We have been
living aboard for five years and today, when I replaced a Jabso Y-valve in the head/holding tank
plumbing, I found it to be more than half obstructed with crystal buildup (see picture). I had noticed that the manual
Lavac head was getting harder to
pump and I now assume the hose between the
head and the valve is similarly clogged.
Conscious that crystal buildup in hoses is a common problem with seawater systems we had followed all the usual suggestions (vinegar, 20 pumps, etc.) but it does not seem to have helped that much.
Does anyone have an opinion as to whether descaling with muriatic (HCl) acid will solve this or does the 12' hose need to be pulled and replaced? I'm sure this will destroy the nitrile valves in the pumps but this would be a lesser evil than replacing that hose.
Thanks.