Electric toilets

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