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We recently went through a somewhat disgusting de-blocking of the Head discharge plumbing with the usual accretion of "salts" being the culprit. So we are Keen to prevent or slow the buildup as we dont want to do it again ever ! (Ok that might be a slightly unrealistic) 

There is an interesting article in the link below that cast doubt on the use of vinegar as a solution but suggests the use of a product called Sew Clean which is made by the same company that markets Barnacle Buster.

So two questions

1. Whats the feedback on using vinegar as a preventative to slow or stop the buildup of salts (You would need to precharge the plumbing when the boat is not in use, ie at the end of the voyage) and

2. If the plumbing is blocked has anyone tried overnight soaking the of system with something like Barnacle Buster, Sew Clean or Drain Cleaner (Hydrochloric acid ? ) thereby hopefully dissolving the salts without having to pull apart the plumbing.

chrs.

(Disclosure, I have no association with Ovlov Marine who sell the above mentioned products but a few years back we did use Barnacle Buster to de-scale the engine heat exchanger, it worked well but is pricey)

https://fetchinketch.net/2017/12/26/a-crappy-problem-with-a-solution/

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I have used citric acid based concrete etcher ( from Bunnings etc) to disolve calcium build ups in heat exchangers. It is easy on seals etc and is not very toxic so might be OK for this application.

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Citric acid is great for cleaning stainless steel, copper and brass without damaging it, and actually creates a protective layer on copper alloys, effectively passivating them (excellent for spent rifle casings!) so is a great choice for heat exchangers and plumbing. On stainless it removes free iron which will help stainless stay stain free.

Phosphoric eats iron oxide (rust) and converts it into a black protective layer, passivating steel or iron. I use it all the time on the farm and when cleaning machine parts.

I just get concerned when there's dissimilar or unknown metals (like zinc or aluminum hiding somewhere) and parts are left for a while where you can't inspect them.

I find white vinegar straight from the supermarket without dilution works just fine if given a few days to a week to work, and I've got some peace of mind that I'm not causing new problems while I'm gone. Seems to be good at cleaning leaky joker valves without needing further work and if it doesn't fix the problem the pipes are far less unpleasant to work on.

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Thanks for all the feedback, the system is back together now and in future I intend to schedule a yearly clean with Citric or Phosphoric Acid. Also thinking of flushing some dilute solution through  at the end of each trip (5KG bag of Acid Powder is $40 on trade me, should last a while) 

 

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I just empty a full kettle of fresh through the system when i come home pump it through then close the valves, of course this wont stop the anaerobic smell from the intake side from the first two pumps next time away.

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I used this after a particularly unpleasant bulkhead holding tank blockage , the upstand inside the tank was blocked with crystallised Uric acid .  I half filled the toilet with fresh water and added about a cup of acid to the water .  The idea is to pump it through the system slowly . I did two to three pumps of the handle every 5 minutes so the solution had time to sit and dissolve the crystals . I did this twice then thumped the hose with a hammer handle to dislodge what was left followed by a good rinse with fresh then salt water . Don’t do this if you have any PVC in your system !  It’s safe to use with sanitation hose and Hansen/true design type fitings . Use PPE and don’t inhale the fumes and do not store it on your boat ! 
 

cost was $45 for 4 litres 

 

 

IMG_4487.jpeg

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On 24/01/2025 at 9:49 AM, Frank said:

We recently went through a somewhat disgusting de-blocking of the Head discharge plumbing with the usual accretion of "salts" being the culprit. So we are Keen to prevent or slow the buildup as we dont want to do it again ever ! (Ok that might be a slightly unrealistic) 

There is an interesting article in the link below that cast doubt on the use of vinegar as a solution but suggests the use of a product called Sew Clean which is made by the same company that markets Barnacle Buster.

So two questions

1. Whats the feedback on using vinegar as a preventative to slow or stop the buildup of salts (You would need to precharge the plumbing when the boat is not in use, ie at the end of the voyage) and

2. If the plumbing is blocked has anyone tried overnight soaking the of system with something like Barnacle Buster, Sew Clean or Drain Cleaner (Hydrochloric acid ? ) thereby hopefully dissolving the salts without having to pull apart the plumbing.

chrs.

(Disclosure, I have no association with Ovlov Marine who sell the above mentioned products but a few years back we did use Barnacle Buster to de-scale the engine heat exchanger, it worked well but is pricey)

https://fetchinketch.net/2017/12/26/a-crappy-problem-with-a-solution/

I recommend this book for head maintenance ….the woman knows her sh*t 😂 she worked for Raritan who make sewclean and marine heads .  Our boat no longer smells like a porta loo at a concert with undertones of diesel .  She recommends a product called Noflex digestor to breakdown solids (not crystallised uric acid ) and reduce sulphur dioxide stink in the holding tank . Noflex is basically Oxygen bleach so I’ve been oxygen bleach at a fraction of the price and it works .

https://seaworthy.com/book-author/peggie-hall/

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55 minutes ago, Ex Machina said:

I recommend this book for head maintenance ….the woman knows her sh*t 😂 she worked for Raritan who make sewclean and marine heads .  Our boat no longer smells like a porta loo at a concert with undertones of diesel .  She recommends a product called Noflex digestor to breakdown solids (not crystallised uric acid ) and reduce sulphur dioxide stink in the holding tank . Noflex is basically Oxygen bleach so I’ve been oxygen bleach at a fraction of the price and it works .

https://seaworthy.com/book-author/peggie-hall/

Thanks, I think use of the oxygen bleach will probably be a preventative strategy, perhaps more potent than vinegar. In regard to accretion It seems that the uric acid alters the PH which somehow encourages the minerals/salts to crystalize from the stagnant sea water, perhaps this is why a fresh water purge at the end of the voyage helps. 

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3 hours ago, aardvarkash10 said:

Got a product name for that?

Sodium percarbonate . I get the cheapest one I can find with no fragrance which is usually living earth in a cardboard box .

Side note , I tried the pak n save brand benzalkonium chloride on our mouldy mainsail and stack pack it worked a treat . $6 bucks for a litre whereas wet and forget is $99 per 4 litres 

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4 hours ago, Ex Machina said:

Side note , I tried the pak n save brand benzalkonium chloride on our mouldy mainsail and stack pack it worked a treat . $6 bucks for a litre whereas wet and forget is $99 per 4 litres 

Yup, that stuff is the sh*t alright.  We spray it on using a garden spray pack and it deals to green growth, algae, lichen, bird crap, even fouling on the waterline.

We dilute it about 5:1 spray and leave it to work.

Love it.

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