Replacement Head

Mike_Lenz · Post by **Mike_Lenz** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 3:56 pm

I have an old Monomatic Head in my B-35. This Head has an internal holding tank in it, about 3-6 gals, once it's filled I pump it into a 9 gal holding tank. Any suggestions on a good solution to the original Head? Mike…

lobsta1 · Post by **lobsta1** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 5:09 pm

Mike, How about a Raritan Sea Era toilet with the fresh water flush option? Get the toilet from www.boatfix.com. Get a holding tank from these people. http://www.ronco-plastics.net/ Ronco tanks are all at least 3/8" & you specify where to put the inlets. Strongly suggest you have the pump out tube coming off the top with an internal dip tube. Also for odor control go with two 1" vents. Al

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:33 pm

Mike.. FYI: I very much agree with Al about Ronco Tanks.. I bought a holding tank and a fresh water tank from them.. their web site has lots of tank shapes to choose from.. I found stock tanks that would work and emailed them a sketch on the fitting locations I wanted. I believe they charged a few $$ for the dip legs and about $25 for the inspection port, and there was no charge for the rest of the fittings. They were great to work with, product is good, and tanks arrived just as I specified. Be sure to have at least a 1" vent line, I installed 1 1/2".. everything I read said holding tanks generate excessive odors because the contents don't get enough oxygen to decompose aerobically, which produces less odor. Anerobic decomposition is caused by small vent lines which do not allow oxygen to react with the contents. I put two dip legs in the tank, one for the inlet and one for the discharge. Did not want to hear the stuff falling from the top of the tank into the liquid contents when someone pumped the head, hence the inlet dip leg. All my fittings are 1 1/2".. you can always bush down. Be sure to install an 8" dia inspection port. All fittings should be on the top except one drain plug to use as a last resort if you need to manually empty the tank. Add a couple of extra fittings just to be sure. I installed an electric diaphragm discharge pump to empty the tank at sea, plus a bypass to flush the head overboard at sea. Leave room between fitting loocations so you have lots of room for the 1 1/2" plastic pipe fittings you will use. A 1 1/2" plastic pipe union is about 7" in diameter. Be sure your diverter valve has some provision for a locking device of some sort (I have read somewhere even a plastic tie wrap is acceptable) so the head can only be pumped into the tank when you are not at sea, and keep it locked that way in case you are stopped by the authorities. I have a sketch of my piping layout if you want to have it. Drop me an email if you want any more info. This is not a pleasant subject to chat about.. but making a mistake with the installation will one day be even more unpleasant for you!! Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com "Phoenix" 1983 FBC Wilmington, NC

Mike_Lenz · Post by **Mike_Lenz** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:10 am

Thanks for the info guy's, this has been a real big help. Mike....

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:06 am

Mike.. Hope my post above is of use to you. Not the most pleasant subject to talk about, but if something goes wrong it quickly ecomes the most important thing on your boat! Thinking about your question here made me recall two instances of head problems I know about.. which I posted in the General Forum under the subject heading... "Head/Holding tank warnings" If you haven't already done so I suggest you read this post as well.. don't make the same mistakes these people did! Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com "Phoenix" 1983 FBC Wilmington, NC

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:34 am

I dont know where it went to along its life - but my boat has no holding tank

photo finish · Post by **photo finish** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:27 am

Sean, Do you have a lectra san? My boat did not have a holding tank either I only had the lectra san...I have since added a holding tank that i hope i never have to use but i thought i would add one in case the lectra san shut down on me.

sbeer · Post by **sbeer** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:28 am

I only have the electra-san also. With all of the talk about the electra san not being allowed to be use with in 3 miles of the coast, I have been looking into putting a hold tank in mine also. Good information frank. One more thing, would it be better to put a vacuam system in as that wouldnt fill the holding tank with all the extra water. Don't know anything about them but I was on my buddys new luhrs and he had that system, hardly any extra water. Mike

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:39 am

I do have the lectra-san, but I dont think it works. Somwday, I will have to play with it. To many other things ahead of that on the list.

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:54 am

My boat had a non functioning LectraSan unit in it when I bought her, but I was leery of replacing it with another, or even repairing it, due to the tightening environmental zero discharge regulations, plus I was not sure how to tell when one is working or not. I live on the ICW and dumping a head directly overboard is a no-no! So, I went with the KISS concept. I can pump the holding tank overboard with an installed electric diaphragm pump, bypass the tank and pump the head directly overboard, or have the tank emptied at a pump out facility. I can get rid of my s*** in so many ways I amaze myself! Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com "Phoenix" 1983 FBC Wilmington, NC

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:36 am

For what it's worth, I've got the vaccuflush and after 5yrs it's been good to me. The only problem was having to replace the duck-valve, you know it has to be done because the stupid thing won't quit cycling. In all I like the performance of it, but at night if anyone uses the head, if the AC's not on everyone knows it. Another plus is having small kids and frequent guests the fw flush and suction make for clean easy head operation. We can make it through a weekend without having the holding tank pumped out. As for the holding tank, my boat didnt have one, it had mansfield (like lectra san I think) which didn't work. I already had a y valve and the previous owner just pumped it over. I put in a 10 or 12 gal holding tank and only vented with a standard vent fitting. When it's stinky & someone flushes you can smell it on the outside of the boat. I can only imagine what a 1" vent smells like, that's the size of the pump-out deck plate??? I do know that replacing the head is one job I hope to avoid for a long time. John D "Lady D" Bertram 35 Pasadena MD

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:54 am

John... I understand your comment about the 1" vent, you are saying exactly what I thought was true, but when I researched the issue I learned that holding tank contents develop stronger odors when they are kept from oxygen and they decompose anaerobically. On the other hand, while you would think a larger vent allows more of the tank vapors to escape and cause unpleasant odors, the larger vent supposedly allows for more oxygen to enter the tank and allows for aerobic decomposition, resulting in less odor. In fact some recommend two vents, with outlets located on opposite sides of the boat so air flows through the tank and provides more oxygen to the tank contents. Maybe at the next Bertram gathering we all should have a "Sniff Off" to see which concept is the best? Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com "Phoenix" 1983 FBC Wilmington, NC

photo finish · Post by **photo finish** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:00 pm

Sean for around $300 you can send it to lectra san and they totally upgrade it .The units work awesome but if you do not know if it is working then it probably should not be used

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:34 pm

Tim, What parts of the unit would I need to pull to send in? Does anyone know the contact info to arrange this? Has anyone else done this? I did this with my "old school" autopilot and it works as good as a 5000 dollar new one.

gskill · Post by **gskill** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:37 am

Sean, the contact information for Raritan is located on the web @ http://www.raritaneng.com/contact_us/index.html I recently spoke to their tech dept and they were extremely helpful. They didn't have a standard price to rebuild however they will evaluate your unit and price accordingly or sell you parts. If you have an older model as I have, you have a mechanical controller located close to the head. If you disassemble the unit you will find three fuses which feed the three components in Letrasan unit. You might check these fuses before sending the unit in. The newer models are electronic. George Skillas 33 FBC Destiny - 1983 Deerfield Beach, Florida [img]http://www.bertram33.com/photogallery/p ... estiny.jpg[/img]