I got a call from a recent customer of mine earlier today who wanted to know how to maintain his toilets on his new boat; specifically, what needed to be done to keep the lines free? His call prompted this posting.
Toilets are an issue we rather not talk about but they are a requirement on our boats for sure. On the Patricia Ann, they have never been a real nuisance but I have heard the horror stories from others. So what can go wrong with marine toilets?
There are basically three type of toilets, the manual flush, the electric flush and the Vacuflush. Manual type heads have valves that need servicing or replacement occasionally, electric toilets have macerator impellers that can fail and Vacuflush heads can have water flow or vacuum pump issues. These are further defined as Type I, II, or III sanitation devices.
But the topic of this article is not the heads them selves but the hoses used with them. Yes, the hoses.
When I am searching for boats for a buyer, one of the questions I ask in my Prequalification Disclosure is how salt-water flushing heads are maintained. The question does have a right answer which is that the heads are treated with Muratic Acid on a regular basis. If I don't get the right answer, I look to see if the heads flush at all.
When salt water is used to flush marine heads, salt water reacts with human urine to create a hard calcium deposit said to be the same material as kidney stones. Over time, these deposits will build up on the interior hose walls much like you hear heart arteries do. Eventually, the passage is so small, little can flow through the line. Now you have a problem! On one boat I know of, the problem was so bad that the hoses had to be replaced.
You can find recommendations online for using vinegar; forget it, vinegar doesn't have the horsepower to do much. Mary and I used vinegar for years but discarded that idea after we began using Muratic Acid. Muratic Acid is a diluted Hydrochloric Acid solution; be careful as it is poison and can cause blindness.
If you have never treated your lines, pour about 2 cups of acid into your head and flush. Be sure you are pumping overboard and not into your holding tank, The acid will immediately began to react with the deposits producing a foaming action back into the heads. No to worry, just check occasionally and if the foam is too high, flush a bit more. It took me 2 gallons to initially treat my two heads on my 40 foot trawler. Now I use a cup or so each month to maintain them clear.
The acid is neutralized by the calcium so there is no environmental concern. If you flush with fresh water, you will not have this issue to deal with anyway.
I hear of people changing over from salt water flushing to fresh water because of the sulfur smells. It's not the water that smells, it's what is inside of your intake hose. I discovered this myself, quite by accident some years ago.
Close the sea cock on your intake side and disconnect the hose. Look inside of the hose. You'll probably find that the hose is lined with a black decaying matter of dead grass and algae. The smell you find from your toilet is from decomposing organic matter which gives off hydrogen sulfide gas.
Marine heads when properly maintained do not smell at all. If yours does, you need to investigate.
Well that's enough for now.
