Black water waste lines

[Rufduck]

I presume that there is a Toilet forum but can’t seem to find it.

I have a pair of electric macerating toilets (Jabsco/TMC). They have white slightly corrugated waste hose. Said hose has a semi hard scale plated to the inside and the 1”ID is now less than 1”. From reading, I conclude it is a precipitate from urine and saltwater.
Couple of questions…
1. Prophylactic treatment: hcl or white vinegar?
2. How much and how often for #1?
3. Short of removing/replacing the suspect hose, is there a descaler that works?
4. Should I presume that the holding tank is similarly crudded up?
5. Suggested treatment for #4?
6. The hose has one tight radius bend (3-4”), predominantly a vertical run, is 1”id and is 6-8ft long. Odor has not been a problem. What hose can/should I use?

I am tempted to say, “Aw, sh*t.” but so far that has not been a problem😉

Thanks for any help, Cheers

[Shrew]

Hoses are a maintenance item, just like on an engine or generator and need to be replaced periodically. Even the very best sanitation hose (e.g. Raritan Sani/Flex Odor Shield) only has a 10 yr against odor permeation.

A good rule of thumb is to assume the sanitation line is original to the boat, because so many people avoid replacing it.

Short Answer: Replace the sanitation lines.

[NYSail]

Replace the hoses. Can’t save years of piss and poop. They permeate and stink eventually, especially older technology. I am a fan of raritan hoses.

Greg

[Steve Lavigne]

Muriatic acid. Get the green labeled stuff from Home Depot that doesn’t put off the terrible gas smell. Pour it in the toilet, then pump it through the lines. I put a gallon through my system a couple times a year. Been doing this for 5 years. Before that, my 3 year old daily used 1” hose with Marine Elegance electric toilet clogged up and wouldn’t flush.

It seems to go inert after it reacts with the calcium build up.

[peghall]

1 & 2. A cupful--no more than two--of distilled white vinegar flushed all the way through the system once a week will prevent scale buildup. Let it sit for 45-60 minute, then follow with at least a quart/liter of clean FRESH water.

3. A 15% solution of Muriatic acid/HCL in water will do it. Again flush it out in 45-60 minutes. If buildup is severe, more than one application may be required.

4 & 5. No...but unless you flush out the tank every 2-3 months, you're likely to have a buildup of sludge on on the bottom of the tank. To flush it out, put enough clean water into the tank via the deck pumpout fitting to cover the bottom to a depth of 6-8"...pump that out. Repeat...repeat...till you're pumping out clean water. There's an easier way if you have a macerator pump and a washdown pump: use the washdown pump to add the water to the tank, turn on the macerator pump while you leave the water running and watch to see when it's dumping clean water.

6. Raritan SaniFlex hose RaritanSaniFlex hose is the only one I recommend now. It's proven to be 100% odor permeation resistant--even has a 10 yr warranty against it--and has the added advantage of being so flexible that it can be bent almost as a tight as a hairpin without kinking (that said, I'd try to eliminate that tight bend because it's a trap for TP and solid waste buildup). It has a list price of about $16/ft...Fisheries (I see you're in the Seattle area and prob'ly know them) has for about $11/ft and sell it by the foot.


You're welcome to give me a shout via email (just choose email instead of PM) if you have additional questions I should be able to answer.


--Peggie

[Smokeys Kitchen]

I do what Peggie says ...

Works well

[Hunky Dory]

I just found out that the RV industry has a product that is used to get rid of smell and cleans crud from holding tanks and dissolves built up paper. You pump out tank put in one packet fill tank with clean water and let sit 12 to 25 hours. They recommend a treatment every 3 months. The product is called Combat. The product is a enzyme and is environmentally friendly.

[sail sfbay]

Ditto Shrew............replace the hose as he indicated.

[Steve_C]

Originally Posted by Hunky Dory

I just found out that the RV industry has a product that is used to get rid of smell and cleans crud from holding tanks and dissolves built up paper. You pump out tank put in one packet fill tank with clean water and let sit 12 to 25 hours. They recommend a treatment every 3 months. The product is called Combat. The product is a enzyme and is environmentally friendly.

I think you may be referring to "Commando".

https://www.walex.com/product/commando-2/

[mickand]

Saniflex hose is the way to go - must be a pun in there somewhere?

[jmschmidt]

I have used a certain type of waste hose for decades with out leaks, smells or other issues. I use them for all drainage; bilge pumps, cockpits scuppers, galley sinks, head basins, holding tanks and direct head discharge at sea (mechanical and electric). In other words, everything but heat exchanger raw water from the wet exhaust system.

They are tough as nails, can be driven over by a car without damage, come in several diameters and have smooth interior walls so a "one inch" one actually has smooth one inch diameter interior walls. They easily slide on to any plastic or metal hose fitting (smooth or barbed). In fact, for above waterline placement, they can actually be twisted into a water-tight position on a fitting such that they don't really require hose clamps. I put hose clamps on them (double below the waterline) mostly to please the surveyors and other boat know-it-alls who recoil in horror when they see my simple and cheap system.

How cheap? Let's just say the price will quadruple if a certain chandlery whose name begins with a "W" finds out and stocks them.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Rufduck

3. Short of removing/replacing the suspect hose, is there a descaler that works?

Sew Clean, by Trac.

-Chris