Peggie,
Do you recommend white vineger for flushing fresh water systems?
MMC
"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
. com...
Don wrote:
I am installing a new head and am going to use fresh water for flushing
getting away from sal****er.

You aren't gonna connect a toilet designed to use sea water to your
fresh water system, are you? That can't be done without risk of
contaminating the potable water supply with e-coli, damage to the
toilet, or both...and every toilet mfr specifically warns against it.

ONLY toilets designed to use pressurized flush water can safely be
connected to the fresh water system.


I would like to know if the fresh water
will disolve the build-up inside the hose...

Nope...

... or do I need to replace the
whole sanitation line.

You don't have to do that either. A 12% solution of muriatic acid in
water will dissolve it. Or, if you'd rather not use muriatic acid,
repeated doses of white vinegar will do the trick.

It's about a 20 to 25 foot run to the holding
tank.

Unless it's all downhill, that's at least 4 x further than all but a few
high end electric toilets can move bowl contents...you'll always have
waste sitting in the line, and that will result in stinky hoses. The
optimal distance from the toilet to a tank is 6' or less...10' is the
absolute max.

So I think you may need a bit more help than you asked for. If you'd
like to email me, I'll be glad to help you spec out a system that won't
create more problems than it solves: phnlr (hyphen)misc(at) yahoo(dot)com.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

MMC wrote:
Peggie,
Do you recommend white vineger for flushing fresh water systems?

I'm not sure whether you mean toilets that use fresh water, or the
potable water system...so I'll address both.

White vinegar is both an odor eliminator and a mineral dissolver...so
while it's not really needed in toilets that use fresh water, it
certainly can't hurt the hoses to flush a cupful through 'em before the
boat is to sit. Just don't leave it sitting in the bowl, and be sure to
flush it all out of the pump...'cuz while vinegar won't do anything to
soft rubber just passing through, soft rubber left to soak in vinegar
will swell and distort.

Potable water systems: After recommissioning the system each spring, a
solution of 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water left in the tank for
several days--with the pump left on to also keep the solution in the
plumbing--will remove any remaining chlorine or antifreeze taste/smell
in the system. Drain through every faucet, then fill the tank 1/4-1/2
full with clean water and flush the vinegar solution out of the lines.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Peggie Hall wrote:

MMC wrote:

Peggie,
Do you recommend white vineger for flushing fresh water systems?


I'm not sure whether you mean toilets that use fresh water, or the
potable water system...so I'll address both.

White vinegar is both an odor eliminator and a mineral dissolver...so
while it's not really needed in toilets that use fresh water, it
certainly can't hurt the hoses to flush a cupful through 'em before the
boat is to sit. Just don't leave it sitting in the bowl, and be sure to
flush it all out of the pump...'cuz while vinegar won't do anything to
soft rubber just passing through, soft rubber left to soak in vinegar
will swell and distort.

Potable water systems: After recommissioning the system each spring, a
solution of 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water left in the tank for
several days--with the pump left on to also keep the solution in the
plumbing--will remove any remaining chlorine or antifreeze taste/smell
in the system. Drain through every faucet, then fill the tank 1/4-1/2
full with clean water and flush the vinegar solution out of the lines.

Wow, that means that I need to buy 38 quarts of vinegar for my 140 gal
and 50 gal that I am currently fixing. Didn't realize I would need so much.
krj

krj wrote:
Potable water systems: After recommissioning the system each spring, a
solution of 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water left in the tank for
several days--with the pump left on to also keep the solution in the
plumbing--will remove any remaining chlorine or antifreeze taste/smell
in the system. Drain through every faucet, then fill the tank 1/4-1/2
full with clean water and flush the vinegar solution out of the lines.

Wow, that means that I need to buy 38 quarts of vinegar for my 140 gal
and 50 gal that I am currently fixing. Didn't realize I would need so much.

You didn't read what I wrote carefully enough...'cuz you don't need
anywhere near that much. You only need a couple of gallons for the 140
gal tank and 1 quart at most for the 50 gal tank.


--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Peggie Hall wrote:

krj wrote:

Potable water systems: After recommissioning the system each spring,
a solution of 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water left in the tank
for several days--with the pump left on to also keep the solution in
the plumbing--will remove any remaining chlorine or antifreeze
taste/smell in the system. Drain through every faucet, then fill the
tank 1/4-1/2 full with clean water and flush the vinegar solution out
of the lines.

Wow, that means that I need to buy 38 quarts of vinegar for my 140 gal
and 50 gal that I am currently fixing. Didn't realize I would need so
much.


You didn't read what I wrote carefully enough...'cuz you don't need
anywhere near that much. You only need a couple of gallons for the 140
gal tank and 1 quart at most for the 50 gal tank.


Guess I read it wrong. I figured 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water
was 140/5= 28 quarts.
krj

krj wrote:
Peggie Hall wrote:

krj wrote:


I figured 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water
was 140/5= 28 quarts.


Read it again (the third time it HAS to sink in)...I didn't say FILL the
tank...I said, "fill the tank 1/4-1/2 full ..."

The solution is 1 quart vinegar to 5 gal WATER, NOT 1 quart vinegar to
the total amount the tank can hold.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304

Peggie Hall wrote:

krj wrote:
Peggie Hall wrote:

krj wrote:

I figured 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water
was 140/5= 28 quarts.

Read it again (the third time it HAS to sink in)...I didn't say FILL the
tank...I said, "fill the tank 1/4-1/2 full ..."

The solution is 1 quart vinegar to 5 gal WATER, NOT 1 quart vinegar to
the total amount the tank can hold.

So you fill the tank 1/4 full of this solution? or do you just use 5
gal of water for any size tank?

If we filled our tanks 1/4 full, that would be 50 gallons, so it would
be 10 quarts of vinegar (??)

When we used to use fresh water flush it wasn't connected to the
toilet at all - we just used the shower head to flush the toilet with.

Potable. Thanks Peggie.
"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
. com...
MMC wrote:
Peggie,
Do you recommend white vineger for flushing fresh water systems?

I'm not sure whether you mean toilets that use fresh water, or the
potable water system...so I'll address both.

White vinegar is both an odor eliminator and a mineral dissolver...so
while it's not really needed in toilets that use fresh water, it
certainly can't hurt the hoses to flush a cupful through 'em before the
boat is to sit. Just don't leave it sitting in the bowl, and be sure to
flush it all out of the pump...'cuz while vinegar won't do anything to
soft rubber just passing through, soft rubber left to soak in vinegar
will swell and distort.

Potable water systems: After recommissioning the system each spring, a
solution of 1 quart white vinegar to 5 gal. water left in the tank for
several days--with the pump left on to also keep the solution in the
plumbing--will remove any remaining chlorine or antifreeze taste/smell
in the system. Drain through every faucet, then fill the tank 1/4-1/2
full with clean water and flush the vinegar solution out of the lines.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304