Flushing w/Sea Water vs. Fresh Water?

Hayden:

My opinion is that the problem is aggravated when "not enough" water is used to flush resulting in the build up of the uric salts in the plumbing system. We flush with salt water using an electric toilet with a preset flush rate. Eight seconds for liquids and sixteen for solids. I personally use a pee bucket overboard whenever possible.

Bobby

Hi Hayden,

We have always used fresh water to flush... due to issues with growth, tank treatment etc... given the large fresh water tank in he IP and the accessibility to fill it as needed... I instruct crew to fill the bowl with the shower head, dry flush then fill the bowl again 1/2 and dry flush... obviously pump out's need to be done. I can usually get by with 2 weeks or so... depending on use.. obviously

This may change due to accessibility of fresh water

The photos you posted late last year... confirmed for me that the fresh water use is the best way to go for me..

Margo

Margo:

Given the small amount of water that you are using to flush the head there is probably waste being left in the lines after each flush. Give it a season or two and your waste lines will be fouled and will have to be replaced.

Bobby

Hello,

A friend of ours who worked on a sea-going tug, who also did the welding on the stainless bracket that holds one of the pump-out valves on Galileo (see IPPhotos for that post) mentioned to me that on the sea-going tug, on the third shift a responsibility of one of the crew was to flush the entire head plumbing system with fresh water. Sea water and urine seem to combine and form calcium which subsequently builds up and clogs the lines as you experienced.

It wasn't the most pleasant project we have undertaken, but if you got to do it looks like you did a nice job. It would be nice to have some sort of window to be able to monitor the plaque build-up.

Gerry & Larry Rossi

Being in the Navy for 35 years, I knew there was a product used on ships to clean out the lines and keep them clean. Imagine trying to replace clogged lines on an aircraft carrier when they are a hundred or more feet long and made of steel pipe. Anyway, here's a link to such a product. Maybe one of these tablets every so often would do the trick for those flushing with salt water.

www.sciencofast.com/products/tablets/sp-cpt.html

Personally, I flush with fresh water. I installed a three way valve that lets me choose fresh or salt, but I always use fresh while I'm just monkeying around the Chesapeake bay.

Jerry Budnick
Unruly Seahorse, IP-38-181
Solomons MD

Being in the Navy for 35 years, I knew there was a product used on ships to clean out the lines and keep them clean. Imagine trying to replace clogged lines on an aircraft carrier when they are a hundred or more feet long and made of steel pipe. Anyway, here's a link to such a product. Maybe one of these tablets every so often would do the trick for those flushing with salt water.

www.sciencofast.com/products/tablets/sp-cpt.html

Personally, I flush with fresh water. I installed a three way valve that lets me choose fresh or salt, but I always use fresh while I'm just monkeying around the Chesapeake bay.

Jerry Budnick
Unruly Seahorse, IP-38-181
Solomons MD

Hello
I've been using fresh water from the shower head to flush for 1.5 years, seems to work fine but a bit cumbersome and hard to explain to new crew and visitors.

So as and alternative I've spent time drawing up diagrams of 3 way and check valves for our Packet Cat's hand pumped fresh water supply system to plumbed directly into the dry/flush valve on the PHII toilets.The benefit: No more complex instructions and dripping shower head. Liquid on both sides of the hand pump piston, no more "two handed operations. It sounds slick and will work, however.

I've not cut into the system. It's not the plumbing I'm concerned with, I'm just not sure I can eliminate the risk of cross contamination from the chance of "back-flow" of waste water into the potable system.

Land based code call for air gap and back-flow prevention between the two water systems. I don't want to create a problem so I'm looking for ideas

Any thoughts on this?

Just use salt water - way easier, especially if you are cruising.

Bobby
St Lucia

Hello Bob,

Yes I agree, but 3 grand kids and other shore side commitments are keeping us tied to the dock for now. The exception being weekends and short vacations. The system lays unused and hence the raw water lines stay filled with sea water and the first few flushes are "breath taking" to say the least.

Thanks and enjoy St. Lucia. Any volcanic activity?

If dock based the FW is probably a good answer. I would not want to connect the head directly to the FW tank though. Any way you can install a second tank just for the flush water so you don't risk contamination?

When we were dock based we put a quick connect fitting at the raw water input, connected fresh water to it and then ran fresh water through the hoses to keep the first few flush smell to a minimum on our return to the boat.

No volcanic activity here - expect we will get the usual view as we continue North from Montserrat.

Bobby

we have used vacuflush fresh water system without any problems or odors

Paul:

The Vacuflush is a whole different system and the interface with the fresh water is different as well - what boat is the system installed in and did you add it or was it factory installed?

Bobby

Added to ip 35 by previous owner . Had to do a significant amount of work to straigthen hoses and avoid 90 degree turns . After work no more blockage or air leaks( critical to maintain vacuum ) . Works well with no odors and minimum use of fresh water
Paul
S/v tenacious ip 35 146