BON DIA wrote:
What's your opinion using raw sea water vs fresh water from storage tank to flush?
*
*Toilets designed to use fresh water use* less of it...use less power...and are MUCH quieter than toilets designed to use sea water.* And, fresh water eliminates sea water odor problems.*
However, you cannot just decide to connect a sea water toilet to the onboard fresh water supply. That cannot be done without risk of e-coli contamination of the fresh water, damage to the toilet, or both and EVERY toilet mfr specifically warns against it in their installation instructions.* ONLY toilets that are designed by the mfr to use pressurized flush water should ever be connected to the fresh water supply.* If you have a sea water toilet and don't want to replace it, your only option is a water tank that's totally separate from the fresh water system,* including the tank vent and fill.
Fwiw, I highly recommend the Raritan Elegance*
Raritan Elegance toilet ...as does everyone who owns one!
Mark, to answer your question...
The average adult uses the toilet 5x/24 hours.* Average flush is .6 gallon...so you need to allow about 3 gallons flush water a day (and that includes VacuFlush if you want to it be trouble free) for each person continuously aboard...or 42 gal/week for a cruising liveaboard couple.**
I read recently that letting water run while brushing teeth wastes 3-5 gallons of water.* Not being one to just believe claims of that sort, I decided to verify it by plugging the water in the sink while I brushed my teeth, which takes exactly two minutes with a Sonicare...measured the amount in the sink, and it was 3.2 gallons.*
To put this into perspective...If you brush twice a day, letting the water run, you can save enough water for two days of toilet flushing by wetting the toothbrush, then turning the water off till you're ready to spit and rinse.
Jay...you said,
I bought one new raritan Sea Era head and converted the other Jabsco using the same devices that came with the Raritan.
*WHAT devices????
*
-- Edited by HeadMistress on Friday 15th of April 2011 02:26:53 PM