Sailboat Toilet Maintenance: Tips for Keeping Your Boat’s Head in Good Working Order
Maintaining the toilet on your sailboat is an important aspect of boat ownership. Not only is it necessary for the comfort and convenience of you and your passengers, but it is also important for the health and cleanliness of your boat. We all hate marine heads, they stink and let’s face it, they can be really gross. There a few things you can do to help maintain your toilet on your boat.
1. Regularly clean the toilet bowl:
Use a toilet brush and a marine-specific toilet bowl cleaner to scrub the inside of the bowl. Be sure to also clean the rim and under the rim, as these areas can harbor bacteria. Never use any harsh chemicals not approved for marine use in your toilet on your boat. A good rule of thumb is that if you use your cleaner in a house toilet, 90% chances it cannot be used in a marine head. These harsh chemicals can cause more serious problems for your boat than you’re willing to deal with, such as deteriorating hoses and holding tank. Star Brite makes a marine toilet bowl cleaner that works really well.
2. Treat the toilet with enzymes:
Use a marine-specific enzyme treatment to kill and prevent any odors coming from the holding tank. We use this every time we get our holding tank pumped out. This is especially important to help degrade solid waste in your holding tank while preventing odor from entering the cabin area. Just follow the instructions on the bottle and your boat should be smelling better in no time.
3. Check the water level:
The water level in the toilet bowl should be just above the hole. If the water level is too low, the toilet may not flush properly. If it is too high, the toilet may overflow. This only applies to those with a manual marine toilet. Try not to flush all waste down the toilet before you start flushing with more water, always do this step before water recedes too low.
4. Check the hoses:
Inspect the hoses that connect the toilet to the holding tank for any cracks or leaks. You want to really inspect them at least once or twice a year to make sure they’re not being permeated through with waste. If a hose is damaged, it will need to be replaced. Using harsh chemicals in your marine head can seriously damage your hose health., causing them to deteriorate. Also make sure you flush thoroughly after you defecate, leaving your poo in your hoses can also deteriorate them, causing your whole boat to stink as the odor can permeate through the hose. If you need to replace your hose, make sure you use marine wet exhaust hose as it is the best hose to use and it doesn’t permeate the smells as easy. It also lasts for a long time.
5. Empty the holding tank:
The holding tank is where the waste from the toilet is stored until it can be disposed of properly. It is important to regularly empty the holding tank to prevent odors and to keep the toilet flushing properly. if the tank overfills it can clog your vent hose and then emptying your tank will prove to be difficult. If you are not near a local pump out location, just make sure you empty your tank in approved locations according to your area. Please don’t empty your tank in a marina or in your anchorage. Not only is it really gross, but it happens to be quite illegal and you could be fined and in some places arrested for such offenses. Please be safe.
6. Use the right type of toilet paper:
Marine-specific toilet paper is designed to break down more quickly in the holding tank than regular toilet paper. This helps to prevent clogs and makes it easier to empty the tank. Personally, we don’t flush toilet paper of any kind down our marine head, we put it in the trash bin next to the toilet. We have a manual marine toilet with no macerator. So it’s just easier for us to deal with. If you do use toilet paper in your toilet, make sure you’re using the appropriate kind so as not to clog your toilet or holding tank. Usually it’s ok to use 1-ply marine toilet paper.
By following these simple maintenance tips, you can keep your sailboat toilet in good working order and ensure that it is a clean and pleasant place to use. For additional information, we think all boaters should have this book on board, as it teaches you almost everything you need to know about boat toilets. Get Rid of Boat Odors by Peggy Hall. Thank you for reading. We hope your marine toilet stays so fresh and so clean. Be safe out there friends!
Fair winds, peace & Love,
Nikki
