Head replacement - electric

[Jim Price]

This may have been reviewed before but since search is not working I will ask.  Has anyone replaced manual head with electric on 1991 series boat.  Seen several on Mk II but I think the hull slope and foot print are different.  I want to do "drop in" replacement on existing bolts without a lot of fabrication work.  On the lake, using holding tank only, either current sea water inlet or water tank fed set up.  Waste line currently goes off bow side of toilet through wet locker to holding tank. Looking for experience, brand, model, effort etc.    thanks

[Kyle Ewing]

Jim--I installed the Raritan SeaEra Toilet (compact, pressurized fresh water) in spring 2011 and have been happy with it.  My wife, kids, and guests appreciate it.  The only problem was when someone put a baby wipe in it and it kept the macerator from doing it's job.  It was easy to pull out.  Otherwise it's worked flawlessly.

I borrowed electricity from the shower pump--power requirements are similar so the run was short.

I went with the fresh water version because articles I read indicated it was quieter.  I T'ed into the cold water under the head sink and placed the solenold/vacuum breaker in the storage area behind the head.  If my fresh water tank is ever empty I flush with water from the galley foot pump.

I debated between compact and standard size.  I like the idea of the standard size and thought it would fit based on measurements, but went with the compact size as that is what was there before and am glad I did.  The standard size probably would have fit but cleaning behind it would have been more difficult.

Mounting was straight forward.  I reused one hole and filled the others.  There's a wood block under the fiberglass so drilling is easy.  I also ran new sanitation hose from the head to the tank at the same time.

The only thing to watch is it's a wet bowl all the time.  Your holding tank will fill faster if you hold the flush button longer than you have to. 

If I had to do it again, I would.  Installation wasn't that bad (half a day if I remember) and it is quieter.  A 1 second push of the button in the middle of the night isn't as likely to wake others up as the 3-5 pumps from my old head.

[Stu Jackson]

I want to do "drop in" replacement on existing bolts without a lot of fabrication work. 

Jim, regardless of what you finally come up with, please do not "worry" about the bolt locations.  They are lag bolts into the base.  Whenever any of us have replaced our heads, the bolts almost never line up.  The solution is to drill new ones for the new head and either silicone or epoxy the old holes.  There are not nuts below.  Really little "work" is involved.  Good luck on your investigation.

There is also a thread on how to search while the search feature is being repaired.

[crieders]

I put in a Wilcox Crittendon electric head which works well and fits the footprint with same screws. Someone else now makes a similar head that is essentially is the same.

[stevewitt1]

Can these electric conversions be placed to the side of the bowl like the hand pump.  It doesn't look like there is room for the macerator to sit behind the bowl.  Can anyone post a pic of their conversion?  I had to put a new head in last year when I bought the boat so I don't feel like replacing the whole unit but would rather upgrade the bottom to electric.

Steve

[Wayne]

I also have a Sea Era; it is a great upgrade.  While my boat is a Mark II you will probably have to make roughly the same choices on your boat.  As Stu said, moving the bolts is easy; they are just lag bolts going into the liner (obviously be careful they aren't too long!!).  The bigger issue will be dealing with the macerator motor.  On my boat, I moved the head as far outboard as I could (I actually added a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" starboard to the platform--that is I raised the platform slightly so that I could move the toilet even farther outboard).  I mounted the motor on the right side (facing the toilet) and rather than running the hose aft and connecting under the sink/shower seat area and then forward to the tank I cut a new hole and ran the hose forward directly through the bottom of the storage locker to the holding tank.  Yes, I have given up the ability to pump directly overboard, but my boat lives on San Francisco Bay where the Bay and the entire Gulf of the Farallones (outside the Bay) is a no discharge area.  And I do have a separate macerator  pump out of my holding tank should I ever be somewhere where discharge of sewage is ok.