Clogged thru hull help

[sheepdog69]

We bought our trawler over a year ago. Apparently the previous owner did nothing to keep the sanitation hoses from building up. It's basically a pencil hole...replaced all I could but the thru hull is plugged solid, we're in the water and it's cold as hell here...any suggestions.

I have tried to rod it out
I have very limited room as it's under a sink inside a small cabinet.

Know dive shop is renting gear to go in and do it from the outside

Suggestions

It's like a sand caked **** urine hard glass like material?

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Maybe use a drill to drill it out??? Not sure that I would do it but I don’t have any other ideas. It will flood quickly when it gets open but hopefully you will get the through hull closed quickly. But have a plug standing by in case the through hull is inoperative. Good luck.

 

[STB]

Is the seacock good, or could it be broken?

Can you disconnect the hose at the top and pour some barnacle buster in?

This is the sanitation hose coming from what device? Overboard discharge from the head? Or holding tank? Or sink?

 

[sheepdog69]

It's from the head and old crusty hose build up...its shitty lol

I was going to attempt a drill but no room

Seacock is frozen. Tried breaking it loose by loosening the nut and hitting it....no luck. I think it's caked up to.


In the water I go or I hire a diver

 

[OldDan1943]

Sometimes, we just have to bite the bullet and do a haul out to correct a problem. This might be one of those times. SIGH

 

[CharlieO.]

Sometimes, we just have to bite the bullet and do a haul out to correct a problem. This might be one of those times. SIGH

I agree. And it may also be time to replace it. Good luck

 

[STB]

I really don't recommend drilling. Does the valve come off? Or is it a true seacock, built into the thru hull.

Seems more likely to me to me valve is the issue, one way or another, than the thru-hull. If you can, plug it with a wood plug from the outside, take the valve off and replace, then knock the plug out from the inside and close the valve to reattach the hose.

Where I'm at, divers clean thru hulls from the outside every month all year, and in my case, twice a month. Even if up north dive service is only occasional in the summer, it seems like the diver would have cleared a thru hull before it could get that bad.. But, maybe boats just don't get bottom cleanings routinely there?

 

[HopCar]

Flush a cherry bomb. (Just kidding!)

 

[HeadMistress]

Stand by while I do a little research...there is a product that MAY dissolve it...it's called Barnacle Buster....a sister product to Sew Clean. I know it'll dissolve the mineral buildup, not sure about the waste buildup. I have a call into 'em and should know within an hour.


And btw...I see you've just joined trawlerforum...welcome aboard!



--Peggie

 

[tpbrady]

I had a similar problem when the group that painted the bottom managed to put enough paint on the screen covering the intake to block it. I closed the thru hull put a section of hose on it that allowed me to get the open end above the waterline of the boat and then used a small stainless rod to break through the paint. In your case try the section of hose and a snake to bore through the blockage. Used in combination with chemicals should work.

Tom

 

[ghost]

A.) remove waste hoses, bang em on the side of the dock so you can join the club. Reinstall.

B.) close seacock. Remove hose. Whittle a rod from driftwood on the beach, just a little smaller than the seacock ID. Insert tool. Open seacock. Knock the barnacle out. Inserting the stick before opening reduces the flow rate a bit. Tip: close the seacock and don’t use your best towels.

C.) Schedule proactive replacement of hoses and seacock maintenance, rebuild kits preferably during the winter and haul out timelines. Overhaul systems tip to tail whenever you touch them.

 

[HeadMistress]

Barnacle Buster should do the job, but I need a bit more information to tell you how to use it. You said the hose is from the head (toilet) and apparently goes directly overboard?? The thru-hull is blocked and the seacock is frozen, so I'm guessing that unless you've been flushing directly overboard since you bought the boat, there's a y-valve in the toilet discharge line that lets you flush into a tank. If so, where does the clog begin--at the toilet or at the y-valve?

Are you able to use the toilet at all? If so, and if you've been flushing into the tank, why not just wait till spring to free up the thru-hull? That would make it fairly simple matter: use either Barnacle Buster or muriatic acid (a lot cheaper) to clean out the hose from the toilet through the y-valve to the tank.

--Peggie