e26-2 head re install

[wings26]

Hi there-
So, my 84 26-2 has had the head and holding tank removed and replaced with a porta potty. I am going to replace the head setup back to a stock configuration. There isn't much wiggle room in the cabinet where the plumbing lives. Any chance someone out there has a 26 that they can get some shots of how this was routed? Thanks!​

 

[Loren Beach]

Choices and Hoses

There is a diagram from WM in this prior thread and the system of valves and hoses with the most options was common on Ericson's in the 80's. That's a lot to cram under your head counter.
Truly it would help to see some photos from sister ships.

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?6251-New-Holding-Tank-Piping-amp-Valves

 

[Glyn Judson]

Ronco holding tank.

Dear friend, The tank removed from your E26 and what was in our E25+ in addition to our present E31, all share a common sized tank that Ronco still has the plates for. I actually ordered a replacement tank from them for the E31 but it was so long ago, that for the life of me I can't remember what model number it was. I can tell you that it is has a 13-gallon capacity which limits it to a handful of Ronco tanks. If the bottom tray is still in your boat, measure that and calculate the vertical height and you'll have zoomed in on the correct tank. Mind you, the tanks are spun without any holes in them and only after that are the fittings spun in causing both to melt and essentially weld themselves into one seamless and water tight piece. I'd recommend finding another E26 owner who will allow you to measure their tank and make notes as to what sized fittings, go where. It aint hard, trust me. GLyn Judson, E31 hull #55 Marina del Rey CA

 

[Alan Gomes]

Hi there-
So, my 84 26-2 has had the head and holding tank removed and replaced with a porta potty. I am going to replace the head setup back to a stock configuration. There isn't much wiggle room in the cabinet where the plumbing lives. Any chance someone out there has a 26 that they can get some shots of how this was routed? Thanks!​

Hello, Wings. I also have a 1984 E26-2 and would very much urge you to consider going with an MSD porta potty. This is a unit that can be plumbed for a pump out and/or overboard discharge through a macerator or manual pump, as the case may be. I highly recommend this setup, which I did based on the recommendations of Peggy Hall, perhaps the world's expert on marine sanitation.

The Thetford 550P will fit in the E26-2 head compartment. It has a 5.5 gallon built-in holding tank that is readily plumbed with a standard-sized discharge line and also a vent line. Because of the miniscule amount of flush water required for a porta potty, you would need to have a 25 gallon or so conventional holding tank to equal the effective capacity of the 550P. I have mine set up with an electric macerator pump for overboard discharge when 3 miles offshore. The 550P is utterly reliable, so you won't need to worry about rebuilding the pump. And I have no problem with odors. The porta potty is removable from the boat without much fuss should I ever need to do that, in order to give it a "deep cleaning" or what not. But I am careful to rinse out the tank with several buckets of fresh water and that keeps it all good.

The only caveat is that the plastic brackets for holding down the head that came with the unit are flimsy, so I went with a metal bracket a friend of mine had fabricated for me. I could furnish you pictures of my setup if you wished.

Getting rid of the hideous bladder tank that was in my boat when I bought it was the first and best thing I did when I got the boat. I've been utterly happy with this setup and for a boat 30 feet or less I absolutely recommend it. It will open up storage space on a small boat like ours, which is always in short supply, and overall is simple to install.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[toddster]

One possible issue with reinstalling to stock configuration is that marine sanitation hoses have evolved over the last 40 years. The modern ones won't bend around the same radii that some of the older and cheaper (and more easily permeated) ones did.

 

[jarnold67]

Yes it is a tight fit - plan a-head (pun intended)

Best of luck on the head reinstall. When we did the gut remodel of our 26-2, I pulled out the toilet and the holding tank. When I went back in with the new system, I minimized the amount of flexible hose and instead plumbed the system with PVC pipe. Yes, PVC isn't known for its flexibility or ability to handle bending loads, but I was able to enlarge the opening in the wall under the sink between the head and the holding tank pit and kept the stresses on the pipe to a minimum.

The only hose that I have is connecting the toilet to the PVC pipe and from the PVC pipe to the pump out port. I put in two unions and ball valves between the holding tank at the pipe leading back from the toilet and to the pump out so that if I never needed to, I could remove the tank. As I kept the overboard discharge as an option (in hindsight, I should have taken that out and it would have made the installation much easier). I kept the existing Marlon valve at the overboard through-hull and installed a ball valve just upstream of the pump out port to seal the system.

It took time to come up with the correct plumbing layout but now I only have to fight with a small piece of sanitation hose from the toilet to the PVC pipe. The short run adjacent to the pump out port is routinely filled with a diluted solution of bleach that goes down to the PVC ball valve.

If you are interested, I will get some photos of the arrangement. Unfortunately I only have photo documentation of the "before" condition.

 

[alcodiesel]

Thanks Alan. Noted and logged for future reference: Thetford 550P "I highly recommend this setup, which I did based on the recommendations of Peggy Hall, perhaps the world's expert on marine sanitation."