Macerater Issues

[Sarahr]

We have a pump out loo with a macerater, this weekend the loo kept blocking, after some persuasion with a stick it worked this happened twice over the weekend. I suspect we will have to take the horrible contraption to pieces to investigate the problem. Does anyone have any helpful tips apart from the obvious wearing of rubber gloves!!! Do the maceraters wear out? Could the fact that the tank needs emptying be a factor ( we could not do it this weekend as there was a work boat blocking the facility this weekend) in case it matters the loo system is an Actana super flush marine prestige. Any helpful comments would be much appreciated!

[angeldust]

I suspect that a large part of your problem might be related to a full tank.

[Sarahr]

I suspect that a large part of your problem might be related to a full tank.

I did wonder if that was the problem we are going to pump out this weekend when we next go to the boat and see if that helps it's just that we have not had the problem before, maybe the tank has not been this full before!

[cuthound]

Have you been regularly descaling it? If not they are prone to jamb.

 

I use these:

 

http://www.unifloproducts.co.uk/product/174-unicleanse-crystals-pump-de-scaler-cleaner-300g-e-4-tubs

 

Edited for autocorrect induced nonsense.

Edited July 6, 2015 by cuthound

[bottle]

Yep! agree it is probably because it is full.

 

If you do have to get down and dirty, try to flush many, many, many times, it will not clear it but it will reduce the .... left in the system.

 

Also have plenty of rag or similar to soak up any possible, leakage as you dismantle it.

 

Oh! and don't forget to wash your hands afterwards

[jenevers]

I hope it just needs a pump out but........ Sometimes the macerator blades can get fouled with human hair over time ( like a prop gets fouled with weed). Then I'm afraid it's fun time, dismantling and cleaning the blades. You may need new gaskets before reassembling and LOTS of toilet roll to soak up the inevitable leaks during dismantling.

We have a rule aboard.... No combing hair in the bathroom and toilet lid always down when not in use. Dismantling once is more than enough!

[Phil Ambrose]

As said, likely due to tank being full (hopefully) or it may be due to macerator blade being clogged or the whole shooting match being clogged up with scale. Scale can build up in the pipework too.

When I had a macerator in our previous boat, i would as a matter of course dismantle it and the pipes to de-scale it once a year.

Phil

[John V]

My macerator has only had to be stripped down once in 15 years and that was when someone (who had better remain nameless) dropped a small sample perfume bottle down the loo and then tried to flush it GRRRRRRRR!!!! the only other occasion when it appeared to be giving problems was quite recently but that proved to be seriously blocked pipes. The scale was so thick that a 2.25" pipe only had a hole down the centre the size of a pencil !!!

[cuthound]

My macerator has only had to be stripped down once in 15 years and that was when someone (who had better remain nameless) dropped a small sample perfume bottle down the loo and then tried to flush it GRRRRRRRR!!!! the only other occasion when it appeared to be giving problems was quite recently but that proved to be seriously blocked pipes. The scale was so thick that a 2.25" pipe only had a hole down the centre the size of a pencil !!!

 

How can you prevent the pipes from scaling up? I would think that the descaling crystals or fluid wouldn't be in contact with the limescale in the pipes long enough to dissolve it.

[John V]

The only thing I have been told about that might help is (providing you have flexible pipe) is to go along and hammer 7 bells out of it every now and again (mine was originally solid but has now been replaced with flexible........I'll let you know if it works in a few years time )

[KJT]

On the subject of de-scaling, I use this on a regular basis.

 

http://www.leesan.com/index.asp?m=3&cat1=35&cat2=44&p=120&t=LeeScale+Green+Descaler+%281+litre%29

 

It seems to do the job very well. Our macerator toilet has been in use for 13 years now.

 

Ken

[Drayke]

If you do have to take the toilet system apart make sure you have a wet vac available. Before you take it apart try taking the pipe off of the waste tank and put the wet vac on this end of the pipe, making sure you get a good seal, turn it on then do a dry flush (evacuation) on the toilet, this should suck out any waste in the pipe work.

 

Fred

[Phil Ambrose]

The only thing I have been told about that might help is (providing you have flexible pipe) is to go along and hammer 7 bells out of it every now and again (mine was originally solid but has now been replaced with flexible........I'll let you know if it works in a few years time )

Exactly John, my pipework was flexible sanitary hose and when I first had the problem, like yourself found the bore to be greatly reduced and that's when a big rubber mallet came into it's own. I made it a annual event not to relieve boredom but as a preventative measure.

Phil

[davewally]

I have just finished dismantling and descaling mine.

Like John V the pipe to the tank was seriously blocked.

My pipe is rigid with a right angled bend so banging or rodding wouldn't work.

I tried the phosphoric acid based descalers but they hardly touched it.

I tried caustic soda drain cleaners, they shifted they crappy coating but didn't remove the scale.

I had to get serious with it. Hydrochloric acid (aka spirits of salts) available from hardware shops diluted to about fifty percent.

It is very strong so don't put it in and leave it. It will probably eat most materials in time. I watched the bubbling and when it stopped rinsed it through.

This worked a treat.

I also had to dismantle the macerator and treat it the same way. It was amazing anything could get through it.

It now sucks like a good one.

 

ps, a wet and dry vac is your friend, see my previous about the £35 screwfix ones. I found that it can blow and suck, very useful.

 

Disclaimer:

Hydrochloric acid is very corrosive. At the minimum it will blow your warranty. At the worst it will eat through you tank and plumbing.

it worked for me, I can't say it is safe for anyone else.

 

Dave

[Bobbybass]

I used Harpic...marked "5 times stronger than bleach"...it is a weak acid and obviously has no bleach...which is important. Bought in Poundland for (wait for it!) a POUND !!

 

Used every day for 5 years... never had a blockage or failure.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Bobbybass

[davewally]

Refill your glasses, roll a fag and sit back.......

 

Having been emptying our portapotti every other day for the last few weeks.

 

I PREFER PUMPOUT once a month.

 

Dave

[nb Innisfree]

Prevention is better than cure, every 2 to 3 weeks just before a pumpout I used to put a couple of kettles of hot water down the toilet and then add acid as I flushed, either Leesan acid or Kilrock kettle acid. Flushing made sure the pipes as well as the pan were full of acid solution. Ensured bathroom was well ventilated and left it overnight and gave it a generous flush next morning.

[ROBDEN]

EDITED.

Deleted....Rubbish.

Edited July 7, 2015 by ROBDEN

[cuthound]

The only thing I have been told about that might help is (providing you have flexible pipe) is to go along and hammer 7 bells out of it every now and again (mine was originally solid but has now been replaced with flexible........I'll let you know if it works in a few years time )

Thanks John,

 

My pipes are rigid, so I guess I will try to wait until the scale up and then replace them. I thought that rigid pipes were more "smell proof" than the flexible ones. Is this correct?

[John V]

Thanks John,

 

My pipes are rigid, so I guess I will try to wait until the scale up and then replace them. I thought that rigid pipes were more "smell proof" than the flexible ones. Is this correct?

 

I used the proper white flexible pipe and I certainly haven't noticed any smell although it was only a few months ago that I changed it. I think a lot of the problems of smell from flexible pipes were from systems where lower quality tubing had been used. The heavy duty white flexible tubing, I believe, does not transmit smells

[cuthound]

I used the proper white flexible pipe and I certainly haven't noticed any smell although it was only a few months ago that I changed it. I think a lot of the problems of smell from flexible pipes were from systems where lower quality tubing had been used. The heavy duty white flexible tubing, I believe, does not transmit smells

Thanks John, I will replace the solid with high quality flexible if or when the solid blocks up with limescale.

 

The reason for my query was because the boats previous owner told me he had replaced the flexible pipe with solid because of smell issues.

[BruceinSanity]

On the subject of de-scaling, I use this on a regular basis.

http://www.leesan.com/index.asp?m=3&cat1=35&cat2=44&p=120&t=LeeScale+Green+Descaler+(1+litre)

It seems to do the job very well. Our macerator toilet has been in use for 13 years now.

Ken

That's what I use too, very effective. I usually give it a dose before a pump out so as not too upset the fermentation in the tank too much. But LeeScale is now £18 for 500 ml, so the Uniflo stuff looks like a much better deal.

[ditchcrawler]

 

I used the proper white flexible pipe and I certainly haven't noticed any smell although it was only a few months ago that I changed it. I think a lot of the problems of smell from flexible pipes were from systems where lower quality tubing had been used. The heavy duty white flexible tubing, I believe, does not transmit smells

I refer you to the reply I gave earlier

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=66825&p=1317494

[KJT]

That's what I use too, very effective. I usually give it a dose before a pump out so as not too upset the fermentation in the tank too much. But LeeScale is now £18 for 500 ml, so the Uniflo stuff looks like a much better deal.

The Leesan stuff is expensive but seems to do the job. Looking through the description of the Uniflo stuff it says: 'For use on all types of macerator units and toilets. This product contains sulphmic acid for de-scaling and a deep down disinfecting clean'.

 

I would think the 'disinfecting clean' would upset our tanks natural balance, possibly causing it to smell.

We have a smell free tank so would like to keep it that way.

 

Ken

[Doodlebug]

Bathroom sink unblocker dissolves hair. Could be worth trying to force some through.