Head Projects.

[Jeffrey Hare]

Hi,

Just thought I'd share some customizations we made in the head over the winter.

1)  We decided to change the faucet and away from a vessel sink.  We wanted a faucet that would swivel out of the way and a sink that was a bit more accessible. 

2)  On this hull, the head seawater fill and head flush macerator pumps were operated by a single button.  We separated single head intake Fill and Flush macerator pumps to have better control over all that.  There is a more high-tech vendor-supplied control panel that does what ours does (and more), but I thought I'd go a little simpler to start with.  We used FrontPanelExpress.com to make a little aluminum anodized switch plate to handle this.  Check them out if you ever want to make custom panels or boxes for any reason.

3) We also made a new/larger door for below the sink (shown in second pic) but I haven't installed it just yet.  

4) On to the air conditioning install prep work..

Let me say that I'm usually very averse to making any boat changes that are purely preference items that aren't super easy to revert to stock.  In this case, I'd need to replace the short section of the head countertop if I ever wanted to revert to the stock vessel sink.  The solid surface is a little difficult to get unstuck from the fiberglass base and would take a couple of hours in the woodshop to fabricate a new top but I figured out how to do it before I started in.   I'd tweak the shape a bit so that I could gain a little more usable counter space if I ever were to do that.

With all that said, this particular project isn't one for the faint of heart but we think we're happy with the outcome.  Just wish we could have found a white semi-recessed sink instead of just a stainless drop-in.  Looked for months with no luck.

Cheers,

-Jeff Hare

[bill pittore]

That looks great. I have a similar head flush system in process. I was replicating the Raritan sea fresh raw/fresh flush system. I have all the plumbing parts installed but not connected. I was thinking of going with a similar system with 2 buttons, one for fill and one for flush. I have the buttons which actuate relays which control the pump and macerator. Under the head sink is the control box plus the Watts back flow preventer. I can switch from raw to fresh. 

Are those buttons illuminated or is that part of the front panel setup? I bought some stainless IP66 push button switches from Digikey but they are not illuminated. 

For the sink setup did you just use the existing faucet hole? As I recall my faucet seems like it’s more to the left. Can’t say I like the existing faucet and sink.

On a related note, last winter I replaced the waste hoses, one from the toilet to the tank, tank to thru-hull (replaced thru hull too) and tank to pump out. I used the Raritan hose. Hardest part was removing old hose that went from toilet to tank. In fact I didn’t get it out until last month. I ended up having to cut through the front bottom edge of the medicine cabinet to cut through the old hose and then I could pull both pieces out. Ugh! It seems like a very strange way to run the hose to the tank. The new hose I ran over the top of the medicine cabinet and it’s a straight shot to the tank which is hard by the cabinet anyways. There was even a cutout in the sidewalls of the cabinet that seems to be made for the hose to go through.

Bill

On Mar 23, 2022, at 8:51 PM, Jeffrey Hare <cata...@thehares.com> wrote:

Hi,

Just thought I'd share some customizations we made in the head over the winter.

1)  We decided to change the faucet and away from a vessel sink.  We wanted a faucet that would swivel out of the way and a sink that was a bit more accessible. 

2)  On this hull, the head seawater fill and head flush macerator pumps were operated by a single button.  We separated single head intake Fill and Flush macerator pumps to have better control over all that.  There is a more high-tech vendor-supplied control panel that does what ours does (and more), but I thought I'd go a little simpler to start with.  We used FrontPanelExpress.com to make a little aluminum anodized switch plate to handle this.  Check them out if you ever want to make custom panels or boxes for any reason.

3) We also made a new/larger door for below the sink (shown in second pic) but I haven't installed it just yet.  

4) On to the air conditioning install prep work..

<headbefore.jpg>

<headafter.jpg>

Let me say that I'm usually very averse to making any boat changes that are purely preference items that aren't super easy to revert to stock.  In this case, I'd need to replace the short section of the head countertop if I ever wanted to revert to the stock vessel sink.  The solid surface is a little difficult to get unstuck from the fiberglass base and would take a couple of hours in the woodshop to fabricate a new top but I figured out how to do it before I started in.   I'd tweak the shape a bit so that I could gain a little more usable counter space if I ever were to do that.

With all that said, this particular project isn't one for the faint of heart but we think we're happy with the outcome.  Just wish we could have found a white semi-recessed sink instead of just a stainless drop-in.  Looked for months with no luck.

Cheers,

-Jeff Hare

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<headbefore.jpg><headafter.jpg>

[Jeff Hare]

Bill, 

These switches are 10A IP65 rated, LED illuminated. Fill is blue, flush is red.  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07ZB2GDL4

They drive these relays that actually turn on the pumps.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KFKDZ60

I made this control board that's mounted under the sink.

Regarding the faucet hole, no I could not use it.  I used a hole saw to cut a filler plug for the old hole.  I put the new faucet in about the 2:00 position.  I also have a matching soap dispenser that will go in the 10:00 position but didn't install it yet.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/C0F9DB76-4C44-4594-9E32-A38997C13B5D%40gmail.com.

[Jeff Hare]

Actually, I did one more thing to that control board.  I added a shutoff switch to the Fill side.

That way when we have the intake thru hull closed, the fill switch is disabled.

The intake is turned off using that  waterproof toggle switch on the right side of the panel.  This is our normal fresh water flush option.  We just pour water in from a jug.  Used that approach for 20yrs in our C320.  Easy to explain to guests, pour 'n pump.  :-)

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/1648089377940.6c3a0af23380881e%40thehares.com.

[bill pittore]

Jeff,

Thanks for the pointers to the switches. I think I might get them.

Bill

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/1648089377940.6c3a0af23380881e%40thehares.com.

[bill pittore]

Jeff,

 When you ordered that plate from FrontPanelExpress did you somehow specify the slight curvature it had to conform to or did you just bend it yourself when you received it?

Bill

On Mar 23, 2022, at 8:51 PM, Jeffrey Hare <cata...@thehares.com> wrote:

Hi,

Just thought I'd share some customizations we made in the head over the winter.

1)  We decided to change the faucet and away from a vessel sink.  We wanted a faucet that would swivel out of the way and a sink that was a bit more accessible. 

2)  On this hull, the head seawater fill and head flush macerator pumps were operated by a single button.  We separated single head intake Fill and Flush macerator pumps to have better control over all that.  There is a more high-tech vendor-supplied control panel that does what ours does (and more), but I thought I'd go a little simpler to start with.  We used FrontPanelExpress.com to make a little aluminum anodized switch plate to handle this.  Check them out if you ever want to make custom panels or boxes for any reason.

3) We also made a new/larger door for below the sink (shown in second pic) but I haven't installed it just yet.  

4) On to the air conditioning install prep work..

<headbefore.jpg>

<headafter.jpg>

Let me say that I'm usually very averse to making any boat changes that are purely preference items that aren't super easy to revert to stock.  In this case, I'd need to replace the short section of the head countertop if I ever wanted to revert to the stock vessel sink.  The solid surface is a little difficult to get unstuck from the fiberglass base and would take a couple of hours in the woodshop to fabricate a new top but I figured out how to do it before I started in.   I'd tweak the shape a bit so that I could gain a little more usable counter space if I ever were to do that.

With all that said, this particular project isn't one for the faint of heart but we think we're happy with the outcome.  Just wish we could have found a white semi-recessed sink instead of just a stainless drop-in.  Looked for months with no luck.

Cheers,

-Jeff Hare

[Jeff Hare]

No, it came flat.  I used the edge of a piece of cardboard to get the aprox radius. Then traced that curve on a small block of wood and cut the curve with a jigsaw.  Then just squeezed it in a vice with cardboard protecting the faces and it worked great.  Didn’t have to be very precise.  Better to slightly under bend than over bend.

 

 

To test/install I put double stick tape on the back of the faceplate and stuck it in place.   The hole for the original push button was the hole I used for the flush button.  I just traced the fill hole and drilled it. 

 

As you could see from the original  pics, I removed the original night light and this plate covered that opening also.  I figured I could use the night light elsewhere if I wanted to but the red flush light is now the night light.

 

One suggestion might be to consider adding a small resistor in line with the LED wire.  I would rather just have it lightly glow red at night.  Don’t need it to be very bright.  I’m really not a fan of Blue lights.  I should have made both red.  But since the switches are socketed, it’s a super easy swap out if I want to.  …And we won’t have the fill button enabled/lit up very often anyway.

 

-Jeff Hare

 

From: catal...@googlegroups.com <catal...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of bill pittore
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 10:00 AM
To: catal...@googlegroups.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/7734C836-BD0C-488A-B9E0-39716DA4166E%40gmail.com.

[bill pittore]

Thanks, that sounds easy enough. When I get the switches I’ll play around with adjusting the brightness.

Bill

On Mar 24, 2022, at 3:13 PM, Jeff Hare <Cata...@thehares.com> wrote:

No, it came flat.  I used the edge of a piece of cardboard to get the aprox radius. Then traced that curve on a small block of wood and cut the curve with a jigsaw.  Then just squeezed it in a vice with cardboard protecting the faces and it worked great.  Didn’t have to be very precise.  Better to slightly under bend than over bend.

 

<image002.jpg>

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/01df01d83fb3%2444e90f50%24cebb2df0%24%40thehares.com.