Holding tank stink spreading

[mcon12000]

Absolutely every single piece of hose has to go there is no other option! DO NOT go cheap on the hose and use the white pvc style hose offered at a fraction of the cost per foot of the 10 year guaranteed hose. Want to experience extreme demoralization? Use cheap hose or cut a corner in this process. As a bonus the high quality hose is 10x easier to install vs heating the ends on the not so flexible cheap stuff.

Replace any plastic valves or connectors and clean everything else. It’s nasty and you’re going to want to remove the cushions and cover anything you want safe from old hose dribble.

This is a great time to remove the cushion covers and hit a laundromat. Lay the foam cores out in the sun to air out since it’s not unusual for them to absorb the odor.

I’m telling you these things because I’ve been through this and you MUST treat this like you would treat a rudder or failing rigging. There are no shortcuts and you wouldn’t dare repair your rigging the cheapest way that has been proven to fail. Defender has the high quality hose at fair price and it ships fast. You’ll also need a hose cutter from any local hardware store and a decent pair of wire cutters designed for steel not copper. Use the hose cutter to make a clean cut without cutting through the wire or you’ll damage the blade then use the wire cutters to finish the cut.

I have zero odor and a happy wife.

[toda]

In addition to replacing the hoses, I would explore ways to reduce the length of the plumbing in the system. I did an overhaul of the waste plumbing in my '99 Pacific Seacraft Voyager 40 some years ago. By relocating the Y valve to a new location (in the back of the locker above and behind the head counter) I was able to reduce the length of hose by 16' (yes 16 feet!). Doing so eliminated a number of bends in the hose, and placed the y valve in a much more accessible location so that I can easily switch from tank to OB depending on what is being flushed (plain urine without TP is not, in my view, harmful to the marine environment given that it contains no coliform bacteria. In an otherwise healthy human, urine is sterile!). Keeping the "new" plumbing clean by ALWAYS flushing 10 strokes after the water in the bowl is clear has worked well too. I inspected the hoses last year and the inside looked as if I had just installed them. The holding tank is always given a small dose of enzyme to assure that the bio-digestion in the tank is healthy. And to be very transparent, the use of the hand shower from the sink to rinse off with after using the head means NO toilet paper. TP used by my female members of the crew goes into a waste bag after use when peeing instead of flushing. TMI perhaps... but then I find it odd that we have social taboos about talking openly about the distal end of the plumbing that begins with our mouth!

[OneBoatman]

If your head's plumbing and holding tank have been ignored or treated with harsh chemicals such as bleach and certain other commercial products it's likely you will have to replace the hoses and in the extreme, the holding tank itself. I have treated my head and all direct to sea sink drains to approx 6 oz of hydrogen peroxide every couple of weeks during the season for the past 40 years or so. I also rinse with fresh water after use. This breaks down the bacteria which cause odor without harming the system. Letting waste stand in your holding tank or over the winter is begging for trouble. I find using hydrogen peroxide much cheaper and I do not spend my money on the harsher perfumed commercial products or use bleach in my head. There are no human waste smells and no low tide smell aboard my boat and it makes boating pleasant as it should be. My system is able to function as it should for at least a decade before needing replacement. Regular use of bleach ie free chlorine, will do two things: it will eventually attack the elastomers in the lining of your the hoses causing embrittlement and porosity. They will degrade to the point where they retain bacteria, continued treatment gradually becomes less effective until ineffective causing the odor you smell that many people think this is somehow expected as part of boating. Almost as bad, it will cost you money because using Chlorine will quite rapidly corrode both internal bronze and eventually any stainless steel components in the pumps and toilet seals causing you to have to rebuild the system prematurely.

[Sea Q]

Buy Peggie's book for a start. You might have a easy or more complicated rebuild but until the problem is isolated and you make a plan .
Take pics of your system and post them there is a wealth of knowledge on this site. Stay away from bleach -- its nasty !


More important the season is here so a quick temp fix might be in order .
Mr. NoFlex

[Jim Woodall]

I have seldom used products of any type that work “as advertised”. However, I have had Commoderizers installed in all three of my heads for 3 1/2 years. No odor, only a slight chlorine smell when flushed. I have absolutely no calcium buildup after more than 3 years. Over a very short period of time (2-4 weeks) it eliminates all the foul odors even in boats with really bad smells.It will usually remove calcium buildup. It may not work on the buildup above, but it does break up most calcium buildup.

Customer service is excellent as well. TMM Yacht Charters in the BVI has installed Commoderizers on its entire fleet for several years with virtually no issues. The units are well tested by TMM, with hundreds of units in almost daily use.

A great product.

[R Hutcheson]

Before going too crazy, check the duckbill valve in the vented loop. As they age, they no longer close and allow odor (and possibly waste) to escape out the top of the vented loop. Then check your connections starting with the ones at your holding tank. Also, if you have a maserator pump, the seal can fail resulting in a leak of waste and the resulting smell.

[Dieseldude]

Before making any plans for major work, the system must be inspected for leaks, seeps, and blockages. Since your complaint is odor, I would suggest that you are looking for a blocked vent or a small leak. I have seen vent pipes very badly choked with debris. Clearing this solved the problem. Pipes and hoses can be choked with urine stone, and this can be very difficult to remove. Might be easier replace them. If it is an old system with old plumbing, it may need major overhaul without spending a lot of time inspecting. Because sewage systems are unpleasant to deal with, they tend to be neglected, hence the onset of problems that can turn into a large job.

[jerryf609]

Take Peggy up on her offer to PM her. She is extremely knowledgeable and was super helpful to me when my old boat had odors. Buy her book like I did and listen to her advice. We are fortunate to have her on forum.

I put in new hoses and converted my head to a Raritan. Not saying you need a new head but i did.

[OneBoatman]

To Jim Woodall. Interesting to hear that there is a product to address this that helps the charter companies and possibly others. Charter companies can write off most of what their willing to put into their boats, which usually isn't very much. I rather spend my money on wine and cheese. I've spoken to some that have had good experiences chartering. I started using hydrogen peroxide so long ago and I've been passing it along to dockmates as friendly tip for more than 25 years and received more thanks than I remember. Funny that even in Annapolis I found most weren't onto it. My reply is geared to the everyday boater that is likely spending more than it takes and creating future problems without even realizing it. I'm pretty sure I'm too sensitive to enjoy chartering as in my experience the upkeep is frequently an issue and I don't enjoy hearing apologies when I'm on vacation. Charter sailboats always seem to have cheap and tired sails and undersized winches. Some don't really care and are perfectly happy because it's not their own and some don't know the difference.

[nofacey]

Treat the tank (I used Ordorlos, it worked) slosh it about, pump & flush a couple times, replace hose with high end pvc sanitation hose.
It’s not that bad a job if you give the tank a good flush first.

[Rotten Ricky]

We never had odour problems in the up-to-10-year-old hoses or tanks in our boat or travel trailer - I think because we flushed the hoses with FRESH soapy water at the beginning of any time we left them for a while. We also made sure they had plenty of water to flush with when in use.

Having worked on these and other sewage systems, and as a farm boy and later psychology professional, be assured that the apparent unappetizing nature of this work is all in your head. I found it relatively odour-free.

As my father used to say, there is plenty of soap and water, so just get it done....!

Cheers, RR.

[pbmaise]

Plumbing mistakes built into your vessel should be expected when you buy from a manufacturer that only builds a few vessels or cuts corners.

They don't care if your vessel starts to stink 15 years after manufacturer. Further, they thought it was a great idea to run common lines to feed both the shower and the sink. It is not their problem that the T is located way under the floor boards. It is not their problem that the stainless steel clamp rusted out years ago and can't be reached to be replaced.

I found out the only way to replace the clamps was to rip up the entire shower pan and start a new. I also found out the entire floor of the head had to be replaced because it was rotting out.

If I was to rip out the supply lines I would look at this thread.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...at-164813.html

With PEX system you have a dedicated line running to each tap. None of this T clamp business with multiple leak points and clamps.

[Dieseldude]

Originally Posted by pbmaise

Plumbing mistakes built into your vessel should be expected when you buy from a manufacturer that only builds a few vessels or cuts corners.

They don't care if your vessel starts to stink 15 years after manufacturer. Further, they thought it was a great idea to run common lines to feed both the shower and the sink. It is not their problem that the T is located way under the floor boards. It is not their problem that the stainless steel clamp rusted out years ago and can't be reached to be replaced.

I found out the only way to replace the clamps was to rip up the entire shower pan and start a new. I also found out the entire floor of the head had to be replaced because it was rotting out.

If I was to rip out the supply lines I would look at this thread.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...at-164813.html

With PEX system you have a dedicated line running to each tap. None of this T clamp business with multiple leak points and clamps.

Good points about manufacturer made plumbing problems and lack of access to do repairs. Sometimes replumbing like the original layout will only be a repeat of a bad set up. May need some experienced advice before doing any work. If considering PEX, it is worth looking at the all plastic systems. The old PEX uses brass fittings and brass or stainless crimp clamps. These are vulnerable to leakage. Professional plumbers like the system that uses plastic fittings. A special tool is needed to expand the fitting. The pipe is inserted, and the fitting shrinks to firmly seal.



Another advantage is that plastic fittings are external to the pipe, so flow rate is better. The internally positioned brass fittings actually choke the flow. If the system ever freezes, the brass fittings can crack. The plastic fittings should be able to expand with the freezing and be unharmed. The all plastic system is more costly, and the tool is expensive. But you get better reliability. Might want to check with a plumber or commercial plumbing supplier.

[Rumrace]

I read 130 litre holding tank!? So that’s ground for divorce right there. If you meant one 30 litre holding tank please forgive me.
You need to shock the tank toss the hoses and pray the club doesn’t tell jokes about you at the spring picnic. Someone used the wrong chemical in the tank prolly for septic systems. Liquid gold is what I use and saved my second marriage.
The stink on serious is a damaged system. Ripped tank or hose. Plugged vent if the system has a macerator they can get jammed. Don’t post photos thanks. Just toss it, it will give you bad memories and laws have changed many places. Check the bilge for any fouling it’s very dangerous. Ecoli beach stuff. At any rate. Pressure test the tank. Clean it with ( my recipe) Walnut shells dawn dish soap and pressure washer. Or replace it, they are not that bad.
You’ll find things like mattress covers new upholstery removes odours and is a wife pleasing move. I put cedar saw dust stockings in wet lockers and hidden cavities. I also run a home made carbon filter to kill bacon smell.

[Sheer Pleasure]

I would stay away from the bleach but instead put a bottle of pro biotic in the tank with about 40 litres of water and let sit ,this will turn the hard stuff back into liquid, then pump out.
Replace all pipes and fittings, after this regular vinegar treatment will help keep the system clear of calcium buildup

Good luck