Cleaning heads pipes!

[rotrax]

We catch washing water from the heads sink and use that for flushing as often as possible. When leaving the boat I put about 2.5 litres of white vinegar in the bowl, pump until the bowl is almost clear and turn off inlet and outlet seacocks. This leaves the white vinegar throughout the system to work its magic.

Since using mostly fresh, but pre-used water, for flushing, the head - an American Raritan - works better. Apart from first pump after standing, no smells either.

Toilet paper is NEVER flushed, we use an IKEA bin affixed to the heads bulkhead with gorilla velcro.

This simple regime works for us.

 

[Mistroma]

Our 2009 vintage heads are still fine. Only pee in the fwd head that's direct to sea. Always 24 strokes to flush and never any build-up. Also have T-piece to allow odd fresh water flush from basin drain. Never any rotten egg smell either.

Aft head to holding tank has minimal flushes. Always avoid peeing in aft head. Some agua fuerte every 6 weeks or so. Changed valve and skin fitting for Marlon a few years ago to be safe. Actually no corrosion on valve or any build up in pipes at all. Only replaced short bottom pipe from tank to make installation easier.

Weekends and hols 2009-2011, 6 months on board each year till COVID. Quite a lot of use

 

[PetiteFleur]

Definitely replace the pipes, although it's a right PITA doing it, the results are well worth it. As mentioned increase the number of pumps as this will work. I did mine last year the outlet pipe was totally blocked, had to cut the pipes to remove them. The original had a convoluted run so I made the run shorter and without any dips in the pipe to collect deposits. I had to drill 2 more holes for the pipe in grp - make the holes much larger than OD of pipe. (I did mine when ashore last winter)and replaced the outlet seacock with Trudesign which is easier to fit and operate.

 

[srm]

Definitely replace the pipes, although it's a right PITA doing it,

When fitting a holding tank I found using the steam pipe from a domestic steam cleaner could keep the whole length supple and the ends soft to easily push over the spigots. Other people on the forum have used hot air guns, but no danger of over heating the pipes with steam.
So much easier than dipping the pipe in a pan of hot water only to have it harden again before I got it on the fitting.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Trudesign fittings don't like drain cleaner even though the stuff comes in plastic bottles. I was trying to clean an elbow (off the boat) and it went tacky and soft. Luckily I had replaced it as I was altering the layout.

Any idea of the ingredients of this cleaner?

You posted this comment in reply to a comment about brick cleaner, which is hydrochloric acid and which is what I was planning to use. But I too have TruDesign skin fittings.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I use HCI quite a lot for various jobs and moist plastics are not affected by HCI but if you know the exact plastic TruDesign skin fittings use you can check it out in any HCI data sheet

My skin fittings and seacocks are all 316 stainless and after over 12 years have seen no ill effect

 

[Never Grumble]

I always brief a new crew on the use of the heads and the number of pumps I expect.

Toilet paper is NEVER flushed, we use an IKEA bin affixed to the heads bulkhead with gorilla velcro.

We adopt a similar routine albeit a stout bin liner under the heads sink. When you explain why and that they own their own blockages everyone is happy.

Finally before leaving the boat I get a willing volunteer to flush through with two or three bowls of fresh water.

 

[Boathook]

Any idea of the ingredients of this cleaner?

You posted this comment in reply to a comment about brick cleaner, which is hydrochloric acid and which is what I was planning to use. But I too have TruDesign skin fittings.

No idea of the cleaner ingredients plus (possibly a drain un-blocker) as it was a few years ago now, but would have been from B&Q, screwfix,, Robert Dyas, etc. I was surprised by the 'damage' it did to the fitting. I was cleaning it to put in 'store' in case I made more changes !

 

[Boathook]

We catch washing water from the heads sink and use that for flushing as often as possible. When leaving the boat I put about 2.5 litres of white vinegar in the bowl, pump until the bowl is almost clear and turn off inlet and outlet seacocks. This leaves the white vinegar throughout the system to work its magic.

Since using mostly fresh, but pre-used water, for flushing, the head - an American Raritan - works better. Apart from first pump after standing, no smells either.

Toilet paper is NEVER flushed, we use an IKEA bin affixed to the heads bulkhead with gorilla velcro.

This simple regime works for us.

Lav paper goes down my lavac but it is the type that 'dissolves' when wet. Pumping plenty of water through after use also helps unless the holding tank is in use.

 

[vyv_cox]

No idea of the cleaner ingredients plus (possibly a drain un-blocker) as it was a few years ago now, but would have been from B&Q, screwfix,, Robert Dyas, etc. I was surprised by the 'damage' it did to the fitting. I was cleaning it to put in 'store' in case I made more changes !

Drain cleaner is usually caustic soda, which has a damaging effect on many plastics. Dilute hydrochloric acid does not attack copper alloys, stainless steel, elastomers or plastics of the types used in marine toilets and seacocks.

 

[Mistroma]

Drain cleaner is usually caustic soda, which has a damaging effect on many plastics. Dilute hydrochloric acid does not attack copper alloys, stainless steel, elastomers or plastics of the types used in marine toilets and seacocks.

I was going to say the same thing. Caustic soda most likely but still surprised it attacked Marelon so quickly. Some acids I used to handle would eat through industrial rubber gloves pretty quickly. Dilute hydrochloric a id wouldn't do anything to items mentioned unless temperature was really high.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Thanks for the replies so far and think will try the brick cleaner option first as got to be worth a try! As said, the pipe runs on the boat are a bit fiddly to say the least!

And if that old pipe splits while you're doing it it'll dump poo filled acid all over your saloon

Luverly

Replace the pipe!!

 

[PetiteFleur]

Definitely replace the pipes, although it's a right PITA doing it, the results are well worth it. As mentioned increase the number of pumps as this will work. I did mine last year the outlet pipe was totally blocked, had to cut the pipes to remove them. The original had a convoluted run so I made the run shorter and without any dips in the pipe to collect deposits. I had to drill more holes

 

[NormanS]

Is it not a bit pathetic to say, "Replace the pipe"? There's nothing wrong with the pipe, it just needs cleaned, and needs more strokes of the pump to stop it happening again.

 

[Baddox]

The TruDesign spec says they are glass reinforced nylon. Nylon is sensitive to degradation by hydrochloric and other acids but should be safe with caustic drain cleaner or sodium hydroxide at user concentrations.

 

[Boathook]

Is it not a bit pathetic to say, "Replace the pipe"? There's nothing wrong with the pipe, it just needs cleaned, and needs more strokes of the pump to stop it happening again.

There comes a stage where the pipe is so blocked the cleaners struggle unless you can also use some form of rods with a brush. On a boat that normally means replacing the pipe as any internal damage caused by the rods with assist the build up of future waste.

 

[Mistroma]

There comes a stage where the pipe is so blocked the cleaners struggle unless you can also use some form of rods with a brush. On a boat that normally means replacing the pipe as any internal damage caused by the rods with assist the build up of future waste.

Yes and you need to go slowly to avoid pressure from gas being evolved. I did a rough calculation years ago to estimate acid needed per metre of hose. The figure was quite large when layer in pipe was closed to blocking it. Wish I could remember but think it might have been 5ltr per metre with pipe 50% blocked. Seems to remember I could only buy 10% str. acid. Really need to do the calc. again.

Not a problem when done every 6 weeks as preventative.

 

[vyv_cox]

Yes and you need to go slowly to avoid pressure from gas being evolved. I did a rough calculation years ago to estimate acid needed per metre of hose. The figure was quite large when layer in pipe was closed to blocking it. Wish I could remember but think it might have been 5ltr per metre with pipe 50% blocked. Seems to remember I could only buy 10% str. acid. Really need to do the calc. again.

Not a problem when done every 6 weeks as preventative.

Yes. When I had a Jabsco Lite toilet it was common for the pump impeller and volute to become coated with scale. It took a lot of acid and a long time to dissolve it. Mechanical methods are by a long way to be preferred over chemical ones with lengths of hose. Regular acid treatment is far more effective than blockage removal.

 

[davethedog]

Well not going to tackle this task until net week one day when the wife is at work and I can make a mess on the boat. If I can remove the hoses I would rather bang them about to get the build up out as they are only about 4 years old and the decent quality hoses that are about 35 a metre to replace!!