[Maintenance] How to clean a marine toilet on a boat?

Comfort on board, Marine WC

Whether rinsed with sea water or fresh water, a marine toilet has a limited volume of rinsing water. Therefore, cleaning the marine toilet can often be overlooked. Then how clean a marine toilet effectively ? Being part of themaintenance of a marine toilet, this operation must be carried out regularly so that the sanitary ware does not emit a suffocating odor. This guide explains the methods as well as the material to be used to obtain an irreproachable marine toilet.

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Materials for cleaning a marine toilet on a boat

To carry out themaintenance of a marine toilet, it is first of all essential to obtain all the materials necessary for this task. So for clean a marine toilet, you will need the following equipment and products:

White vinegar ;

10% solution of muriatic acid;
hot soapy water;
special lubricant for sanitary ;

clean, damp cloth;

Cleaning a marine toilet, whether it is a DOMETIC marine toilet, JABSCO marine toilet or other brands and models of marine toilet, does not even require half a day. For effective cleaning of the marine toilet, the application of cleaning products should be done at least once a month if you live on board.

How to maintain a marine toilet on a boat?

To succeed the cleaning a marine toilet, the following instructions must be followed to the letter. If these technical instructions are well respected, the recreational sailor will no longer have to face a toilet problem of his motor boat or its sailboat.

Line cleaning

Whether you own a Electric or manual marine toilet, you need to run white vinegar through the system once a month. Slowly move the vinegar through the pipes, pumping every 4 or 5 minutes. When the vinegar has passed through the system, pump a gallon of cool water to flush the lines.

If a build-up of tartar occurs at the bottom of the boat toilet, dissolve it with a 10% solution of muriatic acid. Pour two cups of acid into the bowl. After a few minutes, pump again to bring the acid into the discharge pipe. Remove the valve and soak it in hot, soapy water to dissolve any deposits that could keep it closed or open.

To simplify your life, we highly recommend the installation of the ecological disinfectant for marine toilets YACHTICON Purytec. It is positioned on the water inlet and replaces the tedious cleaning with vinegar and muriatic acid. It will guarantee easy and optimal maintenance of the WC over the long term while respecting the environment:

Lubrication

Use a lubricant after the monthly vinegar. The best choice would be a lubricant specially designed for marine toilets. Leave a little water in the bowl, pour a few drops of lubricant, then pump. To lubricate the inlet side as well, disconnect the inlet pipe from the closed sea valve and pour oil into this pipe. While servicing the pump, lightly coat the piston rod with the lubricant.

Odor elimination

Check the WC sailing ship or motor boat by wiping the outlet hose with a clean damp cloth, then sniffing the cloth. If you smell an odor, it means the hose is permeable and you will never get rid of the odor until you replace this hose with a suitable sanitation hose.

Also check the seal around the piston rod. If it is damaged, it must be replaced. Some manufacturers offer repair kits adapted to the model and brand of your equipment:

VSee the spare seal kit for the Osculati electric marine toilet

The algae which decomposes and is trapped inside the flushing water passage also causes very unpleasant odors. In order to avoid this, you can install a strainer in the intake line. If you notice algae in the water inlet hose and they do not come off despite all the cleaning products, it is because you did it too late. It will then be necessary change the pipe with new one.

An anti-siphon elbow in the discharge line can also give you relief from bad odors. So this is a good tip for clean a marine toilet and make it odorless:

Finally, to avoid bad odors coming from the black water tank, we recommend the installation of a odor filter.

Reconstruction stage

If you feel like you want to take the marine toilets give off a foul odor, if they have a leak, if they are difficult to pump but the discharge pipe is not clogged, or if they are just not functioning properly, then it is time for service. Rebuild Kits include everything you need to recondition your toilet. The kit will also provide a detailed instruction sheet.

On the other hand, if you have isolated the problem, it is better to change only the defective part. Many spare parts are available on Amazon, Ebay et CDiscount.

Often marine toilet problems come from the hand pump. Indeed, the system is often complex for novices to understand and they often force the piston ... To replace the pump, choose the one of the appropriate brand (we therefore recommend having a spare if you are going for a long trip. ):

If despite everything you still have problems, then you can call a professional. But there's a good chance that means it's time to change marine toilets for new. Here are some benchmark brands on the market: Jabsco, Albin Pump, Johnson Pump marine toilets and even Osculati marine toilets. To see more clearly we wrote a comparison of the best brands of marine toilets.

Our advice for cleaning a marine toilet

Here are some practical tips that you may find useful when maintaining your marine toilet:

Weighted flapper valves always have the greatest weight and flapper valves always open to give the least restricted flow, that is, they should always face the outlet.
The note, on a joker valve, always points in the direction of flow.

The walls of the pump cylinder should be polished and lightly lubricated with special sanitary lubricant.
If the piston uses leather cups, two are needed facing each other.
Thoroughly clean all mating surfaces of the old gasket or sealant.

Use sealant on all joints to keep them from seeping.
When you reattach the bowl to the base, tighten all four nuts evenly. But do not tighten too hard so as not to damage the porcelain.
Wait until you have reinstalled the head to tighten the pump rod seal, then tighten it just enough to prevent leaks.

Finally, do not forget to properly maintain the black water tank (and fresh water if you have one connected to your marine toilet). It is recommended to use regularly in the black water tank of the YACHTICON Purysan Ultra. It prevents the formation of unpleasant odors and breaks down feces and toilet paper.

In addition, it is recommended to clean the tanks at least once a year before wintering. At this time, use YACHTICON Puryclean to clean and disinfect the waste water tank. But don't use it for the clean water tank! Indeed, use the Yachticon Pura Tank instead. It cleans algae and germs that proliferate in freshwater tanks, their pipes and the pump without leaving any taste or smell.