Peggy: I'm the owner of a new 2002 Catalina 400 and took delivery only a month ago. Having learned my lessons from experience (and reading you) over the past 16 years on my old 31' Hunter, I think I've done everything correctly but already have an odor problem in both heads. Immediately after delivery, I did an initial rinse of both holding tanks and then put in the required amount of KO and water (fresh). I don't think there are any leaks in the system but am having the dealer check again. After pumping the head (wet) I get a very strong odor in the head but not at the holding tank. This only happens when the head is pumped but obviously remains for a while (UGH!). Just for grins I backflushed the vent line and while the odor dimished, it was still there after pumping. Both heads have this problem but the forward one seems worse. I've reread your notes on head odors and I get the impression you don't think such odors come from the vent, so do you have any other ideas? FYI, the dealer just replaced the forward head pump (the original one was cracked). In addition, the boat had been sitting w/out using the heads for about 10 days when the pump was replaced and odor detected. Any suggestions? Thanks again for all the expert assistance you provide this group. You are truly an invaluable source of great information. Tim Leighton (S/V "Magic")
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If the odor is coming from the toilet
and not out the tank vent, it's almost certain to be stagnant sea water trapped in the head intake line, pump, and channel in the rim of the bowl. It would be worse after the boat has been sitting, because sitting is what allows water trapped in the system to stagnate in anaerobic conditions (inside the intake hose). Sea water is alive with micro- and not so micro-organisms...when they die and decay, they stink. The cure may be found in the article "Intake odor Cure" in the library. Only odor from inside the tank can come out the tank vent, btw. Unless the tank is leaking, odor from inside the tank can't be the source of odor inside the boat. However, permeated sanitation hoses can certainly create odor inside the boat, and it can be worse when the head is flushed because waste puts pressure on the hose wall, pushing the odor out. So if you have odor inside more of the boat than just in the head, check the hoses. Otoh, it could just be that your bilge needs a REAL cleaning. Read the articles "head related odors" and "boat odor isn't all in your head" while you're in the HM reference library.
and not out the tank vent, it's almost certain to be stagnant sea water trapped in the head intake line, pump, and channel in the rim of the bowl. It would be worse after the boat has been sitting, because sitting is what allows water trapped in the system to stagnate in anaerobic conditions (inside the intake hose). Sea water is alive with micro- and not so micro-organisms...when they die and decay, they stink. The cure may be found in the article "Intake odor Cure" in the library. Only odor from inside the tank can come out the tank vent, btw. Unless the tank is leaking, odor from inside the tank can't be the source of odor inside the boat. However, permeated sanitation hoses can certainly create odor inside the boat, and it can be worse when the head is flushed because waste puts pressure on the hose wall, pushing the odor out. So if you have odor inside more of the boat than just in the head, check the hoses. Otoh, it could just be that your bilge needs a REAL cleaning. Read the articles "head related odors" and "boat odor isn't all in your head" while you're in the HM reference library.
BTW, Peggie, thanks
for the tip about using a solution of CP to flush the intake line. Whenever we get red tide here in SoCal, the head intake stinks shortly thereafter. I used about a 25% solution of CP and let it sit overnight. Smell gone. Rick D.
for the tip about using a solution of CP to flush the intake line. Whenever we get red tide here in SoCal, the head intake stinks shortly thereafter. I used about a 25% solution of CP and let it sit overnight. Smell gone. Rick D.
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