On my 340 I added a Groco "Sweet Tank" part number ST-18. It totally eliminated all holding tank odors. It is like an aquarium pump. A motor that draws 3 watts at 12 volts pumps air through a tube that sits in the bottom of the holding tank. By adding oxygen the anaerobic bacteria (the smelly ones) stop being smelly. We installed it in the aft starboard cockpit locker. It was on the shelve at West Marine for about $150.00. The pump can be heard in the aft berth, but can be turned off for serveral days without the tank getting stinky again. This thing really works.
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R
Ron
K
Ken Kindrick
Groco Sweet Tank cost
Hi Ron, yeah the West Marine price on the shelve was alot less than the Groco list price. It was either $150 or $175, I've been spending so much $ on the boat, I can't remember what cost what (!)
Hi Ron, yeah the West Marine price on the shelve was alot less than the Groco list price. It was either $150 or $175, I've been spending so much $ on the boat, I can't remember what cost what (!)
P
Paul Akers
E
Eric Swift
What about?
down the road. Will the air holes in the pipe stay unclogged and the whole system stay trouble free. When I looked at a demo of an aeration system those were the questions that came to my mind. It seems problematic to work on if there is trouble or it needs to be unclogged.
down the road. Will the air holes in the pipe stay unclogged and the whole system stay trouble free. When I looked at a demo of an aeration system those were the questions that came to my mind. It seems problematic to work on if there is trouble or it needs to be unclogged.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
It only confirms what I've preached for years....
That oxygen is the key to odor elimination. However, I suspect Ken will find that leaving it turned off for days during the cooler winter months is one thing...quite another during the summer when the temps are above 80. Bacteria are sluggish in cool weather...in fact, below 60 they're so sluggish that there's almost no odor if you do nothing to the tank contents. But it's a different story above about 75...they get VERY busy...and without oxygen, the tank will turn anaerobic in a hurry. It may be warm in SoCal in the daytime now, but nothing like it is in the summer, and the nights are cool. So once the overnight lows start staying above the low 70s again, you're likely to have some major odor out the vent when you turn it back on after it's been off for a while. When you start to smell anything is the time to start running it 24/7.
That oxygen is the key to odor elimination. However, I suspect Ken will find that leaving it turned off for days during the cooler winter months is one thing...quite another during the summer when the temps are above 80. Bacteria are sluggish in cool weather...in fact, below 60 they're so sluggish that there's almost no odor if you do nothing to the tank contents. But it's a different story above about 75...they get VERY busy...and without oxygen, the tank will turn anaerobic in a hurry. It may be warm in SoCal in the daytime now, but nothing like it is in the summer, and the nights are cool. So once the overnight lows start staying above the low 70s again, you're likely to have some major odor out the vent when you turn it back on after it's been off for a while. When you start to smell anything is the time to start running it 24/7.
D
Don
See this month's Passagemaker mag
for an article on making your own "areator" (sp?)out of an aquarium type pump. (Expensive mag but I read it at Borders over their equally expensive coffee.) The author refers to the off the shelf product (Groco?) and also raves about the improvement. As I recall his cost was like $25 or somthing. If I still had my '31 I would definitely add this product as that holding tank was the worst! My current 37.5 isn't so bad.
for an article on making your own "areator" (sp?)out of an aquarium type pump. (Expensive mag but I read it at Borders over their equally expensive coffee.) The author refers to the off the shelf product (Groco?) and also raves about the improvement. As I recall his cost was like $25 or somthing. If I still had my '31 I would definitely add this product as that holding tank was the worst! My current 37.5 isn't so bad.
A
Alan
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Immune???
Immune from what? When organic matter breaks down aerobically (with oxygen), it converts to CO2, which is odorless. It's only when it breaks down anaerobically (without oxygen) that it produces the sulphurous gasses that stink. Aerating the tank contents oxygenates the waste, preventing odor. Bacteria are essential in nature...what causes organic matter to bio-degrade and recycle itself...so using oxygen and/or non-chemical holding products that work WITH nature, instead of toxic chemicals, that not only work against nature but are far more harmful to man and the environment than the waste itself, also has another advantage: it keeps bacteria alive to break down and emulsify (liqufy) waste. When chemicals that kill bacteria are used, solids and paper can only dissolve into little tiny particles that settle to the bottom of the tank, along with chemical residue to become sludge.
Immune from what? When organic matter breaks down aerobically (with oxygen), it converts to CO2, which is odorless. It's only when it breaks down anaerobically (without oxygen) that it produces the sulphurous gasses that stink. Aerating the tank contents oxygenates the waste, preventing odor. Bacteria are essential in nature...what causes organic matter to bio-degrade and recycle itself...so using oxygen and/or non-chemical holding products that work WITH nature, instead of toxic chemicals, that not only work against nature but are far more harmful to man and the environment than the waste itself, also has another advantage: it keeps bacteria alive to break down and emulsify (liqufy) waste. When chemicals that kill bacteria are used, solids and paper can only dissolve into little tiny particles that settle to the bottom of the tank, along with chemical residue to become sludge.
F
Frederick
air-pump
Because the odors come from bad ventilation I had the following solution. I purchased the cheapest aquarium pump (110 V – 2 W) for a few dollars. Drilled a small hole in the vent of the holding-tank-vent-line. Put 4 feet of pump-air-line down into the holding tank and sealed/caulked the hole. Connected the pump to one of the 110-V outlets (inverter or shore-power). As long the c/b of the 110-V outlets is on the pump is running on +/- 0.3 amps. or shore-power. Odors are totally gone. If you leave the pump of for a day there are still no odors.
Because the odors come from bad ventilation I had the following solution. I purchased the cheapest aquarium pump (110 V – 2 W) for a few dollars. Drilled a small hole in the vent of the holding-tank-vent-line. Put 4 feet of pump-air-line down into the holding tank and sealed/caulked the hole. Connected the pump to one of the 110-V outlets (inverter or shore-power). As long the c/b of the 110-V outlets is on the pump is running on +/- 0.3 amps. or shore-power. Odors are totally gone. If you leave the pump of for a day there are still no odors.
M
Mark F. Arena
So where can I find a 12 volt aquarium pump?
Sounds pretty easy if a 12V air pump (quiet and low output) were available. I own a 12V auto-type air pump, but it is too noisy. Any ideas ? M
Sounds pretty easy if a 12V air pump (quiet and low output) were available. I own a 12V auto-type air pump, but it is too noisy. Any ideas ? M
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