Amazing odor-prevention discovery

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Paul McGhee

... well, not that amazing I suppose. I'm sure that regulars to Peggy's forum already know this, but it was a pretty amazing discovery for me. My boat has always had a little head odor when first opened up. I just accepted that as a fact of life, and plotted to arrive at my boat 10-15 minutes before anyone else so that I could open it up to air out. This past week, I had to disassemble the head to put in a rebuild kit. The holding tank was about half-full from the previous weekend's cruise, and I wanted to make sure that any effluent near the head was far away from where I would be working. So, I pumped,pumped,pumped the head. Maybe 30 strokes, maybe more. I did my work, put it all back together, and went home. When I came back to the boat two days later, and opened it up, guess what? Zero odor! Nothing. So, all this time, the head odor was coming from waste left too close to the toilet, probably on the uphill side of the vented loop. From now on, when I close the boat I'll do those 30 strokes on the head. This weekend, I am going to try to find Peggy at Newport, get her book (signed, of course), and see if this little tidbit is in there. Paul sv Escape Artist h336
 
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Steve O.

another tip

Pump some fresh water through the head before you leave. Then you're holding tank won't fill up as quickly.
 
Feb 26, 2004
23,085
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
and see if this little tidbit is in there

Paul You bet it is. Flush, flush, flush, to keep the lines clean. Glad you discovered it, too. Stu
 
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Bill O'Donovan

Another tip

Disconnect the raw water intake and keep a gallon of fresh water on hand to pump instead. When empty, fill the jug from the kitchen sink tap, which will do the dual job of running water through your system.
 
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Tom

freshwater rinse

My head sink drain is plumbed into the head intake hose (one less sea cock) when I leave the boat I close the head intake sea cock, leave the discharge valve open, fill the sink with fresh water (about a litre) and a glug of vinegar and then pump that through the head - leaves it sweet and clean :)
 
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