Opened up the boat and what a smell. Lets start from the begining, We have had an oder on the boat for 2 years, replaced the hose, some better but not really. Now for the kicker, as with most boats, the holding tank gauge gave up the ghost last year. And one hot day we over filled the holding tank, and it came in the aft cabin and maybe some over the side. Took everything apart (replaced the hose) but didn't find anything obvious. Seems to me the system should be closed, mine has a leak and is open, any thoughts where to begin. No leakage except when the tank was full/overfull, and no I don't want to overfill it again and see where it comes out. Thanks for the help Russell S/V Allie Kat
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Check Vent Riser For starters!
Check the holding tank vent riser. Find where it actually vents gases overboard. You should be able to blow air into the tank. The vent line should be clear of any type of obstruction. If its not, chances are the leak is at the junction of the tank vent riser nipple and hose and your nominal 25 gallon holding tank actually holds only 2 gallons. When you pump the head into the holding tank you are building up pressure which can't vent out as designed and, thus, the pressure is released at the point of least resistance which is probably where the vent hose is clamped to the vent riser nipple. If this is the case, the leak point is only the symptom and the clogged vent line is the problem. That's where I would start, then take it from there. Sam
Check the holding tank vent riser. Find where it actually vents gases overboard. You should be able to blow air into the tank. The vent line should be clear of any type of obstruction. If its not, chances are the leak is at the junction of the tank vent riser nipple and hose and your nominal 25 gallon holding tank actually holds only 2 gallons. When you pump the head into the holding tank you are building up pressure which can't vent out as designed and, thus, the pressure is released at the point of least resistance which is probably where the vent hose is clamped to the vent riser nipple. If this is the case, the leak point is only the symptom and the clogged vent line is the problem. That's where I would start, then take it from there. Sam
Look beyond the sanitation system
A wet bilge is a dark stagnant pond that can smell like a sewer...so can a dirty sump or a chain locker. if your bilge seems to be clean, look for trapped water. And read the articles "Boat Odor Isn't All In Your Head" and "Head Related Odors..." in the Head Mistress forum Refefence Library.
A wet bilge is a dark stagnant pond that can smell like a sewer...so can a dirty sump or a chain locker. if your bilge seems to be clean, look for trapped water. And read the articles "Boat Odor Isn't All In Your Head" and "Head Related Odors..." in the Head Mistress forum Refefence Library.
It's not a blocked vent...If it were,
it would create backpressure that would make the head difficult to flush and/or cause waste to back up into the bowl. He'd also be unable to pump out or dump the tank because the pump would pull a vacuum.
it would create backpressure that would make the head difficult to flush and/or cause waste to back up into the bowl. He'd also be unable to pump out or dump the tank because the pump would pull a vacuum.
My blocked vent starting point
was based on empirical evidence on my h40, rather than a priori assessments. My h40 has two MSD's, each with its own head, holding tank, vent, and pumpout system. Until the early '90's when Florida enacted its current Clean Water Statutes, the after head pumped directly overboard and used only in international waters. After I connected the after head to its holding tank, testing was performed to verify the conversion. Using a gallon of fresh water, I was able to pump the holding tank overboard using the manual waste pump. However, when I tried to pump more than two gallons into the holding tank from the head bowl, I noticed that water was leaking out the junction of the holding tank vent pipe (nipple) and the plastic overboard vent riser. When I pumped even harder with more water, the water also exuded through the topside pumpout station. At no time did the water back up into the head bowl. That's when I leaned over the side and blew through a rag into the vent fitting. The vent was clearly clogged. I spent about a half hour clearing the vent line of gunk using a wooden stick with a cotton swab on the end. As I recall, I didn't use any type of solvent, just mechanical cleaning. When I could blow air freely into the tank using the vent, I resumed testing the tank manual waste pump as well as the capacity of the tank itself. I was able to get a full 25 gallons into the tank and pump it out without any leakage. It has worked for almost ten years. But my tip is just a starting point based on my own experience. I really enjoy taking care of my own boat, almost as much as sailing her. Of course, its easy when the vessel is at your own dock. I exercise all the plumbing and electrical systems almost daily. In fact, I live aboard when we have a house full of grandkids. Being a Marine Engineering Major and Chief Engineer of two submarines also helps, but I surely miss those auxiliary machinists and electricians. In submarines, the holding tanks are called sanitary tanks and are blown with compressed air rather than pumped. Using the Owners' Forums, especially the Head Mistress Forum, helps a lot. Good luck in your analysis, troubleshooting, and repair. As your holding tank has been in use, you will probably want to use a manual inflater instead of orally as I did. If your testing shows that the vent line is not obstructed, obviously you need to go to the next step. Sam
was based on empirical evidence on my h40, rather than a priori assessments. My h40 has two MSD's, each with its own head, holding tank, vent, and pumpout system. Until the early '90's when Florida enacted its current Clean Water Statutes, the after head pumped directly overboard and used only in international waters. After I connected the after head to its holding tank, testing was performed to verify the conversion. Using a gallon of fresh water, I was able to pump the holding tank overboard using the manual waste pump. However, when I tried to pump more than two gallons into the holding tank from the head bowl, I noticed that water was leaking out the junction of the holding tank vent pipe (nipple) and the plastic overboard vent riser. When I pumped even harder with more water, the water also exuded through the topside pumpout station. At no time did the water back up into the head bowl. That's when I leaned over the side and blew through a rag into the vent fitting. The vent was clearly clogged. I spent about a half hour clearing the vent line of gunk using a wooden stick with a cotton swab on the end. As I recall, I didn't use any type of solvent, just mechanical cleaning. When I could blow air freely into the tank using the vent, I resumed testing the tank manual waste pump as well as the capacity of the tank itself. I was able to get a full 25 gallons into the tank and pump it out without any leakage. It has worked for almost ten years. But my tip is just a starting point based on my own experience. I really enjoy taking care of my own boat, almost as much as sailing her. Of course, its easy when the vessel is at your own dock. I exercise all the plumbing and electrical systems almost daily. In fact, I live aboard when we have a house full of grandkids. Being a Marine Engineering Major and Chief Engineer of two submarines also helps, but I surely miss those auxiliary machinists and electricians. In submarines, the holding tanks are called sanitary tanks and are blown with compressed air rather than pumped. Using the Owners' Forums, especially the Head Mistress Forum, helps a lot. Good luck in your analysis, troubleshooting, and repair. As your holding tank has been in use, you will probably want to use a manual inflater instead of orally as I did. If your testing shows that the vent line is not obstructed, obviously you need to go to the next step. Sam
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