Changing Out The Head Again..

[clockwork orange]

Sorry for the bad news but while a fresh water flush very likely does reduce the smell it is not the majic bullet. I work at a large marina on Lake Superior and go aboard many boats and they all stink. Im sure the owners think they don't but they are nose blind. The only thing I have found that helps is to eliminate as much of the hose as is possible and replace with well supported household pvc pipe which does not permeate.You do need some flexible connections of course. In my experience ALL hose permeates regardless of how much it costs. Plastic holding tanks also permeate and the best I have found is the custom made epoxy/glass/plywood tanks we have sometimes built to maximise volume in boats that were never meant to have holding tanks.

[James S]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Sorry for the bad news but while a fresh water flush very likely does reduce the smell it is not the majic bullet. I work at a large marina on Lake Superior and go aboard many boats and they all stink. Im sure the owners think they don't but they are nose blind. The only thing I have found that helps is to eliminate as much of the hose as is possible and replace with well supported household pvc pipe which does not permeate.You do need some flexible connections of course. In my experience ALL hose permeates regardless of how much it costs. Plastic holding tanks also permeate and the best I have found is the custom made epoxy/glass/plywood tanks we have sometimes built to maximise volume in boats that were never meant to have holding tanks.

Hmmm... i do have glassed (not epoxy) plywood holding tanks and schedule 40 pvc with the exception of about 16inches right out of the toilet.. but we are away from the boat for months at a time and I'm pretty sure I'm not "nose blind" but could be wrong.. I doe keep them empty when at the dock... also have a buddy with a big ass powerboat with fresh water flush and i don't think his stinks either.. but I am getting older... hahaha...If you think they do stink I would wonder what you think the cause is.. the conventional hoses and tanks?

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Sorry for the bad news but while a fresh water flush very likely does reduce the smell it is not the majic bullet. I work at a large marina on Lake Superior and go aboard many boats and they all stink. Im sure the owners think they don't but they are nose blind. The only thing I have found that helps is to eliminate as much of the hose as is possible and replace with well supported household pvc pipe which does not permeate.You do need some flexible connections of course. In my experience ALL hose permeates regardless of how much it costs. Plastic holding tanks also permeate and the best I have found is the custom made epoxy/glass/plywood tanks we have sometimes built to maximise volume in boats that were never meant to have holding tanks.

hate to tell you this but there is a difference between raw water flush and fresh water flush from your water tanks. The lake water is not considered drinking water without filtering and sanitizing.
(There are critters in lake water. )

[clockwork orange]

Originally Posted by newhaul

hate to tell you this but there is a difference between raw water flush and fresh water flush from your water tanks. The lake water is not considered drinking water without filtering and sanitizing.
(There are critters in lake water. )

Who the heck carries enough city water in tanks to use it for flushing the toilet? I don't, I have 2 x 30 gallon fresh water tanks which is more than some, less than some, and there is no way that's enough for washing dishes, showering and flushing the toilet on a cruise with several people aboard. One could filter the lake water I suppose to keep critters out but I doubt that any of the boats in our marina do. They just stink. A lot of older boats were never designed to carry their waste around with them so finding space for a worthwhile sized holding tank as well as all the plumbing involved which is often very difficult to route to said tank as well as the sometimes many connections which are potential leaks almost guarantee you will end up with that disgusting smell which is worse than the sum of the contents.

[KenH]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Sorry for the bad news but while a fresh water flush very likely does reduce the smell it is not the majic bullet. I work at a large marina on Lake Superior and go aboard many boats and they all stink. Im sure the owners think they don't but they are nose blind. The only thing I have found that helps is to eliminate as much of the hose as is possible and replace with well supported household pvc pipe which does not permeate.You do need some flexible connections of course. In my experience ALL hose permeates regardless of how much it costs. Plastic holding tanks also permeate and the best I have found is the custom made epoxy/glass/plywood tanks we have sometimes built to maximise volume in boats that were never meant to have holding tanks.

Are you talking White water PVC pipe? or which kind?
Can you give an example of type..

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Who the heck carries enough city water in tanks to use it for flushing the toilet? I don't, I have 2 x 30 gallon fresh water tanks which is more than some, less than some, and there is no way that's enough for washing dishes, showering and flushing the toilet on a cruise with several people aboard. One could filter the lake water I suppose to keep critters out but I doubt that any of the boats in our marina do. They just stink. A lot of older boats were never designed to carry their waste around with them so finding space for a worthwhile sized holding tank as well as all the plumbing involved which is often very difficult to route to said tank as well as the sometimes many connections which are potential leaks almost guarantee you will end up with that disgusting smell which is worse than the sum of the contents.

Well, we flush with city water when at the Marina and our Watermaker water when not.
Boats can stink of course, but don’t have to. I only now have a little smell when I use the waste tank, in my tool locker where the hose runs though but not in the boat.
I have been fighting to some extent a little smell from our bilge, chlorine completely knocked it out, I have bought some Airconditioner drain tabs that I will try, but I’m particularly sensitive to smells. Won’t have a Cat for that reason.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by KenH

Are you talking White water PVC pipe? or which kind?
Can you give an example of type..

Yes, plain ole schedule 40 PVC pipe, it’s what likely every house in the last 40 yrs waste has been plumbed with.
There is a black I believe ABS pipe that mobile homes use, but PVC is more widely available.

[KenH]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Yes, plain ole schedule 40 PVC pipe, it’s what likely every house in the last 40 yrs waste has been plumbed with.
There is a black I believe ABS pipe that mobile homes use, but PVC is more widely available.

Thank you!! I need to look in to everything before I make my decision.
I might have to do the holding tank also due to it being old..

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Who the heck carries enough city water in tanks to use it for flushing the toilet? I don't, I have 2 x 30 gallon fresh water tanks which is more than some, less than some, and there is no way that's enough for washing dishes, showering and flushing the toilet on a cruise with several people aboard. One could filter the lake water I suppose to keep critters out but I doubt that any of the boats in our marina do. They just stink. A lot of older boats were never designed to carry their waste around with them so finding space for a worthwhile sized holding tank as well as all the plumbing involved which is often very difficult to route to said tank as well as the sometimes many connections which are potential leaks almost guarantee you will end up with that disgusting smell which is worse than the sum of the contents.

most of my customers carry enough water for all of that in addition to a watermaker.
As to the sewage I went composting for all the reasons you mentioned .

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’m particularly sensitive to smells. Won’t have a Cat for that reason.

What do you mean by that....multihull or pussycat?

[James S]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Who the heck carries enough city water in tanks to use it for flushing the toilet? I don't, I have 2 x 30 gallon fresh water tanks which is more than some, less than some, and there is no way that's enough for washing dishes, showering and flushing the toilet on a cruise with several people aboard. One could filter the lake water I suppose to keep critters out but I doubt that any of the boats in our marina do. They just stink. A lot of older boats were never designed to carry their waste around with them so finding space for a worthwhile sized holding tank as well as all the plumbing involved which is often very difficult to route to said tank as well as the sometimes many connections which are potential leaks almost guarantee you will end up with that disgusting smell which is worse than the sum of the contents.

Well I guess its one advantage to larger boats.. I carry almost 300 gallons of "house" water in two tanks and 80 gallons of flush water soon I'll have a water maker installed (i hope) and that will add even more water potential..

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by newhaul

...As to the sewage I went composting for all the reasons you mentioned .

In clockwork’s defence, he’s up on Lake Superior. The water is as clean as any open water source can be. And there’s not a lot of critters swimming around in that cold water. I would routinely drink directly from the Lake when away from the few cities or towns.

My last standard marine head was operated on Superior. I used raw water from the Lake, and it didn’t stink.

[clockwork orange]

Not everybody sails on the ocean so do not have a watermaker for endless fresh water without marine organizms and most smaller boats, say under 45ft do not carry hundreds of gallons of fresh water. Maybe I am over sensitized to marine sewage systems stench from having been on so many boats over nearly half a century as a boatbuilder but I find it unacceptable to slide open the companionway and be assaulted by the stink on otherwise nice expensive boats. To those who may be interested in plumbing with pvc it is possible to bend the stuff to gentle sweeps with a heat gun to reduce the number of joints and of course you want to make all the turns as gentle as you can. Obviously it needs to be well supported and don't run it through a locker where you may stow items which may break it. All common sense stuff but worth mentioning.

[James S]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Not everybody sails on the ocean so do not have a watermaker for endless fresh water without marine organizms and most smaller boats, say under 45ft do not carry hundreds of gallons of fresh water. Maybe I am over sensitized to marine sewage systems stench from having been on so many boats over nearly half a century as a boatbuilder but I find it unacceptable to slide open the companionway and be assaulted by the stink on otherwise nice expensive boats. To those who may be interested in plumbing with pvc it is possible to bend the stuff to gentle sweeps with a heat gun to reduce the number of joints and of course you want to make all the turns as gentle as you can. Obviously it needs to be well supported and don't run it through a locker where you may stow items which may break it. All common sense stuff but worth mentioning.

I agree 100 percent.. And if you use schedule 40 its pretty tough to break with stowed gear..

[KenH]

To the people saying use PVC which I'm going to. Which Y valve is the best to use.
I don't want to glue the pvc to it. So, do I still need a hose line for the connection point?
Each line I will need will be less then 4' and going up. Will a back flow device ge good to add to the line going to the Y valve?
As a poster said earlier I think I will be going with a 1" line to the tank. For the purpose of less material in the pipe.