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[dmoore]

We use Odorlos holding tank treatment but discovered upon arriving we are almost out. Our marina carries Absolute Green holding tank treatment. My question is: are these two products compatible if we must use another brand in our holding tank? We will be gone from the boat for about 10 days to two weeks for our daughters wedding in the Bahamas, I'm concerned about coming back to smells. My husband will be installing a sweettank holding tank deoderizing system to provide aeration. But in the mean time would it be advisable or not to add a different product to our system? Please respond as quickly as you can.
Thanks,

 

[thinwater]

We use Odorlos holding tank treatment but discovered upon arriving we are almost out. Our marina carries Absolute Green holding tank treatment. My question is: are these two products compatible if we must use another brand in our holding tank? We will be gone from the boat for about 10 days to two weeks for our daughters wedding in the Bahamas, I'm concerned about coming back to smells. My husband will be installing a sweettank holding tank deoderizing system to provide aeration. But in the mean time would it be advisable or not to add a different product to our system? Please respond as quickly as you can.
Thanks,

ODERLOS is basically sodium nitrate, a type of fertilizer and an alternative oxygen source for the bacteria (reduce the nitrate to nitrite instead of sulfate to sulfide). I could not see what the ingredients were in Absolute Green (their add is short on facts and long on platitudes), but I would hesitate to add a product that I did not know to be bacteria friendly. Better a little stink, which the sweet tank system will rectify in a few days.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Use whatever is available...

The tank should be thoroughly flushed out before installing the Sweetank system when you return, so it doesn't matter whether Absolute Green is compatible with Odorlos or not. Worst case, it won't work...but that's not a catastrophe...not as if the whole boat will reek. It's just odor out the vent when you flush for one weekend.

So buy the smallest size of whatever is available...last thing before you leave, pump out and rinse out the tank...put the last of your Odorlos into the tank. Flush it out again when you get back--this time VERY thoroughly and install the Sweetank. Once it's installed, if it's installed, maintained and operated according to directions, you shouldn't need to use Odorlos or anything else in the tank any more.

 

[dmoore]

Thank you for your quick response and intelligent advise. Your right it's just odor and if it's not too hot when we return we can open doors and air it out for a few hours. We have an 80 gallon holding tank which has only been used two weekends this year, so I think we'll postpone the pump out and do it when we return. I appreciate the information on the sweettank system and am anxious (and a little skeptical) to use a device rather than an additive to treat sewage. Do you know of any consumer product reviews about sweettank we could read? Thanks again.

 

[dmoore]

Wondering

As we previously let you know we are planning to install a Sweetank system. We were wondering if you know of any consumer reviews we could read. Do you yourself actually use this device? How does it perform in hot hot summers? I have several questions regarding this, and would like to hear or read from others who are using it.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

While we wait to see if anyone chimes in...

What are your questions?

Since aeration is rarely necessary in tanks smaller than 40 gallons, which is a good bit bigger than the average 12-25 gallon tank on most sailboats, it's unlikely that you'll hear from anyone on this site who has installed a Sweetank. It's more commonly found on houseboats and large trawlers, so you might have better luck finding other owners on houseboat and trawler sites.

I'm active on houseboat and trawler sites and CAN tell you from first hand knowledge that the Sweetank DOES eliminate holding tank odor (odor out the tank vent), even in the hottest weather, when it's installed, operated (which means 24/7/365) and maintained (which includes periodically flushing out the tank) exactly according to directions. It's only fails when it's not installed, operated and maintained according to directions.

 

[dmoore]

We were a tight spot last weekend running low on Odorlos and not sure if we should use another product. I do belong to another forum for our particular boat size and style. After several attempts trying to post on that forum and no luck we gave up and did a search to see if we could locate you (the expert) on another and that is how we ended up on a sailboat sight. No we are not sailors, as I stated that when I registered, just looking for advice concerning a holding tank issue. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I do apologize to all those sailboaters out there who must have been scratching their heads and saying, "sorry I can't help you".

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Nothing to apologize for...

This is an equal opportunity site....if it floats, we're glad to help. You MAY be our only houseboater so far, but there are more trawler and powerboat owners lurking here than you might suspect. They may not post, but I get emails from 'em.