Full of shite!

Onyva

Onyva

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14 Feb 2005
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103
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La Vendée, France
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Anyone know any easy ways of unblocking a holding tank? Ours (normally) works on a gravity basis (it's fixed in a cupboard behind the loo) but no longer.......Loo works fine when seacock is open....the bowl also pumps out when switched to holding tank but not sure where to! Am dreading it - this is my first blocked loo and it's full of poo!
 
"" bowl also pumps out when switched to holding tank but not sure where to !""

Well if it isn't the bilge we assume it is going into the tank.

Are you unable to empty your holding tank ? is that the problem ?

One of the problems that used to occur with 'dump-thru' toilets, such as used on narrowboats etc, is that the solids can form a pyramid were the pipes discharge into the tank.

Have you tried flushing only water into the tank and then pumping out ? Try adding a bio-tablet or several to dissolve the contents, no guarantees but it might help.
 
Yes Brian - that's the problem. Holding tank, up until now very reliable, will not now empty so assumed it's blocked. Whilst we have not yet spotted it (with our eyes) we think there is some sort of holding tank overflow somewhere. We have certainly "spotted it" with our noses!

Think we will try some bio tablets though....will they harm hoses and stuff at all?
 
In admittedly warmer climes, I have:

- Prodded a straightened coat hanger from the outside of the boat into the holding tank outlet

- Used a domestic drain clearing pump on the outside of the holding tank outlet (swimming like hell upcurrent afterwards)

- Fitted a dinghy pump to the ventilation tube of the holding tank and pumped until the pressure in the tank forced the waste blocking the outlet to go out.

All of these worked for me.
 
First problem I had on my BAV 32 was a blocked holding tank, I tried everything including the pump out at the marina which failed, I endend up buying a hand pump and pumping it in to a 5 gallon plastic drum, took a few tanks and very unpleasent.

Since banned anyone from dumping on the boat and bog roll, not too popular with any females that go out on the boat and they often run up the pontoon upon arival at marina.
 
Whatever you do, first STOP pumping the toilet into the tank!!!! Then you can try unblocking it! It's going to be a very messy job!! Paper disposable overalls, try and cover everything in the area, rubber gloves, goggles etc. How to actually achieve this, I dont know without looking at the system. Maybe time to get a sanitation expert out!!
 
The following has worked a couple of times for me.

1. If you've pumped up the pressure in the tank. Leave it for 24 hours or so.

2. The system should leak a little here and there, particularly the valves on the loo, and

3. you may find that some of the crap leaks back into the bowl, so bail this out - don't for heaven sake pump again. You want it to de-presurise to release the blockage from the mouth of the tank outlet. Along with the depresurisation there should be some breakdown of the solids.

4. Then use the dingy pump mentioned above. Dive into the tide and get a grew member to pump while you hold the hose in the skin fitting. ( flippers help you hold it firmly in the hole ) Keep your mouth shut and pray.

Good luck.
 
Had same problem with the boat we bought last year. Partially cured it with the liquid used in 'porta-potti' caravan loos, which dissolves solids (they do an eco-freindly version. Pumped it in after each weekend's sailing and the motion of the boat on the mooring sloshed it around in the tank all week. Allowed us the rest of the season, without having to dismantle.

Took the tank out over winter and discovered:

1) the tank and all the main pipes were almost totally blocked with limescale. Pipes' internal diameters were reduced to less than HALF ! Tank weighted a ton. If you live in a hard water area, this may well be a factor (our boat was based on Grevelingenmeer)

2) Tank breather was blocked.

Cleaned up, re-installed. All working fine now.

Mind you, we still leave the boat with some gloop in the tank after the weekend, just to be sure.
 
Had this in Greece last year. Apparently, the 'limescale' isn't, it's something from the stuff in the trank. Anyway, it can form concretions on the tank sides, which then flake off and cover the exit drain. !st attemt cure: dinghy pump in the breater outlet to pressurise the tank and try to blow out the blockage. Obviously, a bit rissky for hoese etc. Eventually cleared with a s/s lifeline unthreaded and fed up the outlet from beneath the boat. When it goes, you know about it! Out of water like cork from bottle....
 
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