Black water tank / toilet solution

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Gunnar Høie

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Aug 10, 2020, 7:13:11 AM8/10/20
to IW40 owners
Hi all;

Can I ask what kind of toilet solution do you have - and does it work?

Ours is probably the original with the tank under the floor in front of the engine and with an intricate systems of tubes forming water and air barriers.  It does not work all that well - it smells, clogs up - all the usual problems. I have the thought that doing what needs to be done, accumulate it in a tank mixed with seawater, shake it around in 20 degrees C and pump it out offshore or in a facility in a harbour might not be the best of ideas -  but what are the options?  I have looked at compact solutions from Airhead  and others - it looks promising, but I will have to alter somewhat in the toilet  room to make it fit.

Regards, Gunnar / Fiona

PerS

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Aug 12, 2020, 9:11:24 PM8/12/20
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Hi Gunnar,

My installation (original) of the toilet does not include a holding tank.

Hopefully someone with a tank installed have more experience with the issue and can advice.

Although the majority of problems regarding the toilet occurs when not enough water is used when discharging the contents.

Sorry to be of little help.:-\

PerS

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Leo

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Aug 13, 2020, 10:22:56 AM8/13/20
to IW40
Dear Gunnar and Fiona.

I doubt there are any toilets that work "well" on small boats.

In 1986 our IW had a chemical recirculating toilet, with a macerator pump to overboard. Since we were planning mostly ocean passages (and back then the rules were rare,) we installed a Blake Lavac toilet without holding tank. Lately we have been using the a bag+toss technique. Our head is forward and there is not much room for a tank other than in the sail and anchor-chain locker under the forward bunk.

We have had holding tanks on many other boats and they always smell eventually, even the direct hose to overboard.

A drying toilet (or 'composting') is probably our preferred solution, but talking to users there can occasionally be issues:
- separating the liquid can be difficult for ladies.
- dealing with a lot of diarrhoea or vomit can be problematic.
- the exhaust vent deck outlet will provide smell at times and should be properly positioned.
- on long passages dumping the liquid overboard in rough weather is not fun.

Two common drying-head brands I find too tall and made using an unacceptable plastic (matte with coloured specs to hide dirt). But C-Head (www.c-head.com) comes in white and has a lower profile model. It's also cheaper, but has to be ordered from Florida.

The urine container is normally carried ashore or emptied overboard but, some boats pump it overboard (perhaps not legal but at least it has no bacteria and it's not visible).

I would use this kind of pump (sometimes used inside coffee makers, etc.):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160788346648?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Regards,
Leo & Poupette


On 8/10/2020 07:13, Gunnar Høie wrote:

Giovanna Nicholson

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Aug 20, 2020, 4:57:22 AM8/20/20
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Hi could you please remove me from your email list as I did not buy a Iw40. Wonderful boats , good luck with them. Marco 
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