Head Hose Scale, Fresh Water Flush

[sailorboy1]

28 months ago I installed a new electric fresh water flush head and replaced all the discharge hoses at the same time. Couple days ago the head wouldn't empty and I found that the hose was blocked with scale.

I was hoping/thinking/dreaming that fresh water flush wouldn't do this, but was wrong. Probably could have prevented it by flushing a lot more after each use, but that becomes an issue in how long it takes to fill the holding tank. So now will put into operation a squeeze bottle with acid to lower the pH to try to maintain below the scaling index.

Just putting it out there.

[ranger58sb]

I think Peggie says the scale comes from uric acid, not the flush source. More flush, probably better... balanced against freshwater and holding tank capacities.

Trac's SewClean will break up the scale. We found treatment was only very occasionally necessary, in our case... like once every 10 years...

-Chris

[Cheechako]

I've not found anything to do much about it. I tried many things... vinegar, acid, etc.... when I took the hose out it was hard to clear even by banging it on the cement dock!
28 months is pretty quick. All I can say is you need to flush a lot to get all water in the hose and the urine out. Determine how many pumps/or how much time with electric are needed and flush that much every time...

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

I think Peggie says the scale comes from uric acid, not the flush source.

Its all from the flush water. All the urine does is change the pH so the calcium (hardness) comes out of solution.

I have spent a lot of months in Jacksonville the last couple of year and the water here is very hard.

[Jim Cate]

SB, some time ago you told me that simply lowering the pH of the waste water would reduce scaling. I was dubious, but decided to try it out. Put a squeeze bottle of white vinegar next to the head and added around 25-30 ml to the remaining water after every flush.

Much to my surprise it has worked! It has been a couple of years now and no hard scaling has been noted... unprecedented in all our years of live aboard cruising.

So, I'd like to belatedly thank you for the idea, and say to all of CF that this simple procedure has worked for us.

Jim

[JPA Cate]

....And I'll add my thanks, too. Because there has been NO damage to the joker valve from this low dose of vinegar.

Ann

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

SB, some time ago you told me that simply lowering the pH of the waste water would reduce scaling. I was dubious, but decided to try it out. Put a squeeze bottle of white vinegar next to the head and added around 25-30 ml to the remaining water after every flush.

I ordered a squeeze bottle yesterday.

[Joli]

We've used fresh water flush for years with no scaling. We're always anchored out so rarely use the holding tank unless we're in a constricted anchorage. We do add cooking oil to keep the joker valves pliable.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

SB, some time ago you told me that simply lowering the pH of the waste water would reduce scaling. I was dubious, but decided to try it out. Put a squeeze bottle of white vinegar next to the head and added around 25-30 ml to the remaining water after every flush.

Much to my surprise it has worked! It has been a couple of years now and no hard scaling has been noted... unprecedented in all our years of live aboard cruising.

So, I'd like to belatedly thank you for the idea, and say to all of CF that this simple procedure has worked for us.

Jim

We put a measure of vinegar down thd head every day. Works well

[sailorboy1]

Well with "clean" hoses and new motor on the discharge pump, because it died during all this, you can really tell the difference in flushing now and a few days ago.

[JPA Cate]

Glad you got it solved, SailorBoy. We don't buy the bottles, use cleaned out Sriracha Sauce bottles, you can throttle them down pretty well.

Ann

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Glad you got it solved, SailorBoy. We don't buy the bottles, use cleaned out Sriracha Sauce bottles, you can throttle them down pretty well.

Ann

Yeah. I didn't have any squeeze bottle laying around and a good lab one was $4 on Amazon with free shipping. Everyone knows how much I like to spend $$$

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well with "clean" hoses and new motor on the discharge pump, because it died during all this, you can really tell the difference in flushing now and a few days ago.

Well the idea that a 2 year old head motor was dead bugged me so I took the old one apart (3 bolts) and pulled it apart. I expected to maybe fine the brushes were worn out and that they could be replaced cheap.

Turns out there was "gunk' in the motor and the brushes were stuck. Cleaned it all out and put back together and that dead motor works just fine. My thinking is that the hose scale caused higher pressure and that forced waste past the seal,

Guess I also now know why a Raritan Elegance comes with the 2 joker valves plus the pump body o-ring and a new seal.

BTW - that pump seal direct from Raritan is $30. A "kit" with the seal, 2 joker valves, an insert for one of the valves, and a pump body o-ring are $38