A small drain question

[tom ricks]

I noticed this morning that the starboard drain in the cockpit of my Typhoon ain't draining. I poked a screwdriver down but that didn't clear it out.

What should I try next?

Thanks,
Tom Ricks
Penobscot Bay

[tjr818]

A plumbers helper, commonly called a plunger, often will do the job.

[sloopjohnl]

Maybe a plumbers plunger if not too dense a clog. a toilet snake about six feet if a tougher clog. compressed air usually works for me on leaf and bug carcass debris in the spring. the scuppers are right at the water line so if you are seeing water just below the surface of the scupper it does not mean it is not draining, just water seeking its own level.

[Dave and Kathy]

Our typhoon has accumulated enough plant matter and dirt to plug the cockpit drains on a couple of occasions. Our 1976 model does not have screens or shields over the cockpit drain openings. I have had good luck applying a garden hose directly to the opening (no nozzle on the hose) and just letting the force of the water clear whatever's in there.

[bottomscraper]

I don't have a Typhoon but "mechanical fingers" can sometimes work when the plumbers helper fails. They are a good thing
to keep on the boat to retrieve lost fasteners and such. If you get them wet they rust like crazy so a rinse with fresh water and a good spray of WD40 will keep them working. Here is a link to Home Depot but they should be available at any home center, hardware store or probably any auto parts store. They make some better ones with built in lights and magnetic ends but sometimes (like this) the extra features get in the way.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GrabEasy-Gra ... /202505170

[Ben Miller]

I picked up a plastic bath hair snare from the hardware store a couple of months ago (not this model, but similar) and I have high hopes for it when it comes to unclogging my scuppers. It's flexible and long enough that it'll fish its way all the way through the drain tube and out the thru hull, so it should be able to dislodge whatever gets stuck there, unless it's something especially serious. And it's non-rusting, and cheap!

[Sea Hunt Video]

Tom:

I have used two (2) highly sophisticated tools to deal with this issue both on my previous Typhoon Weekender and on my current CD 25D.

The first tool is a metal hangar. I bend one end over onto itself so that the end of the hangar does not puncture a hole in the scupper hose. This also serves to create something akin to a "push rod". I have found this works well at removing leaves, small twigs, etc., that have lodged themselves in the hose.

My second tool is a toilet plunger. Once the leaves, small twigs, etc., have been dislodged most will drop down and out of the hose. However, because of water pressure some will remain. This is where the sophisticated plunger tool comes into play. Pour some water into the hose and apply the plunger. It pushes the refuge completely out of the hose.

I hope this helps.

[Sea Hunt Video]

I noticed that my friend Tim posted earlier suggesting a plunger. Great minds think alike

[tjr818]

I noticed that my friend Tim posted earlier suggesting a plunger. Great minds think alike

Roberto,
It is 100 degrees here in Sunny STL and the sun is over the yardarm, so I am thinking that I'll have a Guinness. Slainte!

[tom ricks]

Again, I appreciate the help.

The small tips are so useful. I was thinking of a hanger, but it didn't occur to me to twist the end to avoid a puncture.

If that doesn't work, I'll bring a plunger down.

And if that doesn't work, I'll have a Guinness.

[Paul D.]

Before the Guinness, if you have access to a hose you could try to blast it out with water pressure. That worked for my old Typhoon more than once. There was a tree that lost leaves over the boat and that caused the plugging. I rigged a smaller hose to force into the cockpit scupper.

[tom ricks]

Update:

--Plunger didn't do anything

--Got that little plastic snake-like thing for $2.49 at the Ace hardware. It worked beautifully. Pulled up a bunch of black muck, and finally a paint chip out of the cockpit that must have begun the stoppage. Cockpit now drains nicely.

Thanks again to you all.

[Joe CD MS 300]

Update:

--Plunger didn't do anything

--Got that little plastic snake-like thing for $2.49 at the Ace hardware. It worked beautifully. Pulled up a bunch of black muck, and finally a paint chip out of the cockpit that must have begun the stoppage. Cockpit now drains nicely.

Thanks again to you all.

Those plasic drain cleaner work great both on the boat and at home. One came with a can of home drain cleaner. Didn't even need to use the chemical. It is a little short for some of the uses on the boat.