I am going to replace my sanitation hose. We will be decomissioning our boat for winter storage next week. Can I remove the sanitation hose and leave it off for the winter to air the boat and then replace it in the spring? Do I put AF in first and then plug holes to head and holding tank or what? I have Peggy's book, but I didnt see anything related to this.
sanitation hoses
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I wouldn't
If you air it out, where is the smell going to go? Into your boat cabin, cushions, liner, etc. I'd leave 'em on until you are ready to replace.
If you air it out, where is the smell going to go? Into your boat cabin, cushions, liner, etc. I'd leave 'em on until you are ready to replace.
I think he wants to take all the hoses off the boat
I've never heard of anyone doing it that way, but there's no reason why you can't. Otoh, there should still be nice weekends--nice COOL weekends--after your boat is out, so why not just go ahead replace the hoses now and avoid the spring "rush." Besides...since the boat will be closed up all winter, I don't know how much "airing out" will occur, but at least you'll have removed the source of odor from permeated hoses. Wether you only remove the old hoses or finish the job this fall, take all the cushions etc off the boat and let them "air out" at home. Pump out the tank and then THOROUGHLY flush it out to remove any sludge. After you've removed the hoses from the tank, use a wet vac to remove the remaining water in the tank and put threaded plugs--which you can get from any hardware store--in all the tank fittings. If there's no water left in the tank, no need for antifreeze in it. If the toilet is pumped dry and no hoses connected, you shouldn't need any antifreeze in it either.
I've never heard of anyone doing it that way, but there's no reason why you can't. Otoh, there should still be nice weekends--nice COOL weekends--after your boat is out, so why not just go ahead replace the hoses now and avoid the spring "rush." Besides...since the boat will be closed up all winter, I don't know how much "airing out" will occur, but at least you'll have removed the source of odor from permeated hoses. Wether you only remove the old hoses or finish the job this fall, take all the cushions etc off the boat and let them "air out" at home. Pump out the tank and then THOROUGHLY flush it out to remove any sludge. After you've removed the hoses from the tank, use a wet vac to remove the remaining water in the tank and put threaded plugs--which you can get from any hardware store--in all the tank fittings. If there's no water left in the tank, no need for antifreeze in it. If the toilet is pumped dry and no hoses connected, you shouldn't need any antifreeze in it either.
re:sanitation responses thanks and one more ?
Thanks, I get the hint. Better do it now while it is cool. Must be pretty disgusting. I didnt think it could smell much worse than it already does. Is it urine or feces or both that permeate the hose. We don't poop in our head. (at least not yet) but our boat was first a charter and then had another owner before us. ps. I'm a she not a he. One more question for now, we use fresh water to flush. Why do black and green particles enter the bowl when we dry pump? Is there something else I need to clean? We are new to the 34 had a 22 last year with a porta-potty . Lots to learn....
Thanks, I get the hint. Better do it now while it is cool. Must be pretty disgusting. I didnt think it could smell much worse than it already does. Is it urine or feces or both that permeate the hose. We don't poop in our head. (at least not yet) but our boat was first a charter and then had another owner before us. ps. I'm a she not a he. One more question for now, we use fresh water to flush. Why do black and green particles enter the bowl when we dry pump? Is there something else I need to clean? We are new to the 34 had a 22 last year with a porta-potty . Lots to learn....
The black and green particles...
Some time before you closed the intake seacock, some kind of animal or vegetable--most likely vegetable--sea life got sucked into the intake line to die and decay. Usually it gets into the channel in the rim of the bowl, but prob'ly in your pump too if you see 'em when pumping in the dry mode. The whole system needs to be very thoroughly flushed out. As for what stinks...urine can stink just as much as solid waste...it's organic matter too. So there's no reason to avoid flushing solid waste, 'cuz when ANY organic matter is left to sit in an anaerobic environment--which is the condition of the inside of the hoses--it generates gasses that stink. Which is why it's very important to rinse out the hoses with clean fresh water before the boat sits. Closing the seacock and flushing by pouring water into the bowl is not the best thing for the toilet pump...'cuz what's in the bowl only goes through the bottom of the pump...all the rubber parts at the top of the pump stay dry and therefore wear out faster. A very simple solution: tee the head intake line into the head sink drain line. Flush with sea water...it doesn't make a bit difference in the tank whether you flush with sea water or fresh, only in the hoses when the boat sits. To rinse all the sea water out of the system, close the sink drain seacock...fill the sink with clean fresh water...flush the toilet. It will pull the water out of the sink, rinsing all the sea water out of the whole system--head intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl AND the discharge line. If you insist on flushing with fresh water all the time, keep the sink drain seacock closed...run water down the sink to flush the toilet. Or better yet, install a 5-6 gallon UNvented bladder...connect the fill to the sink drain line using a y-valve (since there's no way it can put the boat at risk, even a $3.95 garden hose wye will work for this application)...connect the head intake line to the bladder. No other plumbing needed. To fill the bladder, run water down the sink with the y-valve open to it. To use the sink, open the y-valve to let it drain out the thru-hull. You say you're new to marine toilets and tank maintenance...I suggest you check out the link below...it'll take to you a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" manual that should help you solve the problems you already have and prevent new ones. It also includes some tips that should make replacing hoses a bit easier and a LOT less disgusting.
Some time before you closed the intake seacock, some kind of animal or vegetable--most likely vegetable--sea life got sucked into the intake line to die and decay. Usually it gets into the channel in the rim of the bowl, but prob'ly in your pump too if you see 'em when pumping in the dry mode. The whole system needs to be very thoroughly flushed out. As for what stinks...urine can stink just as much as solid waste...it's organic matter too. So there's no reason to avoid flushing solid waste, 'cuz when ANY organic matter is left to sit in an anaerobic environment--which is the condition of the inside of the hoses--it generates gasses that stink. Which is why it's very important to rinse out the hoses with clean fresh water before the boat sits. Closing the seacock and flushing by pouring water into the bowl is not the best thing for the toilet pump...'cuz what's in the bowl only goes through the bottom of the pump...all the rubber parts at the top of the pump stay dry and therefore wear out faster. A very simple solution: tee the head intake line into the head sink drain line. Flush with sea water...it doesn't make a bit difference in the tank whether you flush with sea water or fresh, only in the hoses when the boat sits. To rinse all the sea water out of the system, close the sink drain seacock...fill the sink with clean fresh water...flush the toilet. It will pull the water out of the sink, rinsing all the sea water out of the whole system--head intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl AND the discharge line. If you insist on flushing with fresh water all the time, keep the sink drain seacock closed...run water down the sink to flush the toilet. Or better yet, install a 5-6 gallon UNvented bladder...connect the fill to the sink drain line using a y-valve (since there's no way it can put the boat at risk, even a $3.95 garden hose wye will work for this application)...connect the head intake line to the bladder. No other plumbing needed. To fill the bladder, run water down the sink with the y-valve open to it. To use the sink, open the y-valve to let it drain out the thru-hull. You say you're new to marine toilets and tank maintenance...I suggest you check out the link below...it'll take to you a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" manual that should help you solve the problems you already have and prevent new ones. It also includes some tips that should make replacing hoses a bit easier and a LOT less disgusting.
I bought the book
Thanks for all of the info. I did buy the book, used the saran wrap this season - (Believe it or not thought of this one myself) Next stop, the hardware store for a gas mask
Thanks for all of the info. I did buy the book, used the saran wrap this season - (Believe it or not thought of this one myself) Next stop, the hardware store for a gas mask
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