Blocked toilet hose

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mick

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My thanks to the poster some time ago who recommended checking the toilet discharge hose for blockages. I've just checked mine and the calcium deposits were so thick I'm surprised anything got through. Needless to say, action will be taken. So, whoever you are, thanks again.
 
You need to flush with hydrochloric acid (brick cleaner in the UK from a builders merchant, Wickes, etc.). In a Jabsco fill to nearly the brim with hot fresh water and add HCl according to the strength in %...

5% strength 0.5 litres
10% strength 0.25 litres etc.

Pump through nice and slowly (with the inlet water valve switched over to pump-out only) and leave for a few hours before flushing through. If the toilet is almost unusable do this six times and you should be back in business for your business....then do it once a week when you use the boat. You will need to lubricate the Jabsco -- a couple of tbspns chip oil after the acid treatment works fine.
 
I suppose you'v taken off the hose to see how blocked it is. There best way to clean them is to bang them on a concrete floor and all the calcium build up will disintergrate and fly out so you have to be carefull where you do this. some of the chemicals are OK to use now and again and I use it to make sure the sea cock is pretty clean opening it now and again and letting the sea water disperse all the gunk. Its the cheapest and best way to clean really badly blocked pipes. Its caused when the heads are not properly pumped through when used, but will still eventually need to be cleaned.
 
Yes, that works but what worries me is damaging the pipe, especially some of the plastic types that could tear. Suppose you damage the pipe and it fails while you are ashore, or in the night?
 
This can be a good temporary measure. On many boats the effort involved in removing the hose makes it worthwhile to replace with new. New hose also goes back in much more easily.
 
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On many boats the effort involved in removing the hose makes it worthwhile to replace with new. New hose also goes back in much more easily.

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Yes, that's just what I intend to do. Thanks to all who replied.
 
Depending on your hose routing, to remove the hose in one piece may be impossible as it will be almost impossible to bend it to extract the hose. I had to cut mine into 3 or 4 pieces and then renew the hose. Replace with proper sanitation hose to prevent smells.
 
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Lemain: You need to flush with hydrochloric acid ... In a Jabsco fill to nearly the brim with hot fresh water and add HCl according to the strength ... 5% strength 0.5 litres ...


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I think my Jabsco holds around 5 litres when full, so these quantities will make about 0.5% in the bowl.

Will this be OK in contact with a brass through-hull and sea-cock? I'd be grateful for a source of these figures.
 
I recently bought 5 kilograms of citric acid for about £18 delivered. It comes in a polythene bag but will fit into a couple of plastic milk bottles for waterproof storage. It is appparently used for making "bath bombs" by which I guess the sellers mean auto-foaming baths. Strange world. Anyway I will try using citric acid in the jabsco toilet from time to time. Citric acid should be pretty hazard free since you find it in lemonade.
 
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I'd be grateful for a source of these figures.

[/ QUOTE ]Me
 
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Citric acid should be pretty hazard free since you find it in lemonade.

[/ QUOTE ]And you find hydrochloric acid in your stomach, and carbonic acid gas in soda water.
 
Hence Ulcers and pain with reflux and heart burn.
Getting back to the point its what ever you find easier to work with. I have a Jabsco Y valve and the hydrochloric Acid started to make the plastic go all tacky and sticky. Citric acids is more a preventative than a cure and helps stop build up of calcium deposits. Everything also depends on how often and how well you pump the toilet.

Yes i have seen sanitary pipe fail and split around the jubilee clip and new ones can take a bashing without splitting or getting realy damaged, We are taking about knocking it hard enough on the floor to dislodge the calcium not beating it to death,
you have to try them out and see what ones the best for you . You can not buy new ones every time you get a blocked toilet and you dont know what damage you are doing if using hydrachloric acid to often or for to long

At least thats by opinion
 
Yours is the first case of any problem I have ever heard of with using hydrochloric. I'm not suggesting that you are wrong...but it would be nice to get to the bottom of it because this is the first 'recorded' case.

I have a Y valve and have no probs. When you say that it got all 'tacky and sticky' was that internally, or externally? Are you satisfied that the problem was the HCl? Are any other chemicals ever used in the toilet -- e.g. Hypochlorite bleach, peroxide bleach, EDTA or other chemicals for your holding tank (hence the Y valve).

Citric acid is quite strong, actually, so don't assume that because it is in lemonade it must be OK. Have you actually been using citric over a prolonged period, or is this a new idea that you are going to try out?
 
I am presuming that it is hydrachloric acid or somthing very similar. Very difficult to tell as it is all in turkish but it is a simple descaler for kettles and smells and acts just like hydrachloric acid. The jabco Y valve was left in a bucket soaking in the acid to get rid of a lot of build up. When I pulled it out and rinsed it parts of it was tacky and left a black residue on my hands, The Y valve no longer works and is stuck in one position. Hence the cautionary tale. It was a fairly new valve

As for vinegar cant get white and brown leaves a very strong smell for some time

Hence my original comment you have to try what suits you best. I always thought that some chemicals and toilet cleaners can damage some parts of the jabsco pump and valves especially ruberised parts therfore we use no other chemicals in the toilet, Incidently the tukish acid what ever it is discolours sanitary pipe if it is left in the pipe to long. It leaves a slight pink colour to it. It can also be used to clean up propellers and shafts from coral worm and whats left of barnacles, anthing made of calcium
 
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I have a Jabsco Y valve and the hydrochloric Acid started to make the plastic go all tacky and sticky

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Nylon perhaps. Nylon is not resistant to strong acids. Not even to weak acids like acetic and citric.
 
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Nylon perhaps. Nylon is not resistant to strong acids. Not even to weak acids like acetic and citric.

[/ QUOTE ]That sounds possible and he has immersed the entire valve in acid. Normally the acid just passes through. We have had no deterioration in our Y valve so far -- new in 2004 but I don't know the make or material as I had it fitted for me.
 
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um, but hcl is sold fairly strong - in plastic containers?

[/ QUOTE ] But not nylon ones!
 
So thats answered a few questions for me as well as the original poster "Thanks Mick!, So how do you tell if its nylon or plastic? and how many parts could be nylon from the time any chemicals enter the bowl to the discharge. Aren't some of the washers from Jabsco made of nylon ? or are the all plastic. Also would it do anything to Blakes sea cocks over a period of time?
 
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