Houseboats are great fun to use whether it’s for vacation or to live on board but a clogged toilet on a houseboat? Not so much fun!
Houseboats are perfect for family vacations, and are a great option to go for to get rid of the daily stresses of life. You can also enjoy these houseboat trips with friends and family who can make the trip even more enjoyable.
But there are many problems related to these Houseboats as well which you may encounter from time to time. One of these issues that might come up is the toilet clogging.
This can be like a big nightmare coming true.
Since toilets on a houseboat are different from a normal toilet then unclogging a houseboat toilet has to be done a little bit differently. We will discuss each of the methods you can try to use on your houseboat to try and unclog the toilet in this article.
How to Unclog A Houseboat Toilet?
Sinceit is a houseboat toilet, the procedure for unclogging it is not the same as the usual toilet would be. So it is important that you must go in prepared before starting the trip to avoid having a problem and not knowing how to fix it!
Just simply being prepared can prevent the clog from going from a minor inconvenience to a full blown disaster! There are various methods for doing so and you can choose which one you want to do.
The one that you know how to do and works best in a certain situation is obviously the method you should use.
The toilets of houseboats and other marine ships are made up especially to ensure there is no wasted water. These toilets usually use the water that you are on to fill the toilet and flush the water into the septic tank.
One of the main reasons for toilet clogging is because the system of pipes may pull in something from the water that in turn doesn’t allow the toilet to work properly.
In most cases you can easily fix this issue using the methods mentioned below.
One of the easiest methods to get rid of these annoying clogs is:
Using a Corrosive Acid
This is one of the easiest methods to get rid of toilet clogs as you don’t have to put in too much effort in this procedure. It includes very few steps that you can follow which will lead to an unclogged toilet.
Take up a corrosive strong acid which can react with the material stuck in your toilet system. Use gloves and a mask to protect yourself from any damage due to the acid. Use a small amount of the acid and pour it into a plastic container because using a metal container may lead to a chemical reaction between the acid and the container.
Put this acid directly into the toilet. There may be the formation of bubbles in the water due to the acid. Leave it for a few minutes and then flush or pump up the toilet. No more formation of bubbles in the water is also an indication that the acid has done its work. But do make sure to be very careful while using the acid as it may cause a lot of damage to the skin or the place it gets in contact with.
Seek medical care immediately if you come into contact with it. Also, make sure that the mask and the gloves are of great quality so that they can prevent you from any damage in case of any mishap.
To save you from the hard work of unclogging the toilet yourself, toilet clog removers are easily available. But sometimes the situation may not be in your favor if it is the toilet drain which is clogged instead of the toilet. To fix such a situation use a machine. It will make your work much easier and will help you out in saving much of the effort.
Other methods
The old method of using a toilet plunger comes to mind in this case. You can use a toilet plunger on a houseboat toilet if the clog is just at the toilet itself or if it’s not too big. It could help in solving some of the problems but the results aren’t guaranteed. Using a toilet snake is another option to go for. This will help in cleaning a little better.
The clogs can be removed from deep down the pipe with a snake so it works well.
If none of the above works you can also try a pressurized hose to try and get the results you desire.
How to avoid a Clogged Toilet?
What’s better than solving the problem is to prevent the problem from happening in the first place. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure!
There are a few things that can be done to avoid clogging the toilet in the first place. These are great ways to help you avoid the nasty job of cleaning a clogged toilet.
By following these prevention methods, you can avoid the problem and can also use a better way of disposal.
Using a bin to dispose of used toilet paper is a great way to avoid clogging your houseboat toilet at all. You can dispose of these on a regular basis to avoid any smell arising from them over time. Flushing toilet paper is often the main reason for toilet clogs on boats.
Regularly flushing vinegar or some strong acid down the toilet can help in cleaning up the system properly. This will help you out in avoiding toilet clogs at all. This is a great option and can be implemented easily too.
Avoid flushing in any kind of foreign material down the toilet. This may result in severe toilet clogs in future. You can avoid these by making sure that the lid stays closed and the toilet users don’t flush any unnecessary stuff in the toilet.
So, these are a few things that can be done to avoid any kind of damage to the toilet. You can save yourself from this unnecessary hassle of clogs by making sure that you follow the tips provided. Even though cleaning clogged toilets has been made easy because of the availability of strong acids it still is easier to avoid the clog all together.
Conclusion
Toilet clogging is a common thing which can happen any time and on a houseboat as well as a normal house. It is best to ensure that you have knowledge on how to fix the issue if such a situation arises. I Hope that you found this article helpful and it has saved you some time and effort by preventing the clogs in the first place.
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