Snake in my head

[Pete Redburn]

Dear Peggy, I've just finished running a plumber's snake through the clogged hose that exits from the head to the holding tank. I ran it through ten or fifteen times and never succeeded in completely getting it through all the way; however, when I packed the hose with a shore supply water hose and blasted it, I got a large amount of a calcific material that looked sort of like oyster shell, and the water ran fairly free, but the snake still wouldn't completely make it all the way through. My question is: Is it possible this "shell-like" material is lime or calcium or salt...or what? And could I be successful clearing the residual with something like lime-away, or vinegar, or what? I don't want to put anything in there that would harm the rubber or neoprene parts. Thanks, Pete

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

It's a combination of...

Calcium carbonates and urine crystals...I've seen it reduce a 1.5" hose to 1/2" in a year. Once they've really hardened in the hose, about the only thing that will desolve 'em is muriatic acid....and unless you know what you're doing with that stuff, I don't recommend it. I know of some sailors who periodically remove the hose and beat it on the dock to knock all the crystals loose...but IMHO, if you're gonna go to the trouble to remove hose, it makes more sense to replace it than re-use old hose.Prevention is the key...flushing the head long enough to push the bowl contents all the way through the system and rinse the hose after it instead of quitting as soon as the bowl is empty...and a cup of white vinegar down the toilet once a week.

 

[Dan Ebert]

Peggy~Vineger and K.O.

Peggy,Is white vinegar o.k. to use with the K.O.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

White vinegar is compatible with K.O.

Vinegar isn't a chemical, it's fermented fruit juice--the stage after wine. It'lowers the pH level, but doesn't "disinfect"...won't hurt a thing.