How are you cleaning scale buildup Raritan electric toilet?

[BAD ORCA]

I was having backflow issues on my Marine Elegance electric toilet, so ordered new joker valves and replaced this weekend. When i pulled them i realized the problem was scale buildup on the valves. It wasnt even that much so got me thinking that i should be able to treat/flush the lines every so often to keep them clean instead of having to pull them every year.

Curious if anyone is doing something similar and what is your recipe/technique? How is it working for you? I was thinking of using some Barnacle Buster (phosphoric acid) because i have some on hand, flush a pint or so, let it sit a few minutes, flush another pint, let it sit and flush with clean water. Im not so worried about cleaning the hoses or inside the macerator etc...as much as i am just getting the two joker valves cleaned. The openings in these valves looks fairly delicate and seems easily clogged. I'm thinking cleaning once a month might be a good idea.

recommendations/advice?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Are you flushing with fresh water or sea water via a remote intake pump? If fresh water, are you trying to conserve flush water by using as little as possible, even 'dry' flushing as much as possible? Your answers to those questions will reveal the type of scale.

--peggie

 

[BAD ORCA]

Are you flushing with fresh water or sea water via a remote intake pump? If fresh water, are you trying to conserve flush water by using as little as possible, even 'dry' flushing as much as possible? Your answers to those questions will reveal the type of scale.

--peggie

Hi Peggie. Both. We usually use sea water while aboard just to keep the marine growth to a minimum in the strainer and sea water pump. Definitely not trying to conserve water. If anything i would say we use too much. Usually, i will flush heavily with fresh water before leaving the boat so the sea water is not sitting in the bowl for several days. That being said we are not live aboard so, any fresh water in the lines will sit stagnant for several days before we get back to the boat. I generally try to flush the bowl dry but my discharge line exits the bowl directly up about four feet to the holding tank, so there is always residual water in that line pushing against the joker valve. Here in Los Angeles, our water is on the hard side.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Good that you aren't skimping on fresh water flushing...that results in urine crystal buildup. Plain ol' CLR should remove fresh water mineral buildup...read the directions because it may have to. sit in the plumbing for an hour to work. Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid--available from any decent hardware store--is the best way to remove sea water build up in the hoses and toilet. That can be used full strength, but best to use a 12-15% dilution. It should sit in the plumbing for 45-60 minutes, followed by a fresh water rinse.

The Marine Elegance has a pump that can move bowl contents up to 100 ft, so if you have a controller that offers a dry flush option, it shouldn't leave any water sitting the line. If you bought the toilet with just the basic push button flush, the 3 option "water in" (which should aways be used ahead of solid waste), "dry" flush and simultaneous "water in, bowl contents out" would be a worthwhile upgrade.
A cupful --no more than 2) of undiluted distilled white vinegar flushed through the system once a week will prevent both sea water and fresh water mineral buildup.

--Peggie

 

[BAD ORCA]

Good that you aren't skimping on fresh water flushing...that results in urine crystal buildup. Plain ol' CLR should remove fresh water mineral buildup...read the directions because it may have to. sit in the plumbing for an hour to work. Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid--available from any decent hardware store--is the best way to remove sea water build up in the hoses and toilet. That can be used full strength, but best to use a 12-15% dilution. It should sit in the plumbing for 45-60 minutes, followed by a fresh water rinse.

The Marine Elegance has a pump that can move bowl contents up to 100 ft, so if you have a controller that offers a dry flush option, it shouldn't leave any water sitting the line. If you bought the toilet with just the basic push button flush, the 3 option "water in" (which should aways be used ahead of solid waste), "dry" flush and simultaneous "water in, bowl contents out" would be a worthwhile upgrade.
A cupful --no more than 2) of undiluted distilled white vinegar flushed through the system once a week will prevent both sea water and fresh water mineral buildup.

--Peggie

Thanks Peggie, i'll give those a try. I have the remote flush panel that has four options, including the 'dry flush' option. Unfortunately it leaves a lot of water in the hose. When the old joker valves were not holding back the liquid, i would get over a gallon of backflow liquid back into the bowl even after multiple attempts to dry flush. I wonder if a smaller diameter line to the holding tank might be better in my situation. currently i have 1.5" hose from the toilet to the holding tank, but i know it can use a smaller diameter hose.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I suspect you aren't holding the dry flush button down long enough for all the water to make it to the tank.We can discuss in more detail if you want to.

--Peggie

 

[BAD ORCA]

I suspect you aren't holding the dry flush button down long enough for all the water to make it to the tank.We can discuss in more detail if you want to.

--Peggie

Thanks Peggie. I had some CLR on hand and tried it yesterday. Seems to work perfectly now. Not a drop comes back into the bowl. I will have to add this to my normal maintenance routine.