Embarassing Question About the Head

[Mike Sibley]

If you're about to have dinner, skip to the next post.

My wife and I just returned from a week long cruise and were discussing the highs and lows. We both agree that there is a problem with the head. Often, solid waste (yes, that stuff) would stick to the wall of the toilet bowl, requiring undesirable operator intervention to coax it down the tube and into the holding tank. Clearly, we would like to eliminate the need for operator intervention.

We are new to cruising and assume that everyone else long ago solved this messy problem. My first thought was to periodically spray the sides of the bowl with PAM, but there must be a better way. Does anyone have any suggestions other than changing to a total liquid diet?

[captain465]

Yes.............flush before using.....it will help to reduce "staining" per the head mfgs suggestion.

[Soft Air]

Keep a small plastic pressurized container full of Pinesol and with that pressure remove the undesirable stuff quickly and leaving a good odor behind.

[Pelagic]

As said before, making sure the bowl is wet, keeping a higher water level sloshing around inside will solve most problems.

Depending on the geometry and your toilet type, some even try to flush during the movement.

For Guests a delicate (but contentious) solution is to advise them to put a small layer of toilet paper in the “strike zone” prior to a #2.

One of the advantages of having a larger boat is that you can install a larger toilet where the strike zone is at the bottom inside the residual pool.

[stevensc]

As Pelagic recomends, we put a cross of toilet paper centered on the drain hole 2 sheets North - South, and 2 sheets E-W. The paper will float on the water and help keep the bowl clean. I first read this system being used by some in hospital bed pans.
Steve

[svHyLyte]

Note that Pinesol may have a deleterious effect on some types of seals. We use CP as a head cleaner. As to the question, we have found that wetting the bowl with a few pumps of water and then giving it a squirt around the rim from a small plastic dishwashing liquid bottle filled with a dilute solution of Salt-Away and water (we keep one in each of the kept in the heads for such purpose) works well. One can also use a dilute solution of biodegradable liquid soap such as Simple Green as well--just something to keep the porcelain “slippery”. After use, we give the bowel a good pumping followed by a little more of the Salt-Away solution which prevents any salt or calcium carbonate build-up on the hoses.

FWIW…

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by stevensc

As Pelagic recomends, we put a cross of toilet paper centered on the drain hole 2 sheets North - South, and 2 sheets E-W. The paper will float on the water and help keep the bowl clean. I first read this system being used by some in hospital bed pans.
Steve

Is that Magnetic or True NSEW and where do you place the compass?

[Badsanta]

I wet the bowl and I keep a trigger pump bottle filled with water and squirt the skid marks. I dont like a toilet brush as it is hard to rinse the brush in the low water level of a marine head.

[slomotion]

If none of the above works, consult the Head Mistress:

SailboatOwners.com - View Profile: Peggie Hall-HeadMistress

[sailcapt]

Go to a garden shop and get a quart insecticide spray bottle, the kind you have to pump up. Keep water in it and play Star Trek with it. (shoot down the kling ons).

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

After use, we give the bowel a good pumping[...]

I appreciate cleanliness, but this is really going too far!

[Tempest245]

After use, you would normally pump the bowl dry.

However, before use ( solid waste) pump a fair amount of water into the bowl.

Also, you may need to flush, fill, and flush again in stages....if you have a large deposit.....gasp!

[MarkJ]

Can I tell you the 'problem' we had a few weeks ago with a guest.

On arrival all female guests are taken by Nicolle to one of our heads and I take the males to the other for a lesson.

A few hours later one of the girls goes to the forward head and ... well... doesnt come out for a while...
Nicolle is busy chatting and doesn't understand my coded guestures....

anyway... time passes, I am below, and a very embarrased girl comes out of the forward head and says she has a problem....

It floats.

It won't go down.


I am perplexed, so I have to get Nicolle....

By this time everyone on board realises there is a problem...

Nicolle tackles the problem....

The guest dies of embarassment while the guys die laughing.......


Mark

[SV Dawn]

We used to suffer the same flushing inadequacy of manual heads. The low inlet flow and poor design was totally frustrating and impossible to explain to guests. Since we already had a salt water washdown system with outlets at bow and stern for deck and anchor wash, we plumbed a sink spray nozzle and hose in the galley for dish prewash and forcing food scraps down the drain. Also we put the same type nozzle in the head and use it exclusively for flushing the toilet bowl while hand pumping the head until clean. No more skid marks! Uses less water (consideration with small holding tank) and its more intuitive for guests. There's a switch located in the head and another near the galley for the pressure pump with a big red light to indicate when pump is powered. Don't ever want to leave the boat with the pump powered!
Andy

[Greenman]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

It floats.

Mark, this highlights a discussion I have with my supervisor regularily.

He says "it" rolls down hill.

I say "it" floats to the top and does nothing but cause problems!

He hates me.