Airhead composting toilet for 31-2

[Daniel Hoffman]

I've replaced the hoses and the next step would have been to replace the tank. A couple of boats at marina have the Nature's Head, but it is too big. At the Annapolis Boat Show, I saw an Airhead model and it's almost four inches less deep. That will work. 

In our conversation a couple of years ago, some Pearson owners mentioned installing Airhead composting toilets.

Running the vent hose, which side is best for the crank, and how to center it are the most important decisions. It looks like the comfort seat shouldn't be a problem because there is space in the back.

Does anyone who installed an Airhead have any advice?

Daniel Hoffman 

Fourth and Goal

Pearson 31-2

[Agostino Nigro]

I installed one on my 31-2 and so far so good! I built a platform that bolted down using the old heads holes and then screwed it into that. It does fit quite nicely onboard and is easy to use.

[Daniel Hoffman]

It came out well and looks good.

I see that you put the crank on the right, and got the two gallon liquid tank and the comfort seat.

Is there still enough space to shower?

Where did you run the vent to?

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[Alptraveler]

Looks good. I contemplated a compost'r for my 31-2 but got weirded out as to getting rid of the contents. I am in the Great Lakes. Exactly how do you rid of the contents(legally) when reservoirs are full? How many days does it hold; poop or pee? 2 women on board, we can't easily go overboard.  Do you openly carry the reservoirs when at a marina to dump somewhere? I can say I have NEVER seen anyone walk to the dumpster or bathroom carrying a reservoirs to dump....at least openly. Maybe they are doing it at night???
Are you going to cap that intake hose properly? I assume the project is not complete since you have paper towel stuffed in the hose?
Do you really use the shower? We have had the boat 5 yrs and have never used it. We either jump in the lake, wash cloth wash or walk to the bathroom....again, fresh water. Honestly, I don't think I know of any sailors in our area who actually use their boat showers. Power boats,yes.

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[Daniel Hoffman]

I haven't removed all the hoses from my boat either. But certainly will. 

I use my shower all the time. I fill the sink while waiting for the water to get hot, get wet with the shower, and or just scoop it out, then use the sink water for my washcloth. I "pre-rinse" with it, using a paper cup, then a final rinse off. It takes just over two gallons total. Washing dishes is my largest use of water by far. 

I've been using a laundry soap bottle for pee for years. It goes into the brackish river. My brother's boat has a Nature's Head and he puts the composted materials into a paper bag and throws it in the trash. It's absolutely not a big bucket of poop. He does it in broad daylight and it is legal. The pee isn't. It's sterile, but a bit gross. 

The poop container reduces poop to compost and lasts a long time, but that depends on usage. Two people using a boat on weekends could probably go a whole season. Poop is mostly water. It's not nasty at all when he opens the bucket. He has a Catalina 34 and they have a bigger head than the P31-2. 

The critical thing is to remove moisture from the, um... "solids". Some vent it to the anchor locker and some through the deck. It requires a pretty big hole and I don't want to run hoses in finished areas. The AC was bad enough. Composting toilets need to seperate liquids and solids or they won't work. 

Here's their propaganda:

https://airheadtoilet.com/composting-toilet-functionality/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAlsy5BhDeARIsABRc6ZuukVR_IwNGO-uqr8hVTdiEFR0rY1qHBb4cxsYnsyLuT-Y5xv_k1ZIaArW2EALw_wcB

Dan (the other one) 

Fourth and Goal

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[Michael Cyr]

Airhead for 4 years in my P33-1. I would never go back to a blackwater tank.  Yes, I walk thru the marina with the full capped pee tank.  For emptying the poop bucket, if you use enough organic matter, its not that unpleasant.  I dump it into a black plastic garbage bag and into the dumpster. If it happened to get full during a cruise then the bag would go into the towed dinghy until the next marina/dock visit.

I have a friend with another P33-1 that did the 5 gallon bucket setup with a 3d-printed pee diverter.

Mike in Maine

[Daniel Hoffman]

To keep down the posts to the whole group, I'm responding just to you.

My biggest concern is how to run the vent and fan.

Do you mind sharing how you solved that challenge?

Dan
Fourth and Goal

On Tue, Nov 12, 2024, 7:11 AM Agostino Nigro <austi...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Agostino Nigro]

I ended up not running the vent and fan and have yet to run into any issues... I read somewhere that someone else did not have any issues and my airhead is barely used for #2 so I have found 0 issues thus far. The toilet is fantastic at separating solids and liquids so I have not ran into any issues of over moisture in the toilet. 

Additionally yes that photo was indeed old and I had not completed it yet.

[Alptraveler]

Dan, I think this was meant for someone else. Tho I have a 31-2,1988, I opted to replace my holding tank, replace all hoses, increase the size of my vent and install a duck valve in my loop vs the compost. As mentioned before, I just do not know anyone or have seen anyone ditch their composting in the Great Lakes area. Not saying it does not happen but we have a dime a dozen marinas with pump out stations. It is illegal to dump in our waters and that is the 1st thing they look for when boarding our boats. Out y valves must be locked off at all times. Trust me, I seriously looked at your set up. I even researched if it impacts the resale value. What I surmised, at least in the Gr Lks, it turns people who are family or newer to boating off vs a traditional head. Doesn't matter, we made our.decision.and are living with it. Vikki

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[Michael Cyr]

Dan, Not sure who you meant this for but in my P33-1 I went straight up along the bulkhead forward of the head. Made a proper size hole in the cabin ceiling inner liner and the cabin top deck with a hole saw.. Sealed the core with epoxy. I think I had to also seal the gap between the head liner and the real deck. Then put a wind-powered venturi type vent over the top. On the inside I used the provided fitting for the provided fan.  I ran the power for the fan along the back of the vent, secured with some wireties and used some male/female bullet style crimped electrical connectors to easily disable the fan in the winter.

In Agostino's picture I would just run the vent up the bulkhead on the left of the head if possible.

If thinking about not installing the vent and fan.. I would rethink that. These aren't really "composting" toilets.  That is, they don't primarily rely on aerobic bacteria to break down the material. They are "desiccating" toilets. They reduce odors by drying out the material. The fan is essential for that. 

On Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 5:22:59 PM UTC-5 rp51...@gmail.com wrote:

[Daniel Hoffman]

Thanks Michael.

I am going to run the fan. I know people who complain about composting toilets stinking and they, or those whom they know with one invariably haven't run the vent.

It would be easy to run the hose from the fan up to the right side, facing the toilet, where the discharge hose is, and up to the deck under the lifelines. I'd have to remove the mirror and cabinet and put it back in order to attach the fan and it's fitting.

What holds me back is that holes by the toe rail worry me. I'm not that aggressive a sailor, but I have had waves over the bow. Maybe it's not so bad.

I could easily get into the chain locker and just enlarge the old hole for the pumpout. Airhead lists that as an option. I wonder about the desirability of that because of throwing chain and rode on top of it, but it may be the best option .

Running along the ceiling in the head to get to the top of the cabin would block the shower curtain and I do use the shower.  It could go aft and across to near the mast, exposed in the main cabin. That would work.

It could be run all the way aft to the cockpit. What could possibly go wrong with that?

Dan
Fourth and Goal

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[Daniel Hoffman]

Oops! I thought my email would only go to Augustino.

[Michael Cyr]

LOL.. There is definitely some odor out the vent right when it's being used.  

Yeah, I wouldn't put the vent on the side deck or anywhere a lot of water flows. Come to think of it, I had to run mine about 6" inboard of where the vent pipe travels vertically from the head in order to get into the cabin top. I think I started a bend about 6" below the ceiling. 

 No shower in my boat.. nothing to interfere. If your mast is deck stepped be careful about cutting into any deck support to the sides of the mast. Venting out the transom could work.

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[Daniel Hoffman]

Thanks Vicci. 

It's a hassle getting a pumpout where I am. I replaced all the hoses and still needed to change the holding tank. I decided not to get another tank where I run the risk of the fittings not tightening in the needed place and leaking from being too loose or breaking from overtightening. 

I tried to reply only to Austin, or Agostino, which got spell checked. Oh well. 

Boating is always a matter of tradeoffs. I'm glad to hear that you are satisfied with your decision. I don't hope to get much of a resale value from my boat, but was pleasantly surprised to just see that they are listing for about what I paid for mine. They did look nicer. My cabin sole is terrible and the dodger and bimini are set for replacement. I do have a refrigerator, although not the most perfect setup, and an AC/heat pump, which are both nice. July and August are brutal on the Chesapeake.

Dan

Fourth and Goal 

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[Daniel Hoffman]

Ah. Thanks, Agostino, for letting me know about how you did it. Your installation looks great. For me, the #2 is the issue. I have been using a handy laundry soap container for the other because I don't want to pumpout at least once a week and we don't have a pumpout boat that comes to us. If we did, I'd just replace the holding tank. 

I'm getting the smaller liquid tank because using the shower is important to me and that extra space matters. It's a shame that the neatest way to run the vent would be right under the lifelines. I agree with Michael Cyr that it's too wet a location there. The anchor locker is a place that also could get very wet.

Fortunately, our masts are keel stepped. I'm inclined to run it up behind the mirror to a 90 and then into the upper cabinet above the starboard setee and out across the top of the cabin and along the bulkhead aft of the shower to about a foot from the mast. I have to wait until getting back down there on Monday to look and ensure that such an approach won't interfere with all the lines. There has to be a clear area there somewhere. Maybe I can build a box to cover the hose and fan housing. Fortunately, the hole would be directly alongside the forward part of the mast. A low profile stainless vent that I could step on and won't snag the jib sheet would work. It would be nice to be able to close it when washing the boat.

Dan

Fourth and Goal 

[Daniel Hoffman]

Progress has been made, but it has a tradeoff of being a potential trip hazard.

The Vetus vent, linked below, is closable from rain tight to watertight, but it's a bit large. 

The tape on the stick in the photo is 7 inches from the toerail. That's the width of the vent. It's tapered, so might not be so bad. 

Dan

Fourth and Goal 

https://www.mauriprosailing.com/us/product/VTSUFO2.html

On Wed, Nov 13, 2024, 5:47 PM Michael Cyr <micha...@gmail.com> wrote:

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