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Old 05-07-2017, 10:32 PM   #1
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Black water in bilge

I noticed today that I had a few gallons of water in the bilge. After chasing hoses and camps I found it coming from my forward head. I put a little dish soap in head and within a few minutes of flushing I had bubbles in the bilge.
I have not started working on the head but it looks like it has to come out to get to the hoses. I cant see any problems with the hoses or clamps thats in sight. I guess I will take the unit up and see what I can find.
Not looking forward to this project.

Anyone had this problem?

Thanks
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Old 05-07-2017, 11:04 PM   #2
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No, and honestly I am glad I never had this peoblem... Good luck with fixing it.
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Old 05-08-2017, 04:28 AM   #3
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"o shit"
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Old 05-08-2017, 06:03 AM   #4
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Time for a really good wet vacuum.

And leaving a batch of Peggys bugs in the bilge to help eat the remainder.
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Old 05-08-2017, 06:36 AM   #5
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Who is Peggy and what kind of bug does she have.
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Old 05-08-2017, 06:40 AM   #6
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Google Peggie Hall and How to get rid of boat odors .......or close to that title. Icon of the boating internet! The "Headmistress"
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Old 05-08-2017, 06:42 AM   #7
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BW2ZSTW...ng=UTF8&btkr=1
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Old 05-08-2017, 07:03 AM   #8
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Treat the black water in your bilge with chlorine and I don't see why it wouldn't be legal to pump it overboard with the bilge pump as long as you're not in a no discharge zone. Basically, a crude electra san substitute.
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Old 05-08-2017, 07:05 AM   #9
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Nice book.
Thanks
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Old 05-08-2017, 07:11 AM   #10
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Treat the black water in your bilge with chlorine and I don't see why it wouldn't be legal to pump it overboard with the bilge pump as long as you're not in a no discharge zone. Basically, a crude electra san substitute.




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Old 05-08-2017, 07:41 AM   #11
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Treat the black water in your bilge with chlorine and I don't see why it wouldn't be legal to pump it overboard with the bilge pump as long as you're not in a no discharge zone. Basically, a crude electra san substitute.
I did use a little when I found out what it was.
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Old 05-08-2017, 08:57 AM   #12
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I have not started working on the head but it looks like it has to come out to get to the hoses. I cant see any problems with the hoses or clamps thats in sight. I guess I will take the unit up and see what I can find.

There's an easier way: put about a quart of water and some red food coloring in the bowl and flush it. You'll see red at any connection that's leaking.

The average working life of any hose--water, fuel, waste, exhaust--is about 10 years because rubber and plasticizers dry out, causing the hose to become hard, brittle and prone to cracking. So if yours are anywhere near that age, don't limit your search for red to just the connections... check all sections of the hose for red stains too. It may be time for new hoses. If so, this isn't the place to go cheap if you only want to have to do this job once.
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Old 05-08-2017, 02:13 PM   #13
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It appears to be the main hose in the one spot you can't see. Now have to go pump and and hope things dry out and then replace the hose. Going to replace all the hoses while I'm at it.
Thanks everyone for the help.
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Old 05-08-2017, 02:49 PM   #14
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Going to replace all the hoses while I'm at it.

Wise decision. As I said in my previous post...sanitation hoses are one place you don't want to go cheap...cheap hoses permeate with odor in no time. The two best are Trident 101/102 (identical except for color...102 is white) Trident #101 Sanitation Hose and Raritan SaniFlex Raritan SaniFlex hose. Trident 101/102 has been on the market for more than 20 years without a single reported odor permeation failure, but it has one drawback: it's as stiff as an ironing board, which makes it a less-than-ideal choice for hose runs that have a lot of bends because those require inline radius fittings...it averages $7-8/ft. Raritan put their Saniflex hose on the market 8-9 years ago, no reported odor permeation failures nor have I ever heard of any. Price is in the $13/ft range, but as you can see from photos on the webpage, it's so flexible that you can bend it like a hair pin...making the job a LOT easier on most boats.

Btw...I've meant to ask: what's the make/model/age of your toilet?

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Old 05-08-2017, 02:59 PM   #15
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Don't forget disposable plastic bags, tarps, sandwich baggies and high quality duct tape. Sandwich bags duct taped on to seal the old hose ends being removed.

If you think black water in the bilge is nasty imagine it on your soft goods and cabinets. A tyveck suit is not overdoing it.

Good luck
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Old 05-08-2017, 04:16 PM   #16
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Changing hoses does not have to be a nasty job! Step 1: Flush gallons of clean fresh water through the system to get clean out the toilet and the hoses. Step 2: Pump out and thoroughly rinse out the holding tank, macerator and plumbing to it.

Now you're only dealing with clean water

Remove the higher end of each hose first (and btw, it's a lot easier to get them off fittings if you warm the ends a bit with a blow dryer)...cover that end with tape or a baggie. Put a disposable aluminum pan under the connection at the other end to catch any spills. Cover that end and remove that piece of hose from the boat! If you have a long run through an inaccessible area, pull new hose in as you pull old hose out. Buy a male-male hose connector and some pvc cement... cut the end of both hose as cleanly as possible and cement both hoses onto the connector, butting 'em tightly together...you want the smoothest unbroken line you can create. When you have the old hose out and the new hose through, cut off the new hose right behind the connector.

Only one major drawback to doing it this way: it doesn't leave you with any "chemical warfare" stories to tell.

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Old 05-08-2017, 04:22 PM   #17
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Nice book.
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;-) and you are now in Peggie's personal hands. She's a lifesaver to many (before the Admirals grab them by the neck).
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Old 05-08-2017, 04:23 PM   #18
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Don't forget disposable plastic bags, tarps, sandwich baggies and high quality duct tape. Sandwich bags duct taped on to seal the old hose ends being removed.

If you think black water in the bilge is nasty imagine it on your soft goods and cabinets. A tyveck suit is not overdoing it.

Good luck
I just did this job and found that the 2 inch pvc pipe end caps fit over the end of standard sanitation hose pretty well. Then lots of electrical tape to seal them on and I only got a little sewage water on me.

I did the fresh water flush thing, too. The water still smelled.

That and double nitrile gloves.
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Old 05-08-2017, 07:39 PM   #19
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Someone said the hot tub hose is the same. Is this true? The Lowe's kind.
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Old 05-08-2017, 08:10 PM   #20
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No no no on the hot tub hose. It will smell very quickly. Breakdown also. Removed some from my boat that the previous owner used. It was only 3 years old. Stunk to high heaven and tore as I pulled on it. Go with Peggy's recommendations.
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