My boat came equipped with these (2 heads) and I’ve never bought the chemicals (so they are only passively in use). Any thoughts about the vailidity of the maker’s claims, pros and cons of these?
Thoughts about the Commoderizer?
- Thread starter Captain Larry-DH
- Start date
"The Commoderizer is a marine toilet odor control solution that helps remove calcium buildup. Get rid of that marine toilet smell today!"
Yacht Toilet Smell Solution | Marine Head Odor Removal Systems (commoderizer.com)
Don't know if I believe it! @Peggie Hall HeadMistress , what are your thoughts?
Yacht Toilet Smell Solution | Marine Head Odor Removal Systems (commoderizer.com)
Don't know if I believe it! @Peggie Hall HeadMistress , what are your thoughts?
It is probably wise to avoid using this product. Reading through the information about the tablet, it releases chlorine into the flush water. The chlorine kills the critters that die and stink but can also harm the soft plastics in the system. The chorine probably forms and acid which dissolves the calcium build ups. It may be worth something for boats that only discharge overboard, but for holding tanks the chlorine may kill off the the good bacteria which helps to reduce holding tank odors.
It's just a new take on a very old idea: a chemical dispenser installed in the toilet intake line, most of which have been proven to be very messy, expensive and rarely work as advertised. Plus...any chemical that kills odor-causing (anaerobic) bacteria in the intake line won't discriminate against one type of bacteria vs the other (aerobic),\.
I've posted a cure for intake odors so many times on this site that I've lost count but because new people join all the time, it's worth posting again:
There's a very simple and inexpensive way to prevent odor caused by sea water left to sit and stagnate in the toilet intake:
Sink drain thru-hulls are below the waterline on almost all sailboats. So disconnect the toilet intake hose from the thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and re-route it to tee or wye it into the sink drain line as close to the seacock as possible because the connection must be below waterline to work. You'll be left with an unused thru-hull that you can repurpose to use for a washdown pump and probably be able to shorten the intake line.
This will allow you to flush normally with sea water. After you’ve closed the sink drain seacock in preparation to close up the boat (you do close all seacocks before leaving the boat to sit??), fill the sink with clean fresh water and flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed, the toilet will draw the water out of the sink, rinsing the sea water out of the entire system—intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl and the discharge line, (water poured into the bowl only rinses out the toilet discharge line). If your toilet is electric, be careful not to let it run dry…doing so can burn out the intake impeller. Or you can keep the sink drain seacock closed except when it's needed to drain the sink and flush with fresh water down the sink all the time...your choice.
It may also be necessary to keep the sink plugged except when in use, with a rubber sink plug or by installing a conveniently located shut-off valve in the drain hose. Otherwise the toilet may pull air through the sink when you try to flush, preventing the pump from priming or pull water in while underway, turning the sink into a fountain.
--Peggie
I've posted a cure for intake odors so many times on this site that I've lost count but because new people join all the time, it's worth posting again:
There's a very simple and inexpensive way to prevent odor caused by sea water left to sit and stagnate in the toilet intake:
Sink drain thru-hulls are below the waterline on almost all sailboats. So disconnect the toilet intake hose from the thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and re-route it to tee or wye it into the sink drain line as close to the seacock as possible because the connection must be below waterline to work. You'll be left with an unused thru-hull that you can repurpose to use for a washdown pump and probably be able to shorten the intake line.
This will allow you to flush normally with sea water. After you’ve closed the sink drain seacock in preparation to close up the boat (you do close all seacocks before leaving the boat to sit??), fill the sink with clean fresh water and flush the toilet. Because the seacock is closed, the toilet will draw the water out of the sink, rinsing the sea water out of the entire system—intake line, pump, channel in the rim of the bowl and the discharge line, (water poured into the bowl only rinses out the toilet discharge line). If your toilet is electric, be careful not to let it run dry…doing so can burn out the intake impeller. Or you can keep the sink drain seacock closed except when it's needed to drain the sink and flush with fresh water down the sink all the time...your choice.
It may also be necessary to keep the sink plugged except when in use, with a rubber sink plug or by installing a conveniently located shut-off valve in the drain hose. Otherwise the toilet may pull air through the sink when you try to flush, preventing the pump from priming or pull water in while underway, turning the sink into a fountain.
--Peggie
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Just too, too, too many contradictions for this show-me guy. In no particular order :
- in one ad they claim that they are made by a company called Precision Instrument Services. Impressive name. A Google search shows many companies by this name. All that I saw dealt in high tech instruments and not low brow gadgets like this. Then they go on to say : We have a small manufacturing company so when we returned home we started working on various designs. Wish they'd get their story straight.
- Our patent pending design simply screws onto the existing base of the standard Jabsco In-line strainers, 36200-0000 or 46400-0000, already installed on virtually every boat. The Commo-der-izer™ Never seen a head yet that has an inlet strainer.
- Commodorizer claims that sea water introduces a stench in the toilet bowl each time you flush. Not once a head is in constant service it doesn't. It takes a day or two for the organisms to die and rot before water into the bowl starts to stink. There is NO continuous odor.
- Commoderizer claims calcium build up is the big problem in sanitation lines. Not from what I've seen. No calcium buildup other than a light coloured film on the inside of my 18 YO discharge lines lines when I replaced them because of the first signs of hose odour. Interior of all water sea water lines NEVER show calcium build up. There is no obvious chemical reason to.
- Their prices are over the top for just junk.
I think the Commodorizer should be dumped over the gunwale rather down the toilet and simply adhere to simple head operation requirements.
Want the most effective odour eliminator ever invented ? Install a fresh water injector from the sink into the sea water supply to the bowl. Never a whiff after the head hasn't been flushed for weeks in the middle of summer :
There's actually a much easier way that doesn't require installing anything but a tee in the sink drain line...Read post #5...
--Peggie
--Peggie
Sorry, I have nothing of value to contribute, other than to say that I’ve been a commodore; does that mean I’ve been commodorized?
Luckily no one dumped me over a gunwale. What's the best officer flag to fly in a Yacht Club?Sorry, I have nothing of value to contribute, other than to say that I’ve been a commodore; does that mean I’ve been commodorized?
Easy, the Past Commodore Flag. Who ever thought that being a Commodore of yacht club was fun, has never been a commodore.
We’ve have these on our two heads for the past 4 years. I am a huge fan. In the warmer waters of the Caribbean and Florida calcium buildup is definitely an issue. When we got the boat the there was definitely a “head” smell and these solved it immediately. But after about six months we started getting flow restrictions in the toilet discharge. There ended up being a lot of calcium buildup and it seems as the commoderizer began dissolving it some pieces were breaking off and forming clogs in the already restricted hose.
As far as killing the stinking sea creatures, my AC intake is right next to the head intake and we have a lot of smelly dead stuff in that line I am constantly dealing with.
Anyway, tablets last about 2 weeks in summer and a month in winter. If you do decide to use them be sure your intake pump has the viton valve upgrade.
As far as killing the stinking sea creatures, my AC intake is right next to the head intake and we have a lot of smelly dead stuff in that line I am constantly dealing with.
Anyway, tablets last about 2 weeks in summer and a month in winter. If you do decide to use them be sure your intake pump has the viton valve upgrade.
I've stopped flushing with sea water. I simply flush a little fresh water (maybe 8-16 oz) every 3-5 uses or so. And, if it's going to be a half-day or so before it gets used again, I'll pour a little fresh water into the bowl and not flush. We pump a generous amount of fresh water when we pump out to give it a thorough rinse, and we always pump out if we are going to be a couple of days off the boat. No odors.
When we got this boat ... it had a pretty bad odor problem, such that I thought I was going to have to replace some plumbing. But, I removed and thoroughly cleaned the tank because if it's going to stink, I want it to at least be ours. The tank was the original from 1975 and, I dare say, had never really been cleaned. Decades of buildup.
Since reinstalling the tank and changing our flushing habits, we have been completely odor free. And, the tank fills up much more slowly since we are flushing less water.
A friend of mine keeps a spray bottle with plain water in the head. After use, she just uses the spray bottle to spray down the inside of the bowl to prevent drops of urine from drying in the bowl. Then she just flushes dry. She has a super clean head and no odors. Doesn't even have the sea water intake hooked up anymore.
When we got this boat ... it had a pretty bad odor problem, such that I thought I was going to have to replace some plumbing. But, I removed and thoroughly cleaned the tank because if it's going to stink, I want it to at least be ours. The tank was the original from 1975 and, I dare say, had never really been cleaned. Decades of buildup.
Since reinstalling the tank and changing our flushing habits, we have been completely odor free. And, the tank fills up much more slowly since we are flushing less water.
A friend of mine keeps a spray bottle with plain water in the head. After use, she just uses the spray bottle to spray down the inside of the bowl to prevent drops of urine from drying in the bowl. Then she just flushes dry. She has a super clean head and no odors. Doesn't even have the sea water intake hooked up anymore.
I wanted to follow up my Commoderizer experience. I had begun removing the tablet from the unit when leaving the boat to keep it from dissolving while we were absent. I noticed that with the Marelon valve closed some water was still dripping from the Commoderizer. I removed and inspected the valve and the ball was somewhat dissolved. This was on both heads. I talked to both Forespar and the Commoderizer manufacturer. Neither had heard of previous issues, but it was suggested to extend the length of hose from the valve to the Commoderizer, as it was less than a foot. Just FYI if you have Marelon valves with a short run to the unit.
Thanks, @Johann that’s Interesting. My boat came equipped with the Commoderizers (as are all Moorings charter boats) but I never used them with the chlorine tablets until May of this year. I’m truly impressed with the lack of odor from my (2) heads - the water clarity and lack of visible deposits from residual water.
I’ve owned boats more than 50 years, and always expected the slightly putrid smell on entering after the boat has been closed for a week or more, and the powerful smell that came briefly from the first 2 flushes of stagnant sea water from the intake hoses. In addition, I’ve had to occasionally clean the brown film in the bottom of the toilet bowl using muriatic acid cleaners.
The Commoderizer chlorine tablets have stopped all that. It’s just like my toilets at home, but with a slightly strong chlorine odor (like a swimming pool).
Until using the Commoderizer tablets I was using Noflex Digestor, and found it to be amazing for preventing sludge buildup and keeping hoses open, but it’s an oxidizer and therefore I think it would be risky (possibly even dangerous) to use that at the same time as the Commoderizer chlorine tablets. (If there are any chemists reading I would appreciate your comments.) I know enough not to mess around with combining chlorine with other chemicals.
I’ve owned boats more than 50 years, and always expected the slightly putrid smell on entering after the boat has been closed for a week or more, and the powerful smell that came briefly from the first 2 flushes of stagnant sea water from the intake hoses. In addition, I’ve had to occasionally clean the brown film in the bottom of the toilet bowl using muriatic acid cleaners.
The Commoderizer chlorine tablets have stopped all that. It’s just like my toilets at home, but with a slightly strong chlorine odor (like a swimming pool).
Until using the Commoderizer tablets I was using Noflex Digestor, and found it to be amazing for preventing sludge buildup and keeping hoses open, but it’s an oxidizer and therefore I think it would be risky (possibly even dangerous) to use that at the same time as the Commoderizer chlorine tablets. (If there are any chemists reading I would appreciate your comments.) I know enough not to mess around with combining chlorine with other chemicals.
Noflex Digestor is essentially OxiClean - mainly sodium percarbonate. Reaction with chlorine will only produce oxygen and some benign stuff like table salt. However, they will neutralize each other, and that is the reason you don't want to use them together.
Mark
