# Clogged Marine Head



## TSOJOURNER

Just recently purchased a used 35 foot sailboat. When sailing her home, I noticed that I could not get water to pump out of the head. I have no problem pumping water in. And yes, I switched the lever to dry when I tryed pumping it out. I believe that it is clogged as tiny bits of toilet paper have starting floating back into the bowl. The holding tank is completely empty and there is no Y-valve that separates the holding tank from the overboard discharge. 

The question is: "Can I use draino or a snake on a marine head?" Are there any other suggestions besides having to take the thing apart?

Thanks for you help.


PS. The plumbing is not PVC pipe but marine grade plubing hose.


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## Freesail99

I would not use draino, but I would give the snake a shot or two, before taking it apart.


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## roywmoss

Possibly clogged discharge hose-very common to have build-up of hard mineral deposits in hose from combination of saltwater and .... Remove hose and if necessary bang it on dock or better yet replace it.


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## sailortjk1

Damn, I hate it when that happens.
Good luck. I'm glad I'm not in your shoes.
Try the snake: gently and no I would not use Draino (Just like Freesail said).
Remember, your not dealing with Household Fixtures. Draino will most likely deteriorate and damage the hoses.


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## Valiente

You could try a dose of vinegar as well, and then CLR. But I suspect for peace of mind you might just plug your nose and replace the hose so you have a fresh start date for its use.


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## Freesail99

A friend of mine coats the inside of all his pipes with vasoline. He swears it keeps things moving freely ......


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## TrueBlue

I suggest you be very careful if using a snake - particularly extending the metal snake beyond what you can see. Depending upon the make of your head, there is a high risk of damaging rubber components which make up the valves and gaskets.

Try using a manual bilge pump to empty as much liquid from the bowl as possible and begin to disassemble the manual pump - working your way down to the discharge hose and finally, if the source of clogging isn't yet found, to the rubber joker valve at the base of the toilet.


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## TSOJOURNER

You might want to gently try a plunger. I would not use much force. Relacing the hose might be your best bet.


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## btrayfors

Once you get past the present problem, think PRECAUTION.

In over 17 years full-time liveaboard I learned a thing or three about marine heads. After several very nasty clogs of the macerator and other parts, I adopted a very hard policy aboard my vessel:

NO TOILET PAPER OR OTHER MATERIAL IN THE TOILET

PLACE ALL MATERIALS IN THE SMALL WASTEBASKET NEXT TO THE TOILET

Use small plastic bags to line the wastebasket. Guests are told they can use all the toilet paper they want...just ball it up and put it in the wastebasket, not the toilet.

I have signs to that effect in my head, and whenever a new guest or crewmember comes aboard I ALWAYS go thru the proper use of the toilet with them, including the policy of no paper or other material in the toilet.

It's now been over 15 years since I adopted that policy, and I've had no (zero) problems with head clogs.

Bill


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## TrueBlue

Bill,
That's a good policy which we normally use on our boat as well - although only with liquid waste. How do you contend with the wastebasket stench with all that brown smeared TP?


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## sailortjk1

Thats not going to work on my boat, Sorry, I just can't handle it.

Our rule, If it passes through your body in normal fashion its ok. (No pucking in the head) and Marine Toilet Paper Only.


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## TrueBlue

I'm curious tj, is there a no-discharge law on the Great Lakes and if so, how often do you pump-out? 

We sail offshore and dump our holding tank at least once a week during season, leaving the 3 mile confines of Narragansett Bay, which has a zero discharge law. This eliminates the hassle for weekly pumpouts - since we do live aboard during the summer months.


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## sailortjk1

The entire Great Lakes is NDZ.

We spend a lot of time aboard but are not liveaboards. 
Friday to Sunday liveaboards with a couple of weeklong cruises each season.

We usually pump out every two to three weeks. Thats usually sufficient. Never have we had any problems. I do use a lot of the Blue Stuff. I also have found that leaving a little water in the bowl helps with odors. 

When we cruise we are most often docked and try to use the Marina's Facilities. But, more pump outs as required, usually every three to four days if I remember. 1 Wife + 2 Teenage Girls + Extended Periods Board = Frequent trips to Pump out Dock.


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## Neises

Maybe a "clog buster" would work? Hose on low pressure of course.
You can get these about anywhere from hardware to grocery stores. Put it on end of hose & it balloons to seal drain, then water starts escaping at the tip of the balloon & forces clog through.


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## TrueBlue

I have to commend you on your courage tj. Sailing with three females as crew - two with raging hormones, is a test for any man's wits.


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## Cruisingdad

For what it is worth,

We do NOT use any TP in the head, except the marine grade TP(although the RV stuff at Walmart is the same as I recall). Charmin in a marine head is just asking for a clog. The marine stuff (made by Sea land... or at least sold by them as I recall) works well and disolves quickly.

I have never had a problem with it: 1995-2007=12 years. However, that was on different boats too.

- CD


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## JimHawkins

I once saw an RV product that claimed it disolved clogs and was safe for RV toilets, and I think boats too. I don't remember what it's active ingredient was, maybe hydrochloric acid?


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## Valiente

sailortjk1 said:


> 1 Wife + 2 Teenage Girls + Extended Periods Board = Frequent trips to Pump out Dock.


I'm trying to figure out if you are being figurative or literal. All I know is _those things_ better not be found sideways in my Henderson Mark V.


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## sailortjk1

TrueBlue said:


> I have to commend you on your courage tj. Sailing with three females as crew - two with raging hormones, is a test for any man's wits.


Thanks Blue. In all of our years I have had only one Mutiny, and the Captain quickly spoiled that one. I said OK, I'll start the engine.


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## sailortjk1

Valiente said:


> I'm trying to figure out if you are being figurative or literal. All I know is _those things_ better not be found sideways in my Henderson Mark V.


HA Ha Ha...... Never even thought about it. NO, I simply meant we are spending more time aborad when cruising. Believe me they all know the rules. Liie I said, it has to PASS THROUGH your body.


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## Valiente

JimHawkins said:


> I don't remember what it's active ingredient was, maybe hydrochloric acid?


Now there's something you don't want polishing your port hole.

For what it's worth, I have a fairly strict "the walk to the club is good for you and aids planning" rule while at dock. It's easy with a Lavac to go nuts with the pumping and while I have 40 gallons of holding tank, I don't like the fact that it's on the same side of the boat as the A/C unit and the batteries already (I am getting overkill in the battery department for reasons of ballast and trim as much as amphours!). Lavacs are harder to clog and regular TP is not an issue, but when we go to different harbours with different rules, I will review the logic of "fast dissolve".

To extend the idea of "leaving a small footprint", we want to sail "leaving a narrow wake", I suppose, and the idea of upping anchor so we can motor offshore merely to pump the crap out of the boat is not my idea of good planning. It may be unavoidable, particularly at anchor in ecologically sensitive areas, but let's hope judicious use of the facilities will minimize "poop runs" and clogs, both.


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## btrayfors

TrueBlue,

"How do you contend with the wastebasket stench with all that brown smeared TP?"

Actually, there's very little smell. I spray the wastebasket occasionally with Lysol. Also, if you bunch up the TP before you put it in the basket, it reduces the odor considerably. Finally, whenever I detect an odor, I remove the plastic bag, seal it with a knot, and put it in the larger ship's trash. Then, a short spray of Lysol into the trash, and one into the now empty small wastebasket, and bingo....no odor at all. Fit a new small plastic bag to the small wastebasket, and you're done. Total time: less than one minute, start to finish.

Bill


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## TrueBlue

Three fast pages of a poopy topic . . . just before lunch too.


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## Cruisingdad

Or, a better idea is to go poop on your buddys boat. It really saves you all the frustration.

By the way, TJK, there is a sign we have kept on all our boats, it is available through west and others. It reads:

DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THIS HEAD THAT HAS NOT BEEN EATEN FIRST.


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## TrueBlue

To adhere to that rule, wouldn't TP be prohibited from flushing?


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## Neises

You guys are really helping me cope with marine head envy. That little $60 walmart porta-pooper is looking better & better. If it acts up, just chuck it in the dumpster & get a new one.


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## sailortjk1

I've never had any problems.


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## camaraderie

The symptoms mathislaw is describing do not sound like a clog to me. Usually clogs result in back pressure on the pump and he reports no difficulty pumping...just not pumping out. To me that sounds like a problem with the mechanism and a rebuid kit might save the day. 
If there is pressure being felt then yes a clog is the issue...and the advice above can be tried but I would avoid the use of any snake with a spiral tip on it as you can easily damage the Joker valve when it is withdawn.


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## Cruisingdad

TB,

It is like the Colregs. Guidlines, some of which are impractical to impossible for the average yachtsmen to follow (smile). HAHA!

- CD

PS You are assuming the people taking a crap in the head bother to read it anyways. So what if the matchbox car destroys the macerator?? I don;t have to fix it... just poor ole dad... (yes, that has happened).


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## sailingdog

Ummm.. there could be one more explanation... have you pumped out the holding tank on this boat? If it was full, you'd get about the same symptoms.

BTW, IMHO, you don't want to use anything that creates high-pressure on a marine head. That's a good way to blow a hose.... and that isn't what you want to happen on a boat. The snake is also a bad idea, as it can damage pump seals, and possibly damage the interior surface of the hoses in marine head. They're just hoses after all..


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## TSOJOURNER

Thanks for the input.

When I tried plunging the bowl, the water was pushed into the holding tank (therefore no clog existed). So I examined the hand pump more closely and discoverd the seal has cracked, which makes me think that I wasn't getting enough vacuum. I've ordered replacement parts for the pump and hopefully that will work.

Thanks for all the help
I'm new to the forum, but this seems like a great place to get your questions answered.


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## camaraderie

Ta-daaaaaa....drum roll for Cam calling it right!!! Again!!! <g> 
No one ever said I was the Modestrator!!


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## Cruisingdad

Let it never Go without saying:

CAM KNOWS HIS CRAPPER,
AND ITS FLAPPER, 
AND TAKES NO LIP FROM WHIPPER-SNAPPERS. 

SO IF YOUR HEAD IS CLOGGED, 
YOUR MIND IN A FOG, 
LISTEN TO CAM AND NOT THE DOG.


HAHA! I am sure SD will have some kind words for me.

- CD


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## camaraderie

Never let it be said thatyou don't have a good *head* on your shoulders CD!! <lol>


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## TSOJOURNER

Mineral deposits in the hose are a real problem, the hose opening gradually gets smaller and smaller til nothing goes out. Vinegar is good, but a little on the costly side. I like Muriatic acid which is watered down hydrogen chloride. I water it down even more and pump til the entire system is filled. You'll see the reaction with the calcium in the mineral, let set overnight then flush with clean water. I've used this method for over 20 yrs and never had a problem with hoses or fittings.


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## ReverendMike

Ian - I know you said 'no problems with hoses or fittings', but I should point out that Hydrochloric acid (even diluted) can corrode even stainless steel. It *is* great for mineral deposits, and i don't think many head systems have metal exposed to the 'brown water', just be careful about spills. Vinegar is also acidic enough (barely) to work on most mineral deposits, and a lot gentler on metal. (OK, OK you're right, HCl makes things sparkle, just please make sure there's no loose fittings letting it trickle into your bilge....)

Also about the 'brown TP', (sorry but lunch is over) my cruising instructor gave us each a ziploc....


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## Freesail99

While we're on the subject, who makes the best head ? Manual or electric ?


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## TrueBlue

Blake-Lavac makes the best marine toilets in the world. Low maintenace (actually no maintenance), ease of use and very effective flushing with no clogging. We have two onboard - since 2 heads are better.

Downside - initial cost of the units and parts, if ever needed, are expensive due to limited distribution from GB.


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## Valiente

I'll second the Lavac recommendation. My wife didn't endorse buying the new boat until she saw it. Then she started taking off her jeans so she could flush them down it.

(The preceding joke might be a little "inside" unless you own a Lavac...)


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## Duke 7184

The problem may not be the head. It may well be the holding tank. My experience: I had my new to me Catalina 27 for only a few weeks and the head acted up. I could draw water in but the I had difficulty pumping it out. Seemed like back pressure was hold the water in the bowl. Though it had only been a couple of weeks since the last time, I thought it might be the that I needed to empty the holding tank again. 

To empty the tank on the 27 I had to access the pump out connectiom located in the bottom of the anchor locker in the bow. I had tied the anchor locker hatch to the life line to keep it open and was on my knees unscrewing the cap on the pump out connectiom when a gusher (of you know what) soiled me from the wast up. I yelled to my friend who was helping me at the pump out station to hose me down NOW. He was laughing so hard he nearly fell into the water. 

This is a story we laguh about now, but at the time, it was anything but funny - to me.

Oh, what hapened??? The holding tank vent was plugged. With the vent plugged, waste pumped into the tank was compressing the air inside that released when I oppened the pump out connection.

Check the holding tank vent. 
Duke


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