Head and Holding Storage

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

d your labor just earns you the right to use the boat......i2f

Really I thought the 12g a year in slip fees have taken care of that? Have you wise old timers been speaking with my family, because all of this is news to me?

[imagine2frolic]

I am not a young man (pushing 30), I am not in college, I am not living rent free, I have put in over $10,000 worth of free labor into this boat, and we have constantly treated the holding tank



Your words not mine. I guess you didn't notice the little thumbs up, and a wink. It was typed in fun........i2f

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

I am not a young man (pushing 30), I am not in college, I am not living rent free, I have put in over $10,000 worth of free labor into this boat, and we have constantly treated the holding tank. Thanks you for making such astute assumptions about me though. This is the type of stereotyping I have to undergo every day at my marina and it drives me nuts.

When you're pushing 60 or 70, pushing 30 sounds funny.

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Back to the thread though, sorry. I will check the hoses as per suggested. I am however worried about improper ventilation though. Sometimes when we pump out the holding tank the vent only wheezes a little bit until the tank is almost empty. I will investigate further. I was sort of under the assumption that everyone's head and tank smelled a bit.

Also, as I have read on other threads, it is not a good idea to use products like Headzyme when your ventilation is in question because you can explode your holding tank.

Better check the vent, as it might be clogged.

[Pblais]

I am not a young man (pushing 30), I am not in college, I am not living rent free, I have put in over $10,000 worth of free labor into this boat.

OK, you took a few extra days off. Boats need lots of loving. Sorry to say you are young. We can take a poll if needed.

Vasco really has this one nailed. I too had (not any more) a boat with the hose DavidM posted the picture of and it still stunk. It's what 15 years of using the head will get you. Mine stunk bad when the tank was empty. If the tank is empty and it still smells then the hoses are shot through. The paper towel test is always conclusive. Replacement is the only cure. The stink goes through the hose and no chemical will remove it without total destruction. Bleach is not a cure for much of anything. Be kind to the holding tank with plenty of venting. The absolute worst smells come form anaerobic oxidation (lack of oxygen). You vent well and the smells are nothing compared to poor venting.

The treatment of holding tanks is best applied with frequent pumping. Chemicals in a holding tank just are not going to do much other than the very short term. You should know that hauling a big tank full of waste around could never have an upside. This stuff does not age well. Also try to eliminate sags in the hose where the stuff can settle. A nice 1/4 inch (or more) per foot would be a bare minimum.

[thinwater]

I had to replace a worn joker valve last week - no big deal - but it did bring the whole stink issue to the fore-front. We were bottled-up in the boat during some thunderstorms, with less ventilation than the situation required.

Anyway, I came up with a slick, cheap, and easy way to add a small fan, so I posted it on my blog to share. Perhaps it will help someone.

Sail Delmarva: "A Bathroom Fan": or "No Blog Could be Complete Without a Tale of Head Repairs"

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Your words not mine. I guess you didn't notice the little thumbs up, and a wink. It was typed in fun........i2f

Woops sorry! Went a little bit over board there. I'm just sensitive about my relative youth. Maybe I should just be happy about it eh? Thanks for all of the help guys. It looks like it's time for some new hoses. One last question and then I'll let this stinky thread (and my bad 'tude) go away.

Our vent hose runs from the holding tank which is just below the v berth (see the little inset cushion 1986 westwind vagabond westwind 38 sailboat for sale in New York {see image 4}) all the way to just above the head it's about a 6 or 7 foot run. I can't really imagine this is giving adequate O2 to the tank. Should we think about shortening the hose, or maybe adding another vent?

PS the fan idea does work, in fact it is the only thing I have found that makes any difference at all!

[babykinz]

I don't know if this works on all boats but when we are pumping the holding tank out we put the water hose up the the vent at the same time. First time we did this I was shocked at all the gunk. We also pour a couple buckets of fresh water down the head while pumping out to be sure the whole system gets rinsed, followed by a couple cups of vinegar and then the Campa-Chem.
Our boat is on the small side and when we first moved on it the smell was horrible...this is how we fixed the smell problem to live our ...ever after.

[Chief Engineer]

Use of any kind of home toilet cleaning chemicals will "kill" the proprietary lining on marine sanitation hose....Comet Cleanser/chlorine etc.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by babykinz

I don't know if this works on all boats but when we are pumping the holding tank out we put the water hose up the the vent at the same time. First time we did this I was shocked at all the gunk. We also pour a couple buckets of fresh water down the head while pumping out to be sure the whole system gets rinsed, followed by a couple cups of vinegar and then the Campa-Chem.
Our boat is on the small side and when we first moved on it the smell was horrible...this is how we fixed the smell problem to live our ...ever after.

For a while we had an industrial sized jug of vinegar. Every time we used the head we'd throw in a splash. It all but got rid of the smell. It's a nice alternative to some of the harsher chemical cleaners

[gosstyla]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Should we think about shortening the hose, or maybe adding another vent?

PS the fan idea does work, in fact it is the only thing I have found that makes any difference at all!

Two vents for cross ventilation in the tank is great if you can do it. Often the 1 vent approach is almost useless.