Heads unblocking ?

B

Boo2

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 Jan 2010
Messages
8,606
Visit site
Hi,

Sorry, know this has been done almost to death but I blocked the heads (Lavac Zenith with manual pump, installation pic below) the other day - symptoms are that I can pump down a couple of times but then the pump goes hard and if I persevere I can see trickles of foul water start to appear. Obviously I'll blow one of the pipes off if I try harder so some other strategy is called for.

B&Q (convenient for where I live) sells a pipe and drain cleaning coil, see here : http://www.diy.com/departments/rothenberger-pipe-drain-cleaning-coil-l137m-t40mm/139427_BQ.prd but this is only 1.37m long and I wonder whether that will be enough ?

Can anyone who has experienced this themselves tell me where I can expect the blockage to be in the pipe run ? Will it be in the pump or the pipe near the outlet ? Or the heads outlet pipe ? Or... ?

I have bought a toilet seals kit (and actually have a spare Henderson MK4 pump, but not the specific sanitory version) but obviously would prefer to attack the problem in one go, so any advice as to what is required would be much appreciated.

Should say I'm on a swing mooring so no mains power available.

Thanks,

Boo2

heads.gif
 
Last edited:
I would start at the joker valve , it's the easy bit to get too if it not there then it's in the pipe some where I wouldn't bother with that wire it maybe the pipe is blocked over time and now the bore is very small , Its not a nice job , I know haven to had to do it may times over the year , but I would just take the pipe out and then give it a good smack over some thing hard , that way you clear the whole pipe .
Just one thing before you do all that , this is silly but you have opened you sea cock
 
Bet the outlet pipe has limescaled up and some tissue is blocking it. Have tried lots of ways to avoid the obvious, but there is only that way.

Remove the outlet pipe. Replace with new. It is possible to waste (!) a lot of time trying other methods, but....

Top tip, regular doses of dilute hydrochloric acid keeps the limescale at bay and the pump clean.

In Spain known as Aguafuerte, think its brick cleaner in UK.

Last weekend had to repair broken bit in Henderson pump. Was fairly clean inside from regular dosing.

Beware, the new Henderson Mk 5 with the new feet that are supposed to fit, doesn't!!!

Happy plumbing.......
 
capnsensible said:
Bet the outlet pipe has limescaled up and some tissue is blocking it. Have tried lots of ways to avoid the obvious, but there is only that way.

Remove the outlet pipe. Replace with new. It is possible to waste (!) a lot of time trying other methods, but....

Top tip, regular doses of dilute hydrochloric acid keeps the limescale at bay and the pump clean.

In Spain known as Aguafuerte, think its brick cleaner in UK.

Last weekend had to repair broken bit in Henderson pump. Was fairly clean inside from regular dosing.

Beware, the new Henderson Mk 5 with the new feet that are supposed to fit, doesn't!!!

Happy plumbing.......
Click to expand...
I doubt its the pipe as the OP has been doing a major refit of his boat
 
" but then the pump goes hard "

Based on that I would say between the pump outlet and the seacock. I had to get the same issue when SWMBO lost a J-cloth down the lavac when cleaning.

The time before last when I was on the boat I put neat HCA down the Lavac as recommended by sailorman and it has worked better than ever before.
 
I'm a fan of Lavacs but they too can be blocked by calcium in the outlet pipe ( and even the outlet seacock). I changed one pie once on one of our past boats where the outlet pipe was reduced to under half inch bore. Don't use drain cleaning snakes, I once watched our neighbour use one on his pipe, removed and laid on the pontoon, it started rotating wildly and jerking around so he asked his pretty young new wife to hold it still, she had on a very fetching white blouse and whooosh all of a sudden it is spattered in brown stuff. Some justice perhaps as it was the new wifey that had put kitchen towel down the loo and that was the final straw to block it.
 
Last edited:
mjcoon said:
I've only encountered them a few times in decades of charters/flotillas. With the more usual pattern it's easy to do "flush and brush" to get rid of sticky bits. But how do you do that with a Lavac when the lid is held down with the suction?

Mike.
Click to expand...
our basin drains (via a 2 way valve in the inlet) into the lavac so its very easy to break the vacuum
 
mjcoon said:
... With the more usual pattern it's easy to do "flush and brush" to get rid of sticky bits. But how do you do that with a Lavac when the lid is held down with the suction?
Click to expand...

Patience (and a bit of prising when that wears thin), after all what else do you have to do all day ;)
 
It really is impossible to say. My order for unblocking: -

1. Large screw driver to try and clear blockage at the bowl outlet, just at the turn of the bowl. Usually you can see paper / turd peaking round. Pick away at it and then it frees off and evacuate as normal.
2. Get in the dinghy and ram the wire coat hanger wire (that everyone should have in their tool box) up the outlet. I have bent the tip of the wire 180 degrees around pliers to make a hook. Pick away.
3. Open up the hatch on the pump and inspect inside for turd and paper. This is rarely successful because the turd and mix either blocks off at the outlet or inlet. You have to shit a spectacular amount of turd and used about 4 bog rolls to fill the pipe volumes. It may have turdy paper bits, just clean that out and check for any matchsticks and such like.
4. Toilet discharge pipe next as that is usually easier to remove. Undo pump side and try and pick out paper bits with coat hanger hook or break up. Failing that disconnect from toilet. Usually you will get a whoosh of turd and paper so have a basin ready.
5. Last but not least the out let hose. I always remove from the sea cock first as that is where it will be clocked.

If your seacock has a baffle over it, get rid of it, it shouldn't but I have had this with a plastic insert of a sanitary towel making a perfect seal. Where the rest went I have no idea

Table spoon - vital. On occasion you have to chase turd bits around the bilge and a spoon is good for scooping them up, ladles and dinghy bailers less so as they always slosh about in awkward areas.

Warning - turd that is masticated or broken down by jabbing has a phenomenal surface area compared to compacted turd. This allows the smell to be increased exponentially. Seriously, a cloths peg on the nose works wonders.

Bleach - essential. You really need to clean up well, irrespective of whether the disaster scenario has been realised or not. You do not want to get ill on another trip because you have picked up a faecal transmitted illness.

I hate Dieppe as I spent the whole afternoon in there fixing a blocked toilet and chasing turd with a spoon. When folks say Dieppe is a shit town, I agree.

All the best.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top