Tip for the Awful Job

[rebel heart]

Yes, yes I have done that job.

Rebel Heart - Sailing, cruising, liveaboard blog and website - Eric's Blog - Head install weekend is over,successfully.

Rebel Heart - Sailing, cruising, liveaboard blog and website - Pictures - Head installweekend

Which is why I'm going to put in a nature's head composting toilet in a few months.

[rebel heart]

Here's a picture of all the tools (which had to be sanitized) and the complete wreck of my/our life that occurred on the two day odyssey of installing a new head and putting in new plumbing.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Been watching the weather conditions in the channel today, not sure I would have rounded Portland Bill though. Bramblenet in the Solent gave F7 and the channel bouys higher.

Pete

Portland Bill was interesting today. Steep, steep, almost vertical seas, rearing up above you, as high as the first spreader.

[Foster's]

Tis me the crewman that dealt with the awful toilet! Ah well all done now, pints down the hatch! Was an interesting few days toilet wise! We had a brilliant trip to Poole today. We both enjoyed it alot!

[ty.gregory]

rebel heart, I would be very interested to hear your review of the Nature's head composting toilet!

[motion30]

This happened to me sunday morning, hot july day, new girl friend She says the head will not flush, hey can I make you breakfast? Sure I will eat as soon as I fix this yea sure . bottom line... 4 hours later 1'' hose completely blocked with buildup never did eat but did take a 10min shower

[CalebD]

I have done some 'head work' on my own and other peoples boats. Since I have a high gag reflex to the expected odors the first step I like to do (ALWAYS) is pump out the tank(s). On a healthy head the suction can go right back to the bowl of the head and should clear out most of the nasty 'rivers of ****' material. This only works of course if there is a pump out station handy.
Another trick is to have a bottle (or 2) of the Raritan bacterial tank treatment 'KO' handy is it makes the worst smells smell more like cherries, if for a short while.
Sorry you had to go through this but thankks for sharing.

[Bash]

What you may not want to hear at this point is that my second experience with clogs followed closely behind my first. This was because so much salt deposit had crystallized in the lines that they were suddenly too narrow and clog-prone. The bad news is that the second time this happens is just as disgusting as the first.

Give your sanitation lines a dose of white vinegar (or a mild acid, as previously suggested) and hope for the best. Better yet, switch to macerating toilets that flush with fresh water.

[Kettlewell]

Like the idea of a pumpout, if it is handy. I now have a composter so haven't dealt with all that in eons. In the day, I had a couple of things that helped. One was a full-sized household plunger, the deluxe kind that creates a tremendous push. If that won't blow through a plug, nothing will. Second, when the inevitable happened and I had to rebuild something I put on my bathing suit and removed the toilet to the stern platform or some suitable place outside the boat. Do the unclogging/rebuilding there--never inside the boat! You might have to remove a length of hose with the head in order to contain the clog until you get the whole thing outside or ashore. I can vividly remember doing this on the stern platform in a gorgeous anchorage in the Virgin Islands.

[sabray]

I have tried not to tell this story. I worked up at Hoods yard years ago. Along comes this knock dead beutttey of a wooden boat.Were up spiling in new planks and loving all that is boats. The crew who was living aboard on the hard neglected some system requirements. With out pump out facilities and a need to get down below the holding tank they ruined the moment. Using wet dry Vacs they had a go at the holding tank. While trying to digest the sudden petina that was wafting about I noticed herr caiptain dumping the vac into the drain in the parking lot. ughhhh Just another bad story about toilets aboard and another vote for sea clear. Great idea using the pumpout to clear the system. I wonder if a on board pump and closing the vent could double as a system to do the same.

[SvenG]

Need I say more ?



-Sven

[sabray]

where are the mind numbing agents?

[Bill Lee]

I inherited someone else's clog. Our first boat passed all surveys, sea trials, and my check on all systems. After we were out for a while we noticed that despite macerating (in Canada and more than 3 nm from shore, at speed and yes, with an ebb tide away from land), the head was becoming more difficult to pump. Its a saltwater flush with a hand pump. After the smell was becoming noticeable and the pumping REALLY tough, I checked the holding tank (normally a rectangular box). It had swelled up like a balloon and was a giant sphere - it was so huge that I was afraid it would explode just by my looking at it. There was only one way I could then think of to release the pressure (I was absolutely new to boating) - yep - I unscrewed the "WASTE" deck plate. WHOOOOOSH - SH*T on my face, clothes and only on me. Got pumped out - thought the problem was solved. Nope - one more deck plate pressure release. I couldn't find any service person anywhere whop was prepared top deal with this issue. I finally convinced my mechanic (a personal friend) to at least help me (after the last pressure release) remove the holding tank although why he stood around to watch was beyond me. We took it out and then it was up to me to check and clean it. I put some water to slosh it around and that's when my mechanic would kick the tank so I got an extra whoosh of water up the tank and onto me. Question answered. To make a long story not so longish, someone had thrown some walnut shells into the toilet and that created the blockage. My advice - at the first sign of trouble, pump out, check your tank, remove it if necessary AWAY from 'friends'. Cheers,
Bill

[Tellie]

Man I remember those days. Not sure if the valve was the joker or me. Just cleaned out the composting head again today on my boat after two months, could have gone longer. A ten minute job with no more than a slight musty smell and I'm good for another two to four months. Where the old holding tank used to be sits a new EU2000, 250' of 1/2" rode, 5hp merc, 2gal. of 2/cycle oil and sail covers. Why in the world anyone would own any other type of head on a boat is beyond me.

[FxdGrMind]

Oh man, these stories are nothing. I recently helped a fellow sailor fix the head on his sailboat, again, I say, you got nothing.

Now, imagine working in College as apartment maint person.... getting a call after a long holiday w/e... with the resident saying. Our toiled stopped up Friday night.... and it's Tuesday morning. Yup they continued to use it.

What was the clog... a potato that their little 3 yr old tired to flush Friday afternoon. No snake in the world is going to cut through that, you have to dig it out with a knife... yup by hand... and yes the toilet had to come out first...

Ok.. maybe that was a little much to share here....