Black Water Tank Smell

[Plymouth Sailor]

Fellow sailing brethren,

I recently upgraded to a larger sailboat with a full head and black water tank (I’ve only dealt with a porta potty in the past). A smell is emanating in the boat and I would gather it‘s not directly from the tank as it’s sealed but rather from the head. This seems to be an old head. Are these marine toilets suppose to have either an elbow in the piping and/or a flap to stop the gas/odor from escaping? Also, any suggestions on the best chemicals to use?

 

[dlochner]

The smell is probably coming from the hoses. Old hoses permeate with the odor. The best hose is Raritan Saniflex, not cheap but it works. To test the hoses, put a wet rag on the hose for a few minutes and then smell the rag. The best price on hose is at Defender, only about $10 a foot.

After trying many products the one I found that works best is Camco's TSP. It comes in both a liquid and powder form and is among the most economical products available on Amazon and RV Camping stores.

If you don't have it yet, get @Peggie Hall HeadMistress book, available here in the SBO shop.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

It will take a while to get rid of the smell. I've found on both my boats so far that you have to replace ALL the hoses and the toilet to get rid of the smell. Don't neglect to replace the ventilation hose. There is no substitute or remedy other than total replacement. The tank is usually pretty hard to replace. Empty it and flush it as much as you can. Just keep flushing clean water through the tank. I was tempted to believe that the plastic tank was permeated with smell but I found that the outside of the tank is not and if you keep the ventilation open to the exterior, the smell from the interior of the tank will not be a problem. Once you get rid of EVERY hose and the toilet, you will find a big improvement. I even replaced the macerator pump, not because it failed, but because I think it was permeated with smell. (I basically replaced every single component and fitting in the entire system except the tank in both instances.

But you will also find that the cushions are permeated with odor. You may not be satisfied until you treat or replace the fabric and even the foam. I replaced the cushions on my first boat right away. On my Catalina, we're working with the original cushions in the saloon because the smell is tolerable. We replaced all cushions in the v-berth and aft berth just because we are pretty averse to pre-owned furnishings. The saloon cushions aren't perfectly non-odorous yet. (We are very particular) Toilet odor is not easy to eliminate from a boat. Be patient and persistent. You will eventually rid the odor but it takes an effort and as much ventilation as you can introduce.
P.O. on my Catalina had an in-line ventilation filter that he installed in the closet of the aft berth ... that was a huge source of smell! Don't even think about using one of those things!

 

[Parsons]

Congratulations on your new boat with multiple new systems. May you poo in peace! At first when I read that you bought a boat with a full head, and I wondered why the previous owner hadn't flushed it.

I second the recommendation for Peggie's book (I have my copy within a few feet of my desk) and her recommendations have always been exactly what I needed. The HeadMistress herself often replies to these - you should be so lucky. In addition to @dlochner 's advice about hoses, you may need of replace the Joker Valve (the rubber duck-billed-shaped one-way valve that allows flow out of your pump into the holding tank tube). They're good for a season, so if you don't know, you probably need a new one.

As for chemicals, I use what Peggie recommended - Raritan's KO (Kills Odors) for the tank treatment and CP (Clean Potties) for cleaning up and period flushing - they are expensive but so worth it. Enzyme rich formulas that keep odors low and digest solids including TP in the tank. They have worked well for me and my boat don't smell.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

As others have said, permeated sanitation hoses are one of the most common sources of odor INSIDE the boat. However, if the odor is only emanating from the toilet, it's most likely due to the dead and decaying micro-(and not so micro) organisms in sea water that's been left to sit and stagnate in the toilet intake line, pump and the channel in the rim of the bowl. The cure is relatively simple, but depending on the make-model age of your toilet and the system hoses, it may make more sense to replace both. How old are they? And what's the make-model of your toilet?

There is a one-way valve (it's called a joker valve) in the toilet discharge fitting that, when seriously worn, can allow gasses from the tank to escape into the bowl. But replacing that is not the cure for the odor--which venting to encourage adequate air exchange and the right type of tank product can preventfrom occurring. I'll be glad to help you learn how to do that.
Others have recommended you get a copy of my book(see link in my signature below). I can't argue with that advice! It's title (my publisher's idea) is a bit misleading...'cuz although it does deal with every source of odor on a boat and how to cure, or better yet PREVENT 'em, it's actually a comprehensive "marine toilets and sanitation systems 101" manual that explains the laws, describes all the types of systems and how they work, and will help you learn how to operate and maintain your system to prevent 99% of problems instead of having to cure 'em. 'Cuz you get to do any preventive maintenance on your terms when it's convenient...the need to cure a problem never happens when it is!

And btw...I see you're in Plymouth. There's at least one Plymouth in the US and at least one more in the UK and possibly one or more in other countries. Where are you?

--Peggie

 

[DArcy]

Peggie's book is worth getting. I bought it years ago when I wanted to replace the hoses and tank on my old boat. The tank was leaking so it had to go. Peggie gave great advice back then and it really helped get rid of the odor. When I bought my current boat the previous owner never opened the drawers under the forward berth because it smelled so bad. I read Peggie's book again and then replaced all the hoses (even the vent hose). By the end of the season, after a few doses of Pure Ayre, the smell had mostly dissipated and I'm no longer afraid to open the drawers