Sinks draining slowly.
- Thread starter EdWard3
- Start date
Hi Ed,
I can not speak to your specific boat, but on my O’Day 322, with a similar drain set up…my drain is slow also. in my case, I replaced the hose over the winter, so I know they are clean. I cleaned the valve while I had it out of the boat too.
I think the reason it runs slow is that the sink drain is not very far above the waterline. So there isn’t a lot of head pressure pushing the waste down and out the boat.
That is my theory anyway. Will watch and see what others think.
Greg
I can not speak to your specific boat, but on my O’Day 322, with a similar drain set up…my drain is slow also. in my case, I replaced the hose over the winter, so I know they are clean. I cleaned the valve while I had it out of the boat too.
I think the reason it runs slow is that the sink drain is not very far above the waterline. So there isn’t a lot of head pressure pushing the waste down and out the boat.
That is my theory anyway. Will watch and see what others think.
Greg
"best you can tell there are no blockages"? Did you run a snake? Plunge it? How could you tell? We keep a small plunger onboard for routine maintenance. I think they are slower than household drains but every boat is different.
Should drain freely. Sounds like an obstruction. If you cannot clear it suggest replacing the hose.
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My boat had "P" traps under the sinks in both drain lines as delivered from the factory. Drainage was slow with a lot of gurgling and belching from trapped air as water drained. I was able to increase the speed somewhat by routing the drains so that there was a continuous downward grade and no uphill grades in between before it hit the thru-hull. May be worth trying.
Justin... they probably were not thinking from a marine perspective.
Slow drains are most likely obstructions.
Goo and goblins growing in the drain hose.
A colony setting up camp around your thru hull.
Perhaps a PO thinking a drain hole should be covered...
They call this device a speed scoop strainer...
Start from the outside in. A vacuum cleaner with the hose attached to the exhaust can supply air to blow out a sink drain. It can also reveal connection issues by blowing air out from beneath loose fitting hose clamps.
Slow drains are most likely obstructions.
Goo and goblins growing in the drain hose.
A colony setting up camp around your thru hull.
Perhaps a PO thinking a drain hole should be covered...
They call this device a speed scoop strainer...
Start from the outside in. A vacuum cleaner with the hose attached to the exhaust can supply air to blow out a sink drain. It can also reveal connection issues by blowing air out from beneath loose fitting hose clamps.
I've encountered both the slow drain and weak raw feed to the engine. In both cases the culprit was marine live setting up shop in the valve body. The top of each valve has a nylon plug. Unscrewed with the valve closed and then opened there was little fountain effect. Using a wooden dowel the valve is rodded out until the fountain happens.. Shut the valve, replace the plug and resume normal usage until the next time...
in our 1985 Catalina 30, all the drains have a water level just below the bottom of the sink. The sinks are just above the water line of the boat. The drains don't empty very fast but will eventually. If your boat is similar, it will never drain as fast as your house drains do.
If you are in an area where barnacles or mussels grow, make sure your thru-hull and lines are clear. If the thru-hull is shared as a drain and inlet, make sure you have not pulled debris into it. In the fall we sometimes get pine needles, leaves, etc. pulled into our inlets.
If you are in an area where barnacles or mussels grow, make sure your thru-hull and lines are clear. If the thru-hull is shared as a drain and inlet, make sure you have not pulled debris into it. In the fall we sometimes get pine needles, leaves, etc. pulled into our inlets.
