How do you keep Toilet pipes clean

[Akapeterc]

I noticed recently when replacing the "Y" valve in my toilet plumbing that the pipes, only 8 months old had a layer of build up in them. Some one told me if you put vegetable oil down your toilet that it helps keep them clean. Has any one got any suggestions on remedies or chemicals to stop the pipes from getting clogged up over time?

 

[Kings Gambit]

White Vinegar, which is acetic acid. I pour some in the bowl ever so often when leaving the boat for a time; pump down into the hoses. Also use it to clean the speed log paddle-rotor when it clogs with worm-test fouling or other. Might work to mitigate.

 

[thinwater]

I did a LONG set of tests (years) for a sailing magazine, with side-by-side holding tanks. The one thing that made build up worse was vegetable oil. While it has some value as a lubricant (annual greasing is better), most autorities will agree it does NOT decrease build-up.

The only cures are:

• Flushing with more salt water. Not just a few strokes, but always enough to clear the line.
• Flushing with fresh water.

Acid cleanings have only limited provable benefit. We wish they really helped, but it takes a lot more than a little vinegar once in a while to make any difference. Urban legend. Try a scaled part in vinegar and prove this to yourself (no fare agitating--this is up a pipe, remember).

 

[Kings Gambit]

You're correct. We do those things as well (several pumps w/sea water each use, and flush system with fresh water at the end of each cruise), PLUS occasionally add the vinegar as well. If there is calcite in the scaling, the vinegar WILL dissolve/erode/degrade it if in contact long enough; even if not completely removing it all. I don't understand oil; with manual pumps, the water in the pump chamber should lubricate the pump shaft if the seal is kept wet. If it (shaft) squeaks, put soap on it and work it.

 

[seadaddler]

Fresh Water

Either use fresh water for all flushing or flush with fresh water after each day
of using the head and the tiolet will last a lot longer with out any problems.
Nick

 

[Akapeterc]

Thanks for all that info

 

[WayneH]

The Admiral and I remember seeing an article about the value of vinegar in cleaning the pipes. The result was "no result even with pure vinegar which you are not going to get with pumping the head down." So we are trying CLR to see if it helps at all. Probably have the same issues with dilution to non-working concentration but we'll see.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Well, here's Don Casey.

"Heads flushed with salt water accumulate scale deposits in the discharge channels and hoses. Scale deposits cause a head to get progressively harder to flush, and it is scale on the valves that allows water in the discharge line to leak back into the bowl. Calcium deposits eventually lead to total blockage, a most unpleasant prospect.

Avoiding this problem is as easy as running a pint of white vinegar through the head once a month. Move the vinegar through the head slowly, giving the head a single pump every 4 or 5 minutes. The mildly acidic vinegar dissolves fresh scale inside the head and hoses. When the vinegar has passed all the way through the system, pump a gallon of fresh water through to flush the lines. "


See link below for more.

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/marine-toilet-maintenance.asp

 

[WayneH]

The Admiral and I remember seeing an article about the value of vinegar in cleaning the pipes. The result was "no result even with pure vinegar which you are not going to get with pumping the head down." So we are trying CLR to see if it helps at all. Probably have the same issues with dilution to non-working concentration but we'll see.

Status Check: We removed all the piping from the head to facilitate a repair job and brought the fittings home. The Admiral dropped the fittings into a pot with diluted CLR in it. The deposits in the first fitting from the head which was a white plastic started bubbling immediately. The Y valve and the vacuum breaker loop which are black plastic showed no signs of action.

After soaking overnight, the white fitting was basically clean but the Y valve and vacuum breaker were still heavily coated. With some mechanical cleaning (toothbrush), we managed to get about 5 minutes of bubbles from the vacuum breaker then nothing. So my conclusion is that CLR is good for keeping new piping clear but an utter failure for clearing old piping.

I don't think I am going to eat anything that comes out of that pot for a while. :naughty:

HEY! WAIT A SECOND! WAS THAT MY TOOTHBRUSH SHE USED TO SCRUB THE VACUUM BREAKER?!?!?!?! ARGH!!!!!

 

[Ron20324]

"...The mildly acidic vinegar dissolves fresh scale inside the head and hoses...."

Glad to see that someone else thinks this. It seems like folks think that months/years of buildup will go away with vinegar treatments. I think the idea that the vinegar be used BEFORE the buildup turns into bedrock would be a lot more sensible.

During one haulout I tried On & Off on the keel to deal with the barnacles. The shells (I suppose being calcium?) disolved rather quickly. I'm not saying do this to your head, but maybe once disassembled???

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

No, it's not urban legend...

A cupful of distilled white vinegar flushed through the system once a week will PREVENT sea water mineral buildup...a splash in the toilet once in a while won't do much good. White vinegar will also dissolve sea water mineral buildup, but it takes way too long to be worth the effort. If you've let your hoses become clogged with buildup, muriatic acid (aka sulphuric acid), sold in hardware stores in a "retail" strength is very inexpensive and will dissolve mineral build up in a hurry without harm to the hoses or the toilet or anything else in the system, but like any acid requires very careful handling...so READ THE DIRECTIONS AND FOLLOW THEM! But like most things, prevention is a lot easier than cure and usually costs a lot less too.

I did a LONG set of tests (years) for a sailing magazine, with side-by-side holding tanks. The one thing that made build up worse was vegetable oil. While it has some value as a lubricant (annual greasing is better), most autorities will agree it does NOT decrease build-up.

The only cures are:

• Flushing with more salt water. Not just a few strokes, but always enough to clear the line.
• Flushing with fresh water.

Acid cleanings have only limited provable benefit. We wish they really helped, but it takes a lot more than a little vinegar once in a while to make any difference. Urban legend. Try a scaled part in vinegar and prove this to yourself (no fare agitating--this is up a pipe, remember).

 

[Allan12210]

Muriatic acid aka hydrochloric acid.

 

[woodster]

Hydrochloric acid is a clear, colorless, highly pungent solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in water. It is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. Hydrochloric acid is found naturally in gastric acid.

Historically called acidum salis, muriatic acid, and spirits of salt, hydrochloric acid was produced from vitriol (sulfuric acid) and common salt.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

My error...muriatic is hydorchloric, not sulphuric, acid.

Good catch, Woody...thanks!

 

[woodster]

Good catch, Woody...thanks!

Peggie the way i read the def you were on the right track

 

[thinwater]

No, vingar is not urban legend used as a very regular preventative. But used as a cure, pretty much useless. I can't imagine wanting to fool with it that often and I doubt many do. For me, increase flush volume is more likely to actually happen!

And I suspect Peggy will agree that flushing veggy oil, while generally harmless, is more likely to cause harm in the form of pump-out problems. And it won't help with scale build-up (I used to do engineering in an oily water processing plant that had scaling problems 100x more sever than any marine system--valves would freeze if not cycled every 8 hours--and the oil definitely did not help! What it did do was clump and plug drains.).

 

[LakeOntario270]

I was just wondering, I use Borax in my laundry to soften water and eliminate odors. Would there be any benefit to flushing some down the toilet after the tank has been pumped out?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Nope

Been tried, won't work.

I was just wondering, I use Borax in my laundry to soften water and eliminate odors. Would there be any benefit to flushing some down the toilet after the tank has been pumped out?