It has been suggested by someone who *knows*, that vinegar is a good
medium for clearing out persistant residue in a narrowboat toilet holding tank.

Apparently you leave it in to soak for about 24 hours before
thoroughly flushing.

Has anyone any practical experience with this?

It has been suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea in plastic tanks
as vinegar might harden the seams. Do we have any feed-back before we
try it?

Tony
holding back on the Basingstoke Canal

This is a common technique, practiced by many cruisers. When I lived aboard, I always
kept a gallon of vinegar in the head so I wouldn't forget.

Peggy has endorsed this in the past (this from last March):

Vinegar ONLY dissolves mineral buildup, it won't do much for dirt and
grime and won't dissolve soap scum, grease or hair.

You're right that I recommend it though...a cupful down the toilet once
a week. Just don't leave it sitting in the bowl. Vinegar will damage
rubber. A cupful flushed through the toilet doesn't stick around long
enough to hurt anything, but it'll destroy a joker valve left to soak in it.

Btw...this is WHITE vinegar we're talking about, not cider. Because
white vinegar is more acidic than cider, it does a better job of
dissolving sea water minerals.





"canalman" wrote in message
om...
It has been suggested by someone who *knows*, that vinegar is a good
medium for clearing out persistant residue in a narrowboat toilet holding tank.

Apparently you leave it in to soak for about 24 hours before
thoroughly flushing.

Has anyone any practical experience with this?

It has been suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea in plastic tanks
as vinegar might harden the seams. Do we have any feed-back before we
try it?

Tony
holding back on the Basingstoke Canal

This is a common technique, practiced by many cruisers. When I lived aboard, I always
kept a gallon of vinegar in the head so I wouldn't forget.

Peggy has endorsed this in the past (this from last March):

Vinegar ONLY dissolves mineral buildup, it won't do much for dirt and
grime and won't dissolve soap scum, grease or hair.

You're right that I recommend it though...a cupful down the toilet once
a week. Just don't leave it sitting in the bowl. Vinegar will damage
rubber. A cupful flushed through the toilet doesn't stick around long
enough to hurt anything, but it'll destroy a joker valve left to soak in it.

Btw...this is WHITE vinegar we're talking about, not cider. Because
white vinegar is more acidic than cider, it does a better job of
dissolving sea water minerals.





"canalman" wrote in message
om...
It has been suggested by someone who *knows*, that vinegar is a good
medium for clearing out persistant residue in a narrowboat toilet holding tank.

Apparently you leave it in to soak for about 24 hours before
thoroughly flushing.

Has anyone any practical experience with this?

It has been suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea in plastic tanks
as vinegar might harden the seams. Do we have any feed-back before we
try it?

Tony
holding back on the Basingstoke Canal

It has been suggested by someone who *knows*, that vinegar is a good
medium for clearing out persistant residue in a narrowboat toilet holding
tank.

Apparently you leave it in to soak for about 24 hours before
thoroughly flushing.


In the 16 years we have had our boat the pipes in our head has only cloged up
with salt and whatever once. After that we used vinegar in the pipes and
holding tank at least twice a year. No problems since, so I guess it works. We
also use it in the sink drains. I use it to clean the carbon off stove parts
and a lot of other things. It seems to be a good solvent.

I use it to clean the salt out of my outboard too.

Dick

It has been suggested by someone who *knows*, that vinegar is a good
medium for clearing out persistant residue in a narrowboat toilet holding
tank.

Apparently you leave it in to soak for about 24 hours before
thoroughly flushing.


In the 16 years we have had our boat the pipes in our head has only cloged up
with salt and whatever once. After that we used vinegar in the pipes and
holding tank at least twice a year. No problems since, so I guess it works. We
also use it in the sink drains. I use it to clean the carbon off stove parts
and a lot of other things. It seems to be a good solvent.

I use it to clean the salt out of my outboard too.

Dick

I just asked her that very question, as I have a holding tank with lots
of "residue" in it that prohibits an accurate reading of its level. She
suggests putting some Wisk detergent in it to slosh around and clean up
the greasy residue so that i can see how much stuff i have in it.

It will be easier in my trailerboat or another that moves around a lot,
but should still be an improvement, I think. At least it's a cheap fix,
even if it doesn't work.

Capt. Jeff

I just asked her that very question, as I have a holding tank with lots
of "residue" in it that prohibits an accurate reading of its level. She
suggests putting some Wisk detergent in it to slosh around and clean up
the greasy residue so that i can see how much stuff i have in it.

It will be easier in my trailerboat or another that moves around a lot,
but should still be an improvement, I think. At least it's a cheap fix,
even if it doesn't work.

Capt. Jeff

canalman wrote:
It has been suggested by someone who *knows*, that vinegar is a good
medium for clearing out persistant residue in a narrowboat toilet holding tank.

I don't think so. Vinegar will dissolve sea water mineral buildup in
hoses, but I've never heard that it will dissolve sludge in holding tanks.

Holding tanks should be at least nominally flushed out with a couple of
gallons of clean water down the pumpout fitting (because that sends it
directly into the bottom of the tank to stir up the sludge) after every
pumpout...and thoroughly flushed by doing that several times--until
what's being pumped out is only clean water--several times a year.

To my knowledge, there is no other way.


It has been suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea in plastic tanks
as vinegar might harden the seams. Do we have any feed-back before we
try it?

I've never heard that before either. It appears to me that all the
advice you've been getting is bad.

--
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://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

canalman wrote:
It has been suggested by someone who *knows*, that vinegar is a good
medium for clearing out persistant residue in a narrowboat toilet holding tank.

I don't think so. Vinegar will dissolve sea water mineral buildup in
hoses, but I've never heard that it will dissolve sludge in holding tanks.

Holding tanks should be at least nominally flushed out with a couple of
gallons of clean water down the pumpout fitting (because that sends it
directly into the bottom of the tank to stir up the sludge) after every
pumpout...and thoroughly flushed by doing that several times--until
what's being pumped out is only clean water--several times a year.

To my knowledge, there is no other way.


It has been suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea in plastic tanks
as vinegar might harden the seams. Do we have any feed-back before we
try it?

I've never heard that before either. It appears to me that all the
advice you've been getting is bad.

--
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://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

Jeff Morris wrote:
This is a common technique, practiced by many cruisers. When I lived aboard, I always
kept a gallon of vinegar in the head so I wouldn't forget.

Peggy has endorsed this in the past (this from last March):

Vinegar ONLY dissolves mineral buildup, it won't do much for dirt and
grime and won't dissolve soap scum, grease or hair.

I did say that...but I've never said that vinegar will dissolve sludge
in holding tanks--which is what he's asking.

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://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html