Cleaning a holding tank

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Continuing on from my appeal for help from Jimi, I've managed to clear the blockage, simply by vigorously wiggling the outlet pipe. Gravity finally did it's job and within minutes, a shoal of mullet moved in for the feast.

Now, I'd like to ensure that the tank is free of sediment. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can pour into it, that will dissolve paper etc?

Thanks
 
I was thinking more in terms of hydrochloric acid or something equally as evil.

Where are you VicS?
 
I'd worry more about limescale than paper. That's what causes us the most problem in our tanks. Bits drop off the sides then block the (gravity fed) outlet.

Solutions for that: muriatic acid, caustic soda, vinegar, kettle descaler, depending on what's available and where you are discharging. Also, importantly, what metals will be exposed, if any.

If your system, like ours, has the head discharging into the tank and then by gravity to the sea, with a seacock to stop the discharge, then bad luck. Fortunately we have escape hatches on our cat adjacent to the outlet so I can blow it back with a handy hose. However the best solution was to fit a Y valve so we can just bypass the tank when we don't need it. Would prefer a better Y valve though - the only ones I could find were Jabsco and not very robust.

Also, flushing more reduces the limescale - it's urine lingering in the system that causes it.
 
Use one of the drain unblockers from the supermarket and ban the use of paper on board .. Just blocks up the works .. You can get paper that disolves in the tank .. You may have to pour the drain cleaner in the top of the tank as it may well disolve the seals on the heads .. Glad you sorted it .. Good day for jobs on board anyway .. P..sing it down here .. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Thank you. Vinegar is dirt cheap (and so am I), so I think I'll close the sea-cock and pump 10 litres into the tank, from the heads. The holding tank is just below deck level, so the outlet pipe probably has a volume of at least five litres.
 
Hydrochloric acid is wot u need. You leave it to soak through the clag, and especially sides of pipes susp[ect to buildup. in france u can buy that, HCl, in spain it is weaker agua ferte, else it is more weedy descaling things. Not-bilological and not-friendly brick cleaner (the hcl is used to dissolve off the spilt mortar) also an option, and available in bigger volumes.
 
Hydrochloric acid is the best thing, but it will rot mild steel and aluminium, only use it on plastic. I bunged some down the lav at home and it worked a treat with a 2 hour soak. It does fizz though so don't go pumping it into a sealed hold tank or the contents could be geography. I've never had one but I presume they are vented? If you are going to fill the tank enough to do up the sides I would give it an overnight soak due to the dilution, it'll work slower.
 
[ QUOTE ]
any suggestions as to what I can pour into it, that will dissolve paper etc?

[/ QUOTE ]Acid and vinegar will work, as has been already noted. But an even more efficient solution to keep your holding tank clog-free is to NOT put any paper into it. It is usually paper and not sh*t or scale that clogs the system. Follow the Greek/Turkey system with a little bag (closable) beside your head where the paper goes. It will save you a lot of un-clogging. Believe me, it is worth the trouble.
 
But.... horrible for the marine environment. If you just stop putting paper into your holding tanks, you don't have to use this nuclear chemical cleaning option. Which btw, still does not always work anyway so you are often left with a horrible manual cleaning option anyway. Cut out the paper and you will have a much easier holding tank cleaning option.
 
hi guys , come on you aint heard of porta poty cleaner /????you know there stuff you put in it, ti cleans and gleams your porta poty .an will keep your tanks also clean and smelling sweet . eats paper and s ... left only with water . no lumps or strange goo ees , works for me so you try sting o dave
 
Sodium Hydroxide is fine for cleaning fat based gunge in systems, hence it's use to clear sink drains and shower sumps where human or cooking fats accumulate.

It is not effective for the Calcium based scale that can build up in head outlets, heat exchangers etc, where HCl (hydrochloric acid) is very effective.

The two products should never be used together.

Calgon will stop the deposition of scale by treated water but AFAIK has very little if any effect on existing deposits.
 
Thank you 'Lady Jessie' for that responce. We don't put paper or anything else thats not past through the body from mouth to bottom the natural way!

Sometimes BIG jobbies have been known to clog things up a bit. You do also get marine growth in the inlet and outlet pipes, It helps get rid of this as well.

As for being horrible to the marine enviroment, all this stuff is so watered down in the sea water it will do very little or no damage. Your anti foul is more toxic! No I don't use any and have very little growth on my boat. What there is, a quick scrub with a hard pad takes it off.

Start moaning to the plastic manufactures and various governments to ban that, and we'll be on our way to cleaner, healthier seas again! Go tell the supermarket chains not to provide them for people, stop buying stuff pre-packed in plastics and polystyrene boxes etc.

Educate women to stop flushing sanitry towels and tampons down the loo, I've spent a happy hour picking these things out of trawl nets and gill nets. You getting my drift?

Are guilty of any of these things? If so how does it fit into your 'But.... horrible for the marine environment' statement?
 
I had similar probs with my tank and gravity discharge so I put a large bilge pump on the outlet, shifts everything.
 
Good point; there are a lot of other nasties being put into the sea as well. I just think it is a good idea to minimize the impact on our immediate environment if we can. I do enjoy my daily swim in clean waters and would like to keep it that way as long as I can. Btw, I do think that caustic soda is far more toxic than modern antifouls, but your point that it is not exactly clean is well taken.
 
[ QUOTE ]
We don't put paper or anything else thats not past through the body from mouth to bottom the natural way!

[/ QUOTE ]'Nauticalia' sells a very nice brass plaque that says "Please don't put anything into this toilet unless it has been eaten first". I find that it helps remind guests of how the heads work.
 
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