Peggy - Using Canola Oil in Marine Toilet?

Feb 11, 2017
34
Hi Peggy, A few of our friends rave about the improved performance of their toilets (Raritan Compact PHII Manual Marine Toilet) when they put just a little bit of Canola oil in the bowl after each use. My wife has tried our friends toilets and now asked me to also start using Canola oil. It does seem to dramatically improve the suction and thus reduces the number of pumps required. Peggy, I was wondering if you have heard about this and would be interested in your thoughts? I am concerned that the Canola oil is likely to introduce other problems as that oil gels or cause problems with the natural breakdown of the solids. What do you think?
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
People have been pouring all kinds of vegetable oil and olive oil down the toilet since marine toilets were invented. The early ones had leather seals etc...and leather soaks up oil, so it made sense...a couple of tablespoons would keep a toilet pumping smoothly for months. Leather eventually gave way gave way to rubber, neoprene and nitril, which doesn't absorb oil, it just washes out in few flushes. But that hasn't stopped people from pouring literally gallons of oil--or worse yet, pricy liquid "head lube" products--down their toilets.
There's a much better way...do it once and it lasts all season: Buy a tube of SuperLube thick teflon or silicone grease (Ace Hardware carries it)--ONLY the thick grease, not the SuperLube spray or liquid. Remove the 4 screws that hold the pump onto the base, lift the pump, stick the tube nozzle into it and put a healthy squirt--at least a tablespoon--into it. Put the pump back onto the base, pump the toilet a few times to spread the grease all over the inside of the pump cylinder and you're good to go for at least 6 months, even longer if you don't use the boat much. Make it part of spring recommissioning and save the Canola oil for salads and cooking.

And btw... the SuperLube grease is ideal for lubing winches, seacocks, y-valves and anything else that needs lubrication. A $6 tube will last you several years.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,400
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
I will add that in my testing for PS of many products and vent arrangements in side-by-side tanks, the only that correlated with increased sludge build-up was adding oil. I makes stuff sticky. There is a reason that it is illegal to pour cooking oil and fat down the sewer; it gums things up and clogs sewers.

I'm with Peggy; skip the grease and lube once a year.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Tonight's (Monday) Baltimore news showed a city sewage pipe of unknown diameter. It was blocked by what they called a "fatberg" : Grease from who know how long the buildup? The clogged pipe resulted in 1.2 MILLION gallons of sewage dumping into the waterway (Jones Falls). But don't pump overboard.
 
May 12, 2004
1,502
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
SuperLube for sure. Always used veg. oil until I spoke with and bought Peggy's book. Going on a year with my Raritan PH II properly lubed and nary a squeak.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
Tonight's (Monday) Baltimore news showed a city sewage pipe of unknown diameter. It was blocked by what they called a "fatberg" : Grease from who know how long the buildup? The clogged pipe resulted in 1.2 MILLION gallons of sewage dumping into the waterway (Jones Falls). But don't pump overboard.
Grease was the least of the problem...WET WIPES are the real problem, creating clogs that are creating havoc in sewer systems all over the world.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/are-wet-wipes-wrecking-the-worlds-sewers/504098/
 
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jwing

.
Jun 5, 2014
503
ODay Mariner Guntersville
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
Just about everything is bad for human bodies. According to those articles, not just canola oil but corn oil and vegetable oil are toxic. And I've read that olive oil ain't that good for us either. Kinda hard to make any salad dressing except ranch (which I hate!) without using one of 'em.
 
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Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Just about everything is bad for human bodies. According to those articles, not just canola oil but corn oil and vegetable oil are toxic. And I've read that olive oil ain't that good for us either. Kinda hard to make any salad dressing except ranch (which I hate!) without using one of 'em.
Seems like there's a saying that says what doesn't kill us tastes bad. Or something like that.
 

jwing

.
Jun 5, 2014
503
ODay Mariner Guntersville
Just about everything is bad for human bodies. According to those articles, not just canola oil but corn oil and vegetable oil are toxic. And I've read that olive oil ain't that good for us either. Kinda hard to make any salad dressing except ranch (which I hate!) without using one of 'em.
Suggestion: try cold-pressed olive oil, or my favorite: cold-pressed avocado oil. Both are health-enhancing. Canola oil (which is highly processed rapeseed oil), corn oil, and "light" olive oil are detrimental to good health (aka: poison). Your body, your life, your choice. Does canola give you so much pleasure that you are willing to risk its dangers?
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
I use both and also grape seed oil when appropriate for the recipe. I don't use Canola oil, but only because I prefer corn or vegetable oil ...I wouldn't refuse to eat something in which it MIGHT be used by someone else.

I must be doing something right...do you know of ANY other 75 yr old who doesn't need a single prescription med?
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,400
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Grease was the least of the problem...WET WIPES are the real problem, creating clogs that are creating havoc in sewer systems all over the world.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/are-wet-wipes-wrecking-the-worlds-sewers/504098/
I worked in industrial wastewater treatment, so I never came across that issue. Good link! Those things are tough. It's sort of an oxymoron, really; if the product can hold together as a per-moistened wipe, obviously it is not going to fall apart in water, and claims of "biodegradable" are irrelevant and silly, since that takes at least weeks and it will only be in the pipe minutes to hours.