Head Problems for Peggy

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D

Don

Just had a group out for the weekend on our 92 H35.5. The head got plugged and after taking apart the system piece by piece I discovered the blockage was about half way between the toilet and the tank. Fortunately I was able to borrow a plumbers snake and after a lot of really hard work with the snake was able to dislodge it into the tank. ( A small plmbers snake will now be standard equipment on the boat and hopefully never get any use) Question for Peggy - should I be thinking about replacing the hose between the toilet and the tank. My fear is that with all the jamming with the snake it may be damaged. The other question is do the hoses start to wear and become more suseptible to blockage?
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,966
- - LIttle Rock
No need to replace hoses...

Until or unless they start to stink. The more important question is: what clogged the system? If it was only an "overload" of quick-dissolve TP and solids, waiting an hour would given it time to "melt" without the need to do anything. However, if somebody flushed something they shouldn't have, maybe it's time for some new rules for guests. This is what I did: A small pail with a lid, liners, and ziplock sandwich bags, that lives in your dock locker except when landlubber guests are expected. Then it goes into the head beside the toilet and Instructions to guests then become simple: unless you've eaten it first, it goes in the pail. NO exceptions, not even a toothpick. (You can make a sign to hang in the head if you're really uncomfortable telling them). You don't have to explain what the sandwich bags are for (tampons, and napkins)...unless your guests are real slobs, they'll figure that out for themselves and use them. Just make sure they're in plain sight. When the guests go home, the liner goes to the dumpster with the rest of the trash and the pail and sign go back into the dock locker. You really DO need to explain to guests how to flush the toilet, but a lot of people seem to be uncomfortable even about how to approach that. The easiest way is to make it just another part of your "this is where everything is and how it works" tour of the boat--something you should do for ALL first-time guests, landlubber or not (how many times have we all had to hunt for 10 minutes for the light switch in the head on a strange boat...and finally had to ask?)--when they come aboard. The toilet just becomes part of the "tour," and a LOT less embarrassing for you OR your guests than having to show someone how to flush a full bowl. And by the way...I've always made safety issues a part of that tour.. "Here are the lifejackets. God willing we won't need them, but just in case, here’s how to put one on. The light switches are located...and they work by…. The water faucets work just like the ones at home, but please don't let the water just run, because what's in the tank is all there is. Please don't try to help unless specifically asked to do something, you could get hurt if I zig when you expected me to zag…" etc. It's been my experience that landlubbers are a lot more comfortable aboard immediately when they know a little bit about the boat, how things work, and what's expected--or not--of them. (The above exerpted from my book...see link below)
 
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