it's so simple it just works, always. (old RM69)

[OldBerkshireBoy]

The one that uses less water!

[ranworthbreeze]

1 hour ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

The one that uses less water!

That would be the hand pump type.

 

[Smoggy]

1 hour ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

The one that uses less water!

This is the his/hers setup you are looking for.

And there's one just for Griff.

[Broads01]

I have a strong preference for electric flush, the type where you control the water by the length of time you press the button (not the fully automatic type where it's one quick press and you use far too much water). I'm not a fan of hand pumps - too much faff.

[andyg]

We had the aircraft type toilets on all 3 herbert woods boats we've hired this year. One was on starlight a picnic boat. I have to say I do prefer this type of loo. On a four day break on prince which is one of woods smallest cruisers the gauge read half full on return to the yard, so quite economic on water usage. 

[ChrisB]

12 hours ago, Smoggy said:

This is the his/hers setup you are looking for.

And there's one just for Griff.

The choice of many a serious sailor still. My Folkboat was so equipped when I went to The Azores. When you are blue water, way beyond the range of Helicopter or Lifeboat having a totally sealed hull with no skin fittings or prop shafts to worry about is desirable.

The technical term for such an installation being known as " Bucket and Chuckit"

[Mouldy]

We have a manual pump flush on Norfolk Lady, which works okay and is preferable to the old ‘drop through’ type found on so many hire boats a few years ago.  We have been quoted for upgrading to a macerating one in the future.  That said, I’m not a fan of the fully electronic type that use a lot of water.  As things stand and on an extended stay, we can get a week or more without a pump out, but we were talking to the crew of a Broom Cadet recently who were waiting for a pump out with a full waste tank, after only two full days on their boat fitted with an automatic loo.

[ChrisB]

My V20 dayboat/weekender had a Thetford cassette type with a spare cassette. We (2 of us) could do 4 nights easily and we would empty, washout, and re-blue back at Broadsedge. Very good on a small craft and no skin fittings

[Jbx5]

Having had both set ups I wouldn’t swap back to the manual type after having a vetus electric one. If used properly they shouldn’t use that much more water than manual ones (eco for small jobs, normal for big jobs and an empty the bowl without flush option)

I can’t see how you could fill a tank in 2 days unless the tank hadn’t been emptied properly or more likely an over sensitive gauge. Also would be interesting to see how big the tanks are on that boat. 
 

John

[vanessan]

15 minutes ago, Jbx5 said:

I can’t see how you could fill a tank in 2 days unless the tank hadn’t been emptied properly or more likely an over sensitive gauge.

Years ago, mid 90s I would guess, we hired Shimmering Light from HW. It was a new boat then and had an electric flush. The tank was full in two days, according to the gauge, and it was a nuisance having to get it pumped out (even though we were very ‘sparing’ with flushes). 
Nothing wrong with the old ‘drop-through’ types, as long as the tank is deep and dark! Easy to flush, no manual pumping needed and we can go two weeks between pumpouts. 

[Ray]

Wouldn't it be great if there was some "treatment" that rendered contents of the pan safe both bacterially and ecologically?

No holding tank or pump outs required and no harm done... where is science when you need it?

[ChrisB]

Composting type are becoming more popular on canals. In the USA they are common in trailers, RVs and boats. This type can even deal with the angles experienced when sailing.

[marshman]

John - don't forget that many newer boats include the facility to take all grey water, including, and especially, from showers! Shower a lot and that has to be emptied as well!

They also have domestic toilets and large shower heads, and these use a lot of water - the downside is as you describe!!

[ExSurveyor]

I have had a manual pump, electric pump and now a drop through.

I would have a drop through every time.

[annv]

Hi Andrew A electric fresh water flushed sea toilet is the best BUT!! John

[Malanka]

We have two hand pump jabsco loos onboard, both of which, wait for it…….. use river water flush so there is absolutely no guilt flushing down the post jalfrezi output.

I couldn’t see the point of using clean water to flush poo. The connection to the clean tank buggged me too. See what I did there….

 

M

[BroadAmbition]

Nice one - 

And there's one just for Griff.

I actually did LOL 

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Just the one Heads onboard 'B.A' sometimes accommodating eight crew.  Ours is a fully electric Vetus macerating type, which is simple, economic with the flushing water, clean and so easy to use.  There are three options via the single push button, small flush, Large flush and empty with no flushing.  We wouldn't swap it

Although I do like the 'Griff Bucket type'  listed by Smoggy and can see its potential 

Griff

[PaulN]

Over the years I have had several boats and up until the latest (broads cruiser) have all been yachts on the East Coast, which had manual flush sea toilets, mainly Jabsco. The problem with salt water flushing was that when left for a while, the residual water with micro marine life left in the waste pipe, would generate a hydrogen sulfide smell (rotten eggs). The solution was to use the shower on its hose to flush with fresh water, so I would never flush with raw water.

I now have an electric Tecma macerating toilet and would never change. There is a **** on the back of the control panel which controls the amount of water coming from the fresh water tank, which I have turned right down so that it just seals the trap in the toilet pan when it has finished. If it needs additional water for a strong flush 'due to contents' then again I use the shower hose, which fortunately reaches. A pump out is never required at less than 1½ weeks for just the two of us.

So my vote is for electric every time.  

[CambridgeCabby]

On Cerise Lady we had a single button macerating electric toilet flushing with river water on Pipedreams  we have a two button system where a small amount of water is used prior to use then the second button flushes , both work extremely well but we do prefer the two button system which uses fresh water 

[Andrewcook]

Hi the Boat I had is Electric Flush is flushes then Refill the Toilet Bowl up for the next time that's if I don't have Hot Indian takeaway lol. This take Fresh Water from the Tank as to having Two Toilets so does this means I have to put Fresh Water in the Tank every few days as to cover Washing up and Showers each day. I got this Boat again February 2022.;

[PaulN]

On 17/11/2021 at 11:06, PaulN said:

Over the years I have had several boats and up until the latest (broads cruiser) have all been yachts on the East Coast, which had manual flush sea toilets, mainly Jabsco. The problem with salt water flushing was that when left for a while, the residual water with micro marine life left in the waste pipe, would generate a hydrogen sulfide smell (rotten eggs). The solution was to use the shower on its hose to flush with fresh water, so I would never flush with raw water.

I now have an electric Tecma macerating toilet and would never change. There is a **** on the back of the control panel which controls the amount of water coming from the fresh water tank, which I have turned right down so that it just seals the trap in the toilet pan when it has finished. If it needs additional water for a strong flush 'due to contents' then again I use the shower hose, which fortunately reaches. A pump out is never required at less than 1½ weeks for just the two of us.

So my vote is for electric every time.  

Just re-read my post above. Amazed that one word got edited to ****. The only words I can think of as an alternative to the word beginning kn is 'Thumb Turn' So sorry if my inadvertent use of an obscenity upset anyone 

[Mouldy]

30 minutes ago, PaulN said:

Just re-read my post above. Amazed that one word got edited to ****. The only words I can think of as an alternative to the word beginning kn is 'Thumb Turn' So sorry if my inadvertent use of an obscenity upset anyone 

I was wondering what obscene term would warrant asterisks to be substituted.  It’s a good job that the thread can’t drift to mention Cockshoot Dyke!!!