We have recently acquired a Beneteau 411(2001) with a persistant acrid odor in the head, especially under the sink and behind the toilet. Previous owner replaced head with a Raritan and hoses with trident nonpermeable #102 hoses. Previous owner swears he used only fresh water to flush and that's all we have used on our last three boats. We cleaned the vent line, tightened the clamps. We tried muriatic acid and vinegar from the toilet to the hoses and overboard. (all over a several week period). We are currently not using the holding tank, we've flushed it 4 times. Put KO in twice. Does a holding tank go bad? Do guaranteed hoses go bad (5 year guarantee from 2007). I have a head ache !
acrid head odors
- Thread starter alan2414
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I can't even count the number of times I've posted it...
The holding tank, unless it's leaking is rarely if ever the source of odor inside a boat...'cuz unless the tank is leaking, odor from inside it has only one place to go: out the tank vent. And plastic tanks do not permeate. So trying to eliminate odor inside a boat by attacking the tank is just chasing your tail.
And btw, except for intake odor caused by stagnant sea water in the head intake, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference in the toilet, tank or plumbing whether the toilet is flushed with sea water or fresh. And there's a very simple inexpensive cure for sea water intake odor that makes it unnecessary to avoid flushing with sea water at all.
Nor is it likely that any Trident 101 or 102 hose on your boat has become the first EVER to permeate. So we need to start looking for the real source of your odor.
Your description of it as "acrid" may indicate that the PO didn't replace ALL the hoses...'cuz if "acrid/sickeningly sweet/sour/sort-of-"sewery" is a more complete description of the odor, that points to permeated white flexible PVC sanitation hose. If that description doesn't fit, I need a bit more detail of your odor characteristics.
Otoh, boat odors are NOT all in your head! I've also lost track of the number of people who've contacted me after they've replaced their entire sanitation system trying to get rid of what they thought was "head" odor...when all they really needed to do was clean their bilges and sumps. 'Cuz a wet dirty bilge or sump is a "primordial soup" that can easily make a whole boat smell like a swamp or even a sewer, especiially in hot weather. Trapped water somewhere can do it too.The fact that your odor is under the sink and BEHIND the toilet tells me that your sanitation system prob'ly isn't the culprit.
What's under the sink?
So the first thing I'd do is check all the hoses to make sure they ARE Trident 102. Then I'd clean the bilges and sumps--really CLEAN 'em, and flush ALL the dirty water out this time instead of just dumping some cleaning product into 'em and calling it done. And then use a shop vac and/or dinghy bailer, sponges and bucket dry out the bilges. If the odor under the sink is residual odor from previous permeated hoses, put some K.O. in a spray bottle and coat every surface, nook and cranny. Do NOT rinse...just let it dry, leaving the locker open so that plenty of fresh air can circulate. If the odor returns, it means you have leaking plumbing or anothr source under there which you'll now be able to find.
That's enough to keep you busy for a day or two anyway...get back to me with results and answers to my questions.
The holding tank, unless it's leaking is rarely if ever the source of odor inside a boat...'cuz unless the tank is leaking, odor from inside it has only one place to go: out the tank vent. And plastic tanks do not permeate. So trying to eliminate odor inside a boat by attacking the tank is just chasing your tail.
And btw, except for intake odor caused by stagnant sea water in the head intake, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference in the toilet, tank or plumbing whether the toilet is flushed with sea water or fresh. And there's a very simple inexpensive cure for sea water intake odor that makes it unnecessary to avoid flushing with sea water at all.
Nor is it likely that any Trident 101 or 102 hose on your boat has become the first EVER to permeate. So we need to start looking for the real source of your odor.
Your description of it as "acrid" may indicate that the PO didn't replace ALL the hoses...'cuz if "acrid/sickeningly sweet/sour/sort-of-"sewery" is a more complete description of the odor, that points to permeated white flexible PVC sanitation hose. If that description doesn't fit, I need a bit more detail of your odor characteristics.
Otoh, boat odors are NOT all in your head! I've also lost track of the number of people who've contacted me after they've replaced their entire sanitation system trying to get rid of what they thought was "head" odor...when all they really needed to do was clean their bilges and sumps. 'Cuz a wet dirty bilge or sump is a "primordial soup" that can easily make a whole boat smell like a swamp or even a sewer, especiially in hot weather. Trapped water somewhere can do it too.The fact that your odor is under the sink and BEHIND the toilet tells me that your sanitation system prob'ly isn't the culprit.
What's under the sink?
So the first thing I'd do is check all the hoses to make sure they ARE Trident 102. Then I'd clean the bilges and sumps--really CLEAN 'em, and flush ALL the dirty water out this time instead of just dumping some cleaning product into 'em and calling it done. And then use a shop vac and/or dinghy bailer, sponges and bucket dry out the bilges. If the odor under the sink is residual odor from previous permeated hoses, put some K.O. in a spray bottle and coat every surface, nook and cranny. Do NOT rinse...just let it dry, leaving the locker open so that plenty of fresh air can circulate. If the odor returns, it means you have leaking plumbing or anothr source under there which you'll now be able to find.
That's enough to keep you busy for a day or two anyway...get back to me with results and answers to my questions.
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