Hi Peggy, I looked through the archives and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for so I thought I would ask you straight out. We will be taking ownership of our brand new Hunter 356 next week. I want to try to do everything right from the get go so as to keep the head smelling as fresh as possible for as long as possible. I wish we had fresh water to flush but alas we are in San Diego so do not have that luxury. So, should we use both KO AND odorloss or just one? should we pump the head dry after each use to remove salt water from lines? on our previous boat, after each pump out, we would put a large amount of "pine sol" type cleaner in the tank fill several times with water and pump out. This helped some. Should we do that on the new one? what else do suggest, soup to nuts, to keep this head smelling as good as possible for as long as possible? Thanks in advance, Sandy
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Well, for starters...
Don't use Pine-Sol, bleach (including any products that contain bleach), or other household chemical cleaners, especially not toilet bowl cleaners. They're all murder on hoses and rubber parts in the toilet. You don't need to use anything but clean water to rinse out your holding tank. Rinse nominally after every pumpout, thoroughly after every 4-6 pumpouts. At the end of each weekend aboard, flush enough fresh water down the toilet to rinse out the hose, followed by a cupful of white vinegar down the toilet. Do NOT leave vinegar standing in the bowl, though...it'll swell up the joker valve in the toilet. Keep the bowl (and your sumps) clean with Raritan C.P. If you have fresh water aboard, you can have a toilet that flushes with fresh water...just have the dealer swap out the Jabsco for an electric toilet designed to use pressurized water. Your boat is certainly big enough to have the power resources to support it. Your best bet is the Raritan SeaEra...check it out at the link below. Not only will you get rid of intake sea water odors, but toilets that use pressurized water use no more than about half the flush water required by a manual toilet. However, if you keep the manual, insist that the dealer install a vented loop in the head intake (it has to go between the pump and the bowl). And, since the seacock is likely to be in a totally inaccessible place, I'd also insist upon a shutoff valve in the head intake line that's readily accessible in the head. If you can't keep the seacock closed, keep the valve closed at all times except when the head is actually in use. And btw...I do mean insist. Open head seacocks without vented loops in the intake are the #1 cause of boats sinking in their slips when no one is aboard. It's ok with me if you want to use both K.O. and Odorlos, but it's a 'belt & suspenders' approach. I suspect Odorlos will be your best choice. By the time you need to know anything else, my book should be out.
Don't use Pine-Sol, bleach (including any products that contain bleach), or other household chemical cleaners, especially not toilet bowl cleaners. They're all murder on hoses and rubber parts in the toilet. You don't need to use anything but clean water to rinse out your holding tank. Rinse nominally after every pumpout, thoroughly after every 4-6 pumpouts. At the end of each weekend aboard, flush enough fresh water down the toilet to rinse out the hose, followed by a cupful of white vinegar down the toilet. Do NOT leave vinegar standing in the bowl, though...it'll swell up the joker valve in the toilet. Keep the bowl (and your sumps) clean with Raritan C.P. If you have fresh water aboard, you can have a toilet that flushes with fresh water...just have the dealer swap out the Jabsco for an electric toilet designed to use pressurized water. Your boat is certainly big enough to have the power resources to support it. Your best bet is the Raritan SeaEra...check it out at the link below. Not only will you get rid of intake sea water odors, but toilets that use pressurized water use no more than about half the flush water required by a manual toilet. However, if you keep the manual, insist that the dealer install a vented loop in the head intake (it has to go between the pump and the bowl). And, since the seacock is likely to be in a totally inaccessible place, I'd also insist upon a shutoff valve in the head intake line that's readily accessible in the head. If you can't keep the seacock closed, keep the valve closed at all times except when the head is actually in use. And btw...I do mean insist. Open head seacocks without vented loops in the intake are the #1 cause of boats sinking in their slips when no one is aboard. It's ok with me if you want to use both K.O. and Odorlos, but it's a 'belt & suspenders' approach. I suspect Odorlos will be your best choice. By the time you need to know anything else, my book should be out.
One more tip, Sandy
Peggy has covered the head portion. I suggest running the shower to ensure the shower drain is clear and functioning. The first time we ran our shower, the drain was clogged, luckily we used some hangars to unclog the construction debris (wood bits, screws, etc)that blocked the drain off. If the drain is even partially clogged, it can contribute to odor.
Peggy has covered the head portion. I suggest running the shower to ensure the shower drain is clear and functioning. The first time we ran our shower, the drain was clogged, luckily we used some hangars to unclog the construction debris (wood bits, screws, etc)that blocked the drain off. If the drain is even partially clogged, it can contribute to odor.
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