Anybody using this "hot" toilet?  We need to add a black bottom holding tank or an alternate system such a purasan.  We have an old boat without anything and we're starting from scratch.  Any ideas?
Gwen at CenterHill

Ok for a mountain cabin not a good idea on a boat. Go with the PuraSan.

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OLD HOUSEBOATER

PuraSan will cost you about 90 bucks a year for the chemical tablet and they don't smell.

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OLD HOUSEBOATER

Can the Purasan system be used on Lake Texoma in Oklahoma?  

Sometimes like others have mentioned, you get a bad batch of gumbo and this product will see several usages. My question is how long after a job, will it take the thing to be cool enough for the next job?

Skally

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!

One thing about those "poop burners" is that getting your ashes hauled is not as much fun as it used to be. Go with Purasan.

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The Judge Rules

What kind of paper are you using. People stopped putting paper in a bucket decades ago. What kind of system do you have now? Every modern system handles all human waste including a normal amount of toilet tissue. I think you may have a repair problem with your present system.

If you educate your guests that nothing but human waste and toilet paper are the ONLY things that are flushable you shouldnt have problems.

A discrete waste container for female necessary disposables must still be provided. (This is one of the largest contributors to plugged marine heads)

Don't be shy a little up front education goes a long way.

The PuraSan is a self contained system that hooks up to your mascerating head (Raritan Sealand etc) The Purasan is legal in all waters that are NOT designated no discharge.

Peggy where are you?

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OLD HOUSEBOATER

Edited: 01/30/2008 at 04:10:51 PM by OLD HOUSEBOATER

Just checked this out Ted. It would seem like a wonderful/necessary appliance for any HB. More so suited to a two-head vessel than a single head craft given the 4.5 hr cycle time. I like the 40 to 60 flush cycle capacity. It allows a nice weekend with guests and plenty of 'peace-of-mind'. I book marked the site.

Skally

edit: At 1.5 gallons of propane per cycle it may not be the least expensive to operate, especially at todays fuel prices. But, here's the deal. If my wife likes it....I like it

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!

Edited: 01/30/2008 at 05:41:57 PM by Skallywag

http://www.houseboatmagazine.c...d=12137&enterthread=y



http://www.houseboatmagazine.c...d=10582&enterthread=y

These are links to previous threads on Incinolet grills,,,ER toilets. The general consensus has allways been, too complicated for HB use. If used in stall the smoke WILL be unacceptable to others at dock. Too much power consumption when not hooked to dock power. and more.

Bob

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I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

We just replaced 2 ancient holding tanks with a Purasan system. My understanding is that it is approved for use on US inland waters that are not "no discharge" areas. Our Raritan Atlantes heads handle the paper with no problem. Ditto for the Crown head my dad had for 20 years on his houseboat - with 7 kids vacationing on it at times.

A neighbor on our dock has an Incinolet. Most times we never know when they flush (light?), unless the wind is blowing the wrong direction and we get the burning paper smell.

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Mike

1989 Sumerset 14x64
Twin Volvo AQ131C SP
Watts Bar Lake
Spring City, TN

Ted

We have been boating for over 45 years in addition to small boats we have owned 4 cruisers and 7 houseboats. Our boating areas were the Great Lakes and later, the Tennessee River Lake systems. I have worked extensively on most brands of marine head systems. In other than "drop thru" RV type units, the discharge of the head is pre macerated before it go's into the holding tank. On some Raritan heads, dam failure of the discharge pump will prevent proper maceration but this is rare.

Or are you talking about overboard inline macerator pumps. If that is the case you can minimize your problem by filling the tank 3/4 full and doing a few figure 8s to stir things up. Don't go more than 2 weeks without discharging. I've changed out more than my share of these things but I haven't experienced one in more than 15 years. The # 1 cause of failure for these units is not shutting them off when the tank runs dry. The impeller burns up. Hate those things!!!!!!!!

We always boated on inland lakes and pollution laws pretty much eliminated overboard discharge. Most inland lake areas now have pump outs and these things are no longer needed.

In any event the PuraSan would cure your problem. ( It has its own macerator to further reduce particle size) It will also make your boat easier to sell when the time comes.

The Storburn unit is $4000 bucks and is huge in relation to a regular houseboat head.

Non common devices and modifications reduce the boat buyer pool considerably.

Truly in 45+ years of boating I have only experienced 1 sail boater that separated the tissue. Am I in La La land or is this a common practice. Members chime in!!

You really have my attention and sympathy. Keep us informed of your progress.

NOTE: Raritan now has a batch system for special situations. You may want to investigate their product line

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OLD HOUSEBOATER

Edited: 01/30/2008 at 10:41:58 PM by OLD HOUSEBOATER

Our crown head/lectra san has no problems with paper.

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Riverliver

Peg or OHB question. The Purisan lit states the following:

It must be operated within areas that are not declared a Federal No
Discharge Zone (NDZ) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is applicable for all U.S. territorial waters inside the three mile limit.

How do you get around this for a type 1 ? Is it just the 'dumping overboard' that is illegal? Can we then use this unit as long as we use a pump out station?

Is it legal to use this unit as long as there is no provision for overboard discharge, or the 'Y' valve is secured?

Skally

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!

Yup...mine too. Here in crummy California you can't discharge didley, anywhere, treated or not. However, our MSD regulations do not waver from Federal regs. Since my boat is under 65 feet I believe I can use any Type I, II, or III approved MSD as long as it flushes into a holding tank, and if equiped with any type of overboard discharge, 'Y' valve, or seacock, they are also secured to prevent dishcharge overboard.

I think

Skally

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!

This sounds like a bunch of BS to me or in this case a bunch of HS. I will chime in first on toilet paper. I have a plain old Raritan Crown Head. I put in an exchange unit in 2005 but the old 1984 unit was still working fine. I was just changing 20 year old hoses and decided to get a rebuilt unit. Both handled paper very well. We use 4 squares of two ply max per flush. Double over and double again so you have a single square 4 ply thick. Never ever had a problem with it going through the macerator. I tell guests they can flush as many times as needed but only 4 squares each time. I have a holding tank that came in the boat which I have estimated at 85-100 gallons. We have FREE pumpout at our marina but at $400 per month plus electricity it ought to be free! Purasan CAN be used inside the 3 mile limit. That language merely covers that within the 3 mile limit the Corps has the authority to designate no discharge areas. Thus far these are few and far between. Mostly in areas where the eco terrorists control the politics. California is a good example. Peg once told me that you should not use Purasan in a marina but I am not sure if this is a rule or just common courtesy. I know plenty of people on really nice boats who still keep the waste paper wrapped and do not flush it. I just cannot live like that. They tell me they never get any odor from it but still I could not do that. Also most people at my marina who have Purasan do discharge in the marina. Did I tell you that we catch catfish in our empty slips that weigh over 40 pounds on a regular basis. Someone is feeding them something.

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The Judge Rules

Well Your Honor, If your boat is greater than 65 feet in length you CAN NOT use a Type I MSD. That much seems to be plain and simple without any wiggle room.

No way I'm wrapping that paper either.

And.....about those fish you are catching Are you eating them

Skally

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!

I have 2 Atlantes heads and 150 gallons of holding tanks. Have had the boat for 4 years and have put the paper through the heads from day one with no problems.

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Rick
1994 Sumerset 80'
Lake Lanier, Ga.

why's that sir?

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!

Well, we just bought our HB and it has a PuraSan system which is legal to send overboard at our lake. And it handles one-ply paper in small amounts very well. But, I would prefer to use more paper than is recommended to flush, so I use as much as I want and then put my soiled paper in a cute little trash can that has a lid and a scented trash bag. It doesn't smell and I do that for all my business. I do like the process of treating the waste with the PuraSan system. I just don't like being limited to how much paper I must use.

As an aside, my Dad lives in a very old home that has narrow plumbing lines that go to the street. He doesn't put any paper in the toilet either becasue it causes clogs and requires a plumber to push it through. He does the same thing in his house that I do on the boat - separates the paper!

BamaBoater on the Tennessee River

The PuraSan has an additional macerator and is darn hard to plug. If you have a Crown head Your being over cautious. The PuraSan will handle anything that will pass thru a Crown or SeaLand head. See the Judges post above.

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OLD HOUSEBOATER