Toilet Additives

[Jokani]

Purytec refills are not cheap, and do not seem to last that long.

Looking for alternatives, I came across Urinal Channel blocks, I was thinking of trying these in the inlet filter, but unsure if they would just dissolve away in hours or days?

Anything else that would work in an inlet filter?

 

[Bilgediver]

Purytec refills are not cheap, and do not seem to last that long.

Looking for alternatives, I came across Urinal Channel blocks, I was thinking of trying these in the inlet filter, but unsure if they would just dissolve away in hours or days?

Anything else that would work in an inlet filter?

I think a solution used by some is to tee into the toilet sea inlet from the wash basin drain so it empties out through the inlet. When leaving the boat close the sea inlet and then empty fresh water into the inlet pipe from the wash basin and pump through.

No sea water no smell.

 

[RichardS]

Purytec refills are not cheap, and do not seem to last that long.

Looking for alternatives, I came across Urinal Channel blocks, I was thinking of trying these in the inlet filter, but unsure if they would just dissolve away in hours or days?

Anything else that would work in an inlet filter?

Many threads on this.

I use the lemon urinal blocks in my filter. Zero smells from toilets and each block lasts years ...... literally!

You have to be careful about placement but search for earlier threads for full details.

Richard

 

[LiftyK]

By coincidence I was recently looking through a locker while waiting for heavy rain to stop. I found a set of Lee Sanitation blue block bottles priced at just below £20 for a pack of four. I see they are now £31.52 for four, £7.88 each, so may not meet your criterion of a lower price than Purytec as they are £9 each.

I needed a new T piece and only Purytec was available . To see if the PurytecT piece would accept a Lee bottle, I tried screwing a Purytec bottle cap onto a Lee bottle and it fitted. I’ve not tried a Lee bottle in the Purytec fitting yet but I expect it to work and I can then use my old but unused Lee bottles.

In summary, if you see Lee bottles for a decent price, perhaps at a boat show, this may well be of some help to you.

 

[johnalison]

By coincidence I was recently looking through a locker while waiting for heavy rain to stop. I found a set of Lee Sanitation blue block bottles priced at just below £20 for a pack of four. I see they are now £31.52 for four, £7.88 each, so may not meet your criterion of a lower price than Purytec as they are £9 each.

I needed a new T piece and only Purytec was available . To see if the PurytecT piece would accept a Lee bottle, I tried screwing a Purytec bottle cap onto a Lee bottle and it fitted. I’ve not tried a Lee bottle in the Purytec fitting yet but I expect it to work and I can then use my old but unused Lee bottles.

In summary, if you see Lee bottles for a decent price, perhaps at a boat show, this may well be of some help to you.

There was a thread in the Lounge a year or two ago about loos generally. One of the members who is/was a plumber inferred that blue tablets were inclined to damaged the surface of toilet bowls , if I remember correctly. Personally, I have never used any preparations at all, other than the odd drop of oil to lubricate the pump. I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh our heads smelt when I went down the other day, so I am happy with whatever we do.

 

[[70521]]

I empty 10lts of fresh water down the heads and pump through before leaving the boat. It works for me

 

[RichardS]

There was a thread in the Lounge a year or two ago about loos generally. One of the members who is/was a plumber inferred that blue tablets were inclined to damaged the surface of toilet bowls , if I remember correctly.

I don't remember that comment but it is 100% not true.

Richard

 

[Daydream believer]

I empty 10lts of fresh water down the heads and pump through before leaving the boat. It works for me

That does not solve the problem of sea water in the inlet pipe & the bacteria which developes giving the horrid smell when first used, after it lays in the inlet for a period of time. Does not affect some people & I use my boat often enough to flush sea water through, so, for me, it is not an issue. But for some it is a problem & not solved by fresh water in the outlet because it is a different length of pipe.

 

[pvb]

That does not solve the problem of sea water in the inlet pipe & the bacteria which developes giving the horrid smell when first used, after it lays in the inlet for a period of time. Does not affect some people & I use my boat often enough to flush sea water through, so, for me, it is not an issue. But for some it is a problem & not solved by fresh water in the outlet because it is a different length of pipe.

I'm guessing that the OP's question is prompted by the smell from the flushing water on the first use after the boat has been left. In my experience, it's only on the first use; after that there isn't a smell. If the inlet already has a filter (mine doesn't) then popping a urinal block in it might help, but only if the filter is very close to the seacock.

 

[[70521]]

That does not solve the problem of sea water in the inlet pipe & the bacteria which developes giving the horrid smell when first used, after it lays in the inlet for a period of time. Does not affect some people & I use my boat often enough to flush sea water through, so, for me, it is not an issue. But for some it is a problem & not solved by fresh water in the outlet because it is a different length of pipe.

It's never been a problem for me. Perhaps I use the boat too much?

 

[oldgit]

Was pointed out to me that you can refill those Purytec bottles with the Gel blob bog cleaners that stick to the side of domestic bog bowls via an applicator.
Cost around £2.00 a pop as opposed to £8.00.

 

[Bilgediver]

It's never been a problem for me. Perhaps I use the boat too much?

Maybe you find nice clean fresh water in a river to stop the night.

 

[prv]

In my experience, it's only on the first use; after that there isn't a smell.

Same. I just lean into the heads compartment and give it a few pumps as part of my opening-up procedure, along with turning on the gas and batteries and putting away the binnacle and instrument covers. By the time anyone actually wants to spend time in the heads for its intended purpose, the first-flush smell has long since dissipated.

Pete

 

[sfellows]

Was pointed out to me that you can refill those Purytec bottles with the Gel blob bog cleaners that stick to the side of domestic bog bowls via an applicator.
Cost around £2.00 a pop as opposed to £8.00.

What's the applicator?

 

[[70521]]

Maybe you find nice clean fresh water in a river to stop the night.

All of my sailing is done at sea so finding a fresh water river every night would be a 'challenge'.

We flush the heads out at the end of every trip. The next trip is going to be about 60 days, the heads will get flushed when we finally stop being underway as part of the deep clean.

 

[johnalison]

I don't remember that comment but it is 100% not true.

Richard

I’m glad to hear it, even if it is 75% not true.

 

[Jokani]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I'm going to try the urinal blocks in the filter, it will be cheap, quick, and easy to see if it improves things, and if one last for a month or so, I'll be happy.

 

[RichardS]

I'm guessing that the OP's question is prompted by the smell from the flushing water on the first use after the boat has been left. In my experience, it's only on the first use; after that there isn't a smell. If the inlet already has a filter (mine doesn't) then popping a urinal block in it might help, but only if the filter is very close to the seacock.

I don't think the distance between the seacock and the filter is relevant as the seawater between those two is just seawater and it's not going to cause a problem.

The smell arises in the trapped seawater in the inlet side of the toilet pump from the small amount of fecal matter transfer from the outlet side of the piston to the inlet side. What happens is that with every pump some of disinfectant is flushed through from the filter to the pump. When the toilet is being flushed regularly it's not doing much but, as soon as you leave the pump alone, that disinfectant in the water left in the inlet side of the pump kills the bugs so they cannot develop the smell. The next time you use the pump, which could be weeks or months later there is no smell as there is no fecal transfer is the pump is not being used.

The relative location of the seacock, filter and pump won't make any difference to the efficacy of the system.

Richard

 

[RichardS]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I'm going to try the urinal blocks in the filter, it will be cheap, quick, and easy to see if it improves things, and if one last for a month or so, I'll be happy.

It will work fine but take care if you have a Jabsco inlet strainer as it has very small outlet holes in the flat face of the strainer and if you put in the block with a flat face against the outlet ports you will find that you cannot operate the toilet pump and someone will force it. You therefore need a curved block face next to the pump outlets.

If, when you operate the pump, there is any resistance, the block has flipped. I avoid this by using two blocks side by side so they cannot flip but you will need to experiment depending upon your design of strainer and the shape of your blocks.

Richard

 

[Bilgediver]

All of my sailing is done at sea so finding a fresh water river every night would be a 'challenge'.

We flush the heads out at the end of every trip. The next trip is going to be about 60 days, the heads will get flushed when we finally stop being underway as part of the deep clean.

The Headmistress will move you to the top of the class