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IrishLass · 28-02-2011, 07:41

I find the odor in our head intolerable. My husband says it is the bacteria from the dead ocean organisms in the sea water, not the human waste.
He suggested we could try two options....the first and simplest being adding some enzymes; the second, changing the lines to impermeable PVC. Suggestions please?!

Lowcountry · 28-02-2011, 07:50

Try some white vinegar before you start ripping lines out.

**Cotemar** · 28-02-2011, 07:53

IrishLass,

Urine interacts with salt water to make calcium deposits.
We started using "Fresh Water Flush" which eliminates the calcium deposits.

We leave the toilet seawater inlet valve closed. When flushing the toilet, we just leave a cup next to the sink and fill it with water from the sink and pour it in the toilet and pump the valve.

#1 Use one cup of water then pump valve
#2 Use three cups of water in the bowl before you start. When finished then pump like crazy.

This year I looked in my fittings and hoses and there is no build up in them at all.

You may be interested in this post if you want to change your hoses.
When the time comes this is what I will be doing.
As you can see in this post I have some experience with changing out Sewage hose and using PVC piping.

Sewage Hose or PVC Pipe ?

Sewage Hose or PVC Pipe ?

Mark

MarkJ · 28-02-2011, 07:56

Try some white vinegar before..........

D'oh!

Don't try using toilet cleaners as I gave that idea a go and it melted the rubber in the head pumps

How old is the boat and how long have you owned it? Has the smell increased slowly over the last few years?

My 2 bathrooms now smell like a rose because I have changed the pipes, vinegar often and bought new pump assemblys for the 2 Jabsco heads.
The pipes come in different varieties.. the non -odour ones are very expensive but there is also, I believe the same type of pipe marketed as wet exhaust hose(????) that is much cheaper.

So start with the vinegar. Buy a huge bottle and pump out the water and put in a litre or 2 of vinegar and leave for a few hours

peghall · 28-02-2011, 07:57

Before we can fix it, we need to determine the source...

Is the odor confined to the head? Or throughout the boat?

Is it always present? Or only when you first come aboard after the boat has sat, and goes away once you've flushed all the stagnant sea water out of the system?

The next question is a little tougher... Describe the odor. Is it a sewer odor? Or more like a sour stagnant swamp? Or a combination?

When, if ever, was the last time you changed the joker valve in the toilet discharge?

When, if ever, was the last time you cleaned--really CLEANED--the shower sump? If you don't have a sump--the shower drains into the bilge--and the odor is throughout the boat, when if ever was the last time you really cleaned your bilges and rinsed all the dirty water out instead of only dumping in some "miracle" cleaning product and/or bleach and calling it done?

When I have the answers to all those questions I'll have a pretty good idea of how to cure your odor problem.

**bstreep** · 28-02-2011, 08:05

What Peggy said. If you give us the WHOLE picture, maybe we can help.

John A · 28-02-2011, 08:11

Peggie,

Welcome to our forum!

I remember your sage advice from the old CWBB, when Doug was the webmaster and the Bernie wars were historic events. Then there were the days of WOO.
The world of the intenet has changed!

peghall · 28-02-2011, 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by John A

Peggie, Welcome to our forum! I remember your sage advice from the old CWBB...The world of the intenet has changed!

It sure has! And it will surely keep on changing too. Thanks for the welcome!

**bstreep** · 28-02-2011, 08:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by John A

Bernie wars were historic events.

I had FORGOTTEN about those! Thread drift...

**hummingway** · 28-02-2011, 08:42

Peg, you missed the most important question .... does it only smell after your husband has been in there? Sorry, no cure for that one

rebel heart · 28-02-2011, 08:43

I fought and fought head smell for years. Two different heads, completely replacing all lines, vinegar, etc. Never helped.

Switched to a composting head and would never go back. The only smell we have is a slight odor on deck for a split second that reminds me of walking through the potting soil section of a gardening store. Nothing even slightly offensive.

I see people hauling around the pump out rigs and I feel terrible for them.

gonesail · 28-02-2011, 09:48

after sea water sits in the intake hose for a day or 2 .. it stinks when you flush the head. in warm weather it smells worse. there is an in-line thing that can deodorize the sea water.

thinwater · 28-02-2011, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrishLass

My husband says it is the bacteria from the dead ocean organisms in the sea water, not the human waste.

Or is it that seawater contains 10-50 times more sulfate than freshwater? After sitting in the hose for a day and becoming oxygen poor, do native anaerobic sulfate reducing bacteria convert sulfate into sulfide?

Not that it matters in the end. There is truth in his statement. The unpleasant truth is it may be several of the suggested problems!

There is also this, for dampness and the odor that doesn't come from the system!
Sail Delmarva: "A Bathroom Fan": or "No Blog Could be Complete Without a Tale of Head Repairs"