Slow Drains

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bigpoppop

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
81
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Long Time Dead
Vessel Make
Nordhavn 55
Good morning- one of the sink drains on our Nordhavn 55 is extremely slow to drain. We've disassembled (to a degree) and cleaned and used Zaal No-Flex and also baking soda/ vinegar. Sink is still super slow. What do people use to fix these plastic drains? Don't want to blast it with chemicals that could damage the holding tank and/or the evacuation pumps.

Many thanks!

Jeff
M/C Long Time Dead
Puerto Rico
 
I would first check the drain hose to see how much slope there is in the drain line.
 
holding tank?

Good morning- one of the sink drains on our Nordhavn 55 is extremely slow to drain. We've disassembled (to a degree) and cleaned and used Zaal No-Flex and also baking soda/ vinegar. Sink is still super slow. What do people use to fix these plastic drains? Don't want to blast it with chemicals that could damage the holding tank and/or the evacuation pumps.

Many thanks!

Jeff
M/C Long Time Dead
Puerto Rico

Your gray water goes to a holding tank? Mine goes straight overboard.

Gordon
 
Yep- to a 120 gallon holding tank- there's no option to pump overboard
 
I have a piece .045 diameter stainless steel weld wire that I occasionally stuff down the drains. It is flexible enough to go around corners. FYI chemicals are going to flush right thru unless you plug the hose before the tank and let it soak.
 
Water flush with hose or suck with shop vacuum. Hot water after to try to clean the drain
 
I know .....I hate to question most owners experience and knowledge....

But I find it unbelievable a sink on an ocean crossing boat either doesnt have the option to drain overboard or into a large grey water sump that can be accessed to see if there is blockage at the tank end.
 
Why not try a regular plumbers snake? One of the small ones for a kitchen or bath sink.
 
Raritan markets their "C.P. Cleans Potties" only as a toilet bowl cleaner, but it's also the best sump and drain cleaner on the planet. It's a bio-enzymatic cleaner than not only destroys odor on contact, but the enzymes in it "eat" the hair, soap scum, galley grease etc that build up in drains and clog sump pumps.

Somehow you need to block the drains so C.P. and water can stand in 'em at least overnight...the enzymes in it need time to work. Put 2-3 oz of C.P down the drain, then fill the drain up to the sink with clean water. It won't harm anything even if you leave it in the drain for month, it just won't do anything more after the first 24 hours. Open up the drain an run clean water through it.

If you have shower sumps this would also be a good time to put a few ounces of C.P down the shower drains when it can stand at least overnight. In fact, a weekly dose on most boats will keep sumps clean and sump pumps free from clogs...it's the only maintenance job on a boat that requires -0- manual labor.

If there are P-traps in your drains, there shouldn't be...they serve a purpose on land but just cause problems on boats. Your drains need to be as straight a route to the thru-hull and/or gray water tank as possible.

Discharging gray water direcly overboard is legal in all US waters except for a very few closed inland lakes that you're unlikely to visit. As others have suggested, you should have the ability to drain gray water directly overboard, 'cuz maintaining a black water tank is a walk in the park compared to maintaining a gray water tank! Why do it if you don't have to? A y-valve, a length hose and new above-waterline thru-hull is all you'd need.
 

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Thanks- I'll try a snake and also the wet vac- the boat does not have option to pump directly overboard- only black water has that feature.
 
I tried digesters but to no avail.
 
Thanks- I'll try a snake and also the wet vac- the boat does not have option to pump directly overboard- only black water has that feature.
Then how do you empty it?
 
There is a mechanical pump and a manual pump to empty the grey water tank- same for the black water tank
 
Baking soda + vinegar.. an acid and a base. creates a salt. Sodium acetate. kinda crusty. you want that in your pipes?
 
the boat does not have option to pump directly overboard- only black water has that feature.

You have the option to change that. It should be a very simple & quick task if you have access to the end of the drain hose.
 
Does your drain look similar to this?

IMG_5687.JPG

If so let's keep things simple. Remove the nut that retains the horizontal rod. Slide the rod back slightly while lifting the stopper out of sink drain. It is very common for large amounts of hair to accumulate at the intersection of the rod and stopper. If large quantities of sludge and hair are present clean as best you can, bent wire or needle nose pliers are your friends. A shop vac thoughtfully applied can be quite helpful too. Reassemble and test.

Drain cleaning as a rule starts at the inlet (drain hole) and works down the line to the outlet (gray water tank).
 
There is a mechanical pump and a manual pump to empty the grey water tank- same for the black water tank

Do the pumps pump it overboard?

Do you have an access plate into the tank? If so, can you pump it dry and access where the sink drains into it?
 
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