Mistake I will not make again!

tagurit

I decided to sanitize the water system today but the drain was clogged. Apparently I left the drain valve open when I emptied the tank at the end of last season and some unknown little beastie crawled/flew up there and built a mud nest in the line. Fortunately I had used screw-type hose clamps when I rerouted the lines and a home-made pipe cleaner and a little bleach water fixed it. I think a little piece of duct tape is in order for next winter!

WilliamA

Good call. A cork works well too. You don't have to worry about forgetting the cork. Next time you want to drain the tank, you'll remember. It's the mud wasps that are responsible for most of these hijinks. They love building nests in places like that.
WilliamA

CoryBeth

Sounds like the "pee hole" on my outboard motor, every year before the first boat outting. After the first time it happened and I had to get in the cold water to unclog the hole I now make sure to check it as part of the unwinterizing process.

LuckyJ

@CoryBeth said:
Sounds like the "pee hole" on my outboard motor, every year before the first boat outting. After the first time it happened and I had to get in the cold water to unclog the hole I now make sure to check it as part of the unwinterizing process.

Why not put a red tape over the hole after wimterizing??

Michigan_Mike

@CoryBeth said:
Sounds like the "pee hole" on my outboard motor, every year before the first boat outting. After the first time it happened and I had to get in the cold water to unclog the hole I now make sure to check it as part of the unwinterizing process.

I have experienced similar issues when mud got up into the intake of my pontoon motor. Something that works great for this chore and might help with the mud wasp issue to unclog an orifice opening is to use weed whacker line, insert it up into the tube and run it back and forth until the obstruction is cleared. Worked great for me!

BBsGarage

The only real fix for wasps is napalm!!!

TennTim

I had this same problem this year! Little buggers! Just waiting it to dissolve and run out was all it took from me. Next year I'll leave the cap on. I was afraid water would pool last year.

Michigan_Mike

i got stung by a yellow jacket while sitting in a chair on our front porch. I found out that there was a nest in a bird house my wife mounted to the porch railing of her old farmhouse. She foamed it with bee spray three nights ago and I saw a bee go in there yesterday so I zapped it. I took the top off and found the original nest still intact and with larvae still alive. One yellow jacket was eating its way out so I removed the nest and put a shoe to them on the driveway. Rule #1 - Always eliminate the nest irregardless of whether you sprayed it or not as life goes on inside and new problems will arise later!