Electric toilets

Thinking of upgrading your boat’s toilet from manual operation to electric? Jake Kavanagh investigates the options available

Upgrading a manually-pumped toilet to an electric version has never been easier. There are plenty of models available to suit all budgets, from a fairly basic Jabsco Economy (around £350) to a super-quiet (52dB) Sanimarin Exclusive Medium (around £1,040).

Some designs of manual toilet can also be upgraded with a macerator in a conversion kit, although the cheaper ones can be quite noisy.

And there is the rub. It is the noise of an electric toilet that gives pause for thought. In the confines of a boat, the racket of some models being flushed can be equivalent to a bow thruster in operation. After all, both involve spinning a set of blades within a narrow tube.

But technology is coming to the rescue. A new generation of quiet flush toilets is hitting the market, and whilst there is still a noise, it is a lot more muted and equivalent to other electric pumps on board. As a result, it becomes background noise rather than a lavatorial alarm clock.

We approached several leading manufacturers to find out more about the electric loo, and how to keep everything flowing smoothly.

Basic design and function

Many boaters will be all too familiar with manual models, which are still very popular due to their low-cost simplicity.

flushing water is pumped in by hand and flushed out the same way, usually into the long-suffering sea but increasingly into a holding tank as regulations tighten.

Manual toilets haven’t changed very much over the years, and many older models are still going strong. There is very little to go (mechanically) wrong, so any repairs or replacements remain relatively straightforward and affordable.

“We have customers still asking for spares for their Brydon Boy models,” says Xylem’s technical advisor David Gray. “Production ceased in 1986, but clearly there are still thousands of them in use!”