Cleaning the heads - Ughh

[Dallas]

I am (fingers crossed) due to take delivery of my new (used) boat within the next few weeks. The boat has been on hard standing for almost 12 months and the first thing I noticed - and smelt - was the heads. Although both heads compartments are in excellent condition the actual toilet bowls are filthy and very, very smelly.

Other than get 2 new bowls, does anyone have a good cleaning method. I read somewhere that using harsh chemicals such as bleach is a definite no, no.

Any ideas?


Dallas

 

[ccscott49]

I've heard about bleach aswell, but funnily enough, I use it and it hasn't hurt any of my seals, not in ten years anyway, Flush them thrlough with fresh water, then get in there with some jif on a scotchbrite cleaning pad, and give em' a good scrub, they'll come up ok. Then flush them through with a household type bog cleaner and fresh water, catching the waste in a bucket under the boat, dispose of the bucket down the local loo for treatment at the local sewage works, that takes care of any enviromental problems. I would then pour some more cleaner and water dowm the loo's with the outlet seacock closed and allow it to soak for a few hours, (four pints and a pie down the pub, you deserve it, don't forget to wash your hands???) then open the seacock and flush well again with fresh water! Sweet smelling loo's!

 

[dickh]

If after thorough cleaning as Colin suggests, you still get smells after standing for a week or so, replace all the hoses with the white 'No Smell' type. Then make sure you flush the heads thro' with FRESH water before you leave it for a week. This definately WORKS!!
I have a small plastic container filled with fresh water next to my inlet seacock with another pipe Tee'd off with a ball valve & another length of hose. When leaving the boat I shut off the Inlet seacock, insert the length of hose in the fresh water container, open the ball valve, operate the pump until fresh water comes thro - about 5 pumps, then pump out until the bowl is empty. Close the ball valve, shut the outlet seacock and thats it! Has worked this season every time.

Forget about the inline deodorants you can buy, they don't work, unless you like the nice blue water...

The reason the loo smells is that the sea water is full of organisms and they can't survive in stagnant sea water, so they all die and make the Hydrogen Sulphide smell when you first pump the loo after a week.
Apparently to check if the hoses are permeating smells, get a clean damp rag, wrung out and wipe the outside of the hoses, then smell the rag. If you can smell the pong replace the hoses.
A good (American) website is www.boatered.com/pres/phmenu.htm



dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[Dallas]

Thanks for the quick reply. I think I'll give the chemicals a go; at least for the initial blitz.

Are the 4 pints mandatory? Don’t really want to be testing it before it’s clean...



Dallas

 

[ccscott49]

It's got to be four pints, it'll take two to get rid of the nasty smell in your nose! There is another way of doing this, get SWMBO to do it for you! They're good at those kind of things! Tin hats ON!!
Or just buy two new loos and pipes!! Might be the best bet!

 

[wayneA]

Hi Dallas

FWIW - We had the same problem when we took delivery of our boat, which had been on the hard for 6 months. We just used washing up liquid (anti bio stuff) in warm water. Soaked for a while with the seacocks shut, as ccscott suggested, to loosen the grime and it came up good as new after a bit of a scrub- no smells.

Might be worth a go before using harsher chemicals?

Cheers

Wayne

 

[byron]

Once you have flushed it through add a couple of large tablespoonfuls of cooking oil and flush that through too. This will improve the action no end. Do this about once a month.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[ccscott49]

I've found the old soluble oil from a machine shop, better for it, especially a liveaboard one, which gets lots of use, it lasts better, thats the same stuff they sell in the chandlers for 2.5 squids for a 10cl bottle, its about a fiver for 20litres!