Peggie - went through your book and could not find the solution. We bought a 3 year old sailboat last fall. It was minimally used by the previous owners and we did not detect any odor during the survey or immediately thereafter. We installed a new Jabsco marine toilet this spring and the head is used infrequently, and when it is it is flushed with fresh water, not salt. Only fluids are flushed; no solids. We have had the tank pumped out several times, and we have used vinegar and other commercial products to get rid of the odor, which is mostly an "oniony" smell. The hoses do not seem to be impregnated with odor. The aft berth has this odor almost continuously and it seems to be worse as the weather gets warmer. Short of installing a new tank and hoses, what can we do? Would appreciate your recommendation. Thanks.
Holding tank odor (what else?)
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Gerry
What I did.
I had a similar problem. What I do is mix a rather strong bleach water solution and fill the holding tank through the pump-out deck fitting. Let it soak for a day and then pump it out. This has been working pretty good for me. Fair winds Gerry
I had a similar problem. What I do is mix a rather strong bleach water solution and fill the holding tank through the pump-out deck fitting. Let it soak for a day and then pump it out. This has been working pretty good for me. Fair winds Gerry
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Try cleaning the bilges
A wet dirty bilge can smell like a sewer or even worse. I can't even begin to count the number of people I hear from who've done everything to their sanitatin system, including replacing all of it, in an attempt to get rid of what they thought was "head" or holding tank odor, when all they really needed to do was clean--really CLEAN, including flushing out all the dirty water--their bilges. If there are ares to which you don't have any access, create access. If there are areas of the bilge that can't drain, create limber holes to allow them to drain. There's no "law" that requires anyone to preserve the boat as the builer built it...they do--and fail to do--many things that should be done to keep costs down. If you've tested the hoses--ALL of them--and are 100% sure ("don't seem to be" isn't good enough) they aren't the culprit, the other possibilities are trapped water somewhere in an inaccessible part of the bilge that can't drain or a leaking y-valve or macerator. You can rule out the tank unless it's metal. If it is, and if it's leaking, there should be signs of moisture around it. And btw, there's NO reason to avoid putting solids in a tank...urine alone can stink just as much...as you're finding out. And solid waste--which is already at least 75% liquid--dissolve very quickly in a tank. Since most of this is covered in my book, you must have skipped a bunch of chapters.
A wet dirty bilge can smell like a sewer or even worse. I can't even begin to count the number of people I hear from who've done everything to their sanitatin system, including replacing all of it, in an attempt to get rid of what they thought was "head" or holding tank odor, when all they really needed to do was clean--really CLEAN, including flushing out all the dirty water--their bilges. If there are ares to which you don't have any access, create access. If there are areas of the bilge that can't drain, create limber holes to allow them to drain. There's no "law" that requires anyone to preserve the boat as the builer built it...they do--and fail to do--many things that should be done to keep costs down. If you've tested the hoses--ALL of them--and are 100% sure ("don't seem to be" isn't good enough) they aren't the culprit, the other possibilities are trapped water somewhere in an inaccessible part of the bilge that can't drain or a leaking y-valve or macerator. You can rule out the tank unless it's metal. If it is, and if it's leaking, there should be signs of moisture around it. And btw, there's NO reason to avoid putting solids in a tank...urine alone can stink just as much...as you're finding out. And solid waste--which is already at least 75% liquid--dissolve very quickly in a tank. Since most of this is covered in my book, you must have skipped a bunch of chapters.
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Gerry, I don't know that could solve
an odor problem inside the boat unless your tank is leaking...'cuz unless a tank is leaking, odor from inside the tank has only one place to go: out the tank vent. If doing this does eliminate odor inside your boat, you have a problem that you're only temporarily masking, not solving...and--if your tank is aluminum--accelerating the rate at which urine is already turning it into a collander. Instead only masking the odor, find the source of it and correct it. The alternative could be a lot harder to cure.
an odor problem inside the boat unless your tank is leaking...'cuz unless a tank is leaking, odor from inside the tank has only one place to go: out the tank vent. If doing this does eliminate odor inside your boat, you have a problem that you're only temporarily masking, not solving...and--if your tank is aluminum--accelerating the rate at which urine is already turning it into a collander. Instead only masking the odor, find the source of it and correct it. The alternative could be a lot harder to cure.
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Gerry
My tank is plastic, Plastic is permiable.
Hey Peggy, My holding tank is 16yr old plastic. Contrary to popular belief plastic is permiable. Liquids over time do penetrate through plastic or if thick enough at least into the plastic. All the bleach does is kill the bacteria from the waste that has permiated the plastic to get rid of the odor. I don't have any leaks in my system as the bilge is dry and all the lines are in great shape (I inspect them every season for wear and damage). This is not to say that the original writer doesn't have that problem and should be checked. Nothing worse than having raw sewage in your bilge. Fair Winds Gerry
Hey Peggy, My holding tank is 16yr old plastic. Contrary to popular belief plastic is permiable. Liquids over time do penetrate through plastic or if thick enough at least into the plastic. All the bleach does is kill the bacteria from the waste that has permiated the plastic to get rid of the odor. I don't have any leaks in my system as the bilge is dry and all the lines are in great shape (I inspect them every season for wear and damage). This is not to say that the original writer doesn't have that problem and should be checked. Nothing worse than having raw sewage in your bilge. Fair Winds Gerry
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Darrel
Bleach?
Gerry, bleach is such a toxic chemical, wouldn't you accomplish the same thing by using an approved holding tank additive such as RV's use?
Gerry, bleach is such a toxic chemical, wouldn't you accomplish the same thing by using an approved holding tank additive such as RV's use?
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Gerry...and Darrel
Darrel, you're right that bleach is a no-no...not only is it harmful to the environment, but it also breaks down hose's abilily to resist permeation. Howver, most of the RV holding tank products--especially Thetford's--are far more toxic than bleach. Some contain formaldehyde, but many of those that are labelled "non-formaldehyde formula" only subsitute another equally, or even more, toxic chemical...notably glutaraldehyde or quaternary amonium compound. There are holding tank products, though, that don't contain any toxic chemicals, and are actually more effective at eliminating odor...notably Odorlos and Raritan K.O. Gerry, Yes, plastic IS permeable...but not that permeable. I've yet to see or hear of a permeated holding tank in the nearly 20 years I've been at this...it just doesn't happen. I've run into a lot of people who THINK theirs has, but it's always turned out to be a leak or permeated hose--something that cannot be detected by visual inspection. You can prove to yourself that your tank has not permeated--and whether your hoses have or not... Clean off a section of tank wall down low--and the lowest section of the pumpout hose...that's to remove any odor from another source that may have attached itself to the outside of the tank or hose. Wet two clean rags in HOT water...wring 'em out...slap one against the side of the tank, wrap the other around the hose...leave 'em there till they cool, then remove 'em and smell 'em. If you can't smell anything on the rag that was on the tank, the tank has not permeated....same is true for the one around the hose. If you can, it has. I'd bet real money that the one on the tank won't stink, but the one around the hose will, especially if it's still original.
Darrel, you're right that bleach is a no-no...not only is it harmful to the environment, but it also breaks down hose's abilily to resist permeation. Howver, most of the RV holding tank products--especially Thetford's--are far more toxic than bleach. Some contain formaldehyde, but many of those that are labelled "non-formaldehyde formula" only subsitute another equally, or even more, toxic chemical...notably glutaraldehyde or quaternary amonium compound. There are holding tank products, though, that don't contain any toxic chemicals, and are actually more effective at eliminating odor...notably Odorlos and Raritan K.O. Gerry, Yes, plastic IS permeable...but not that permeable. I've yet to see or hear of a permeated holding tank in the nearly 20 years I've been at this...it just doesn't happen. I've run into a lot of people who THINK theirs has, but it's always turned out to be a leak or permeated hose--something that cannot be detected by visual inspection. You can prove to yourself that your tank has not permeated--and whether your hoses have or not... Clean off a section of tank wall down low--and the lowest section of the pumpout hose...that's to remove any odor from another source that may have attached itself to the outside of the tank or hose. Wet two clean rags in HOT water...wring 'em out...slap one against the side of the tank, wrap the other around the hose...leave 'em there till they cool, then remove 'em and smell 'em. If you can't smell anything on the rag that was on the tank, the tank has not permeated....same is true for the one around the hose. If you can, it has. I'd bet real money that the one on the tank won't stink, but the one around the hose will, especially if it's still original.
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Gerry
I'll give that a try.....
Hey Peggy, I'll give your suggestion a try the next time it starts to smell. My tank smelled like the addatives that are normally put into the tank for odor, not sewage. Like I said in my original post that the bleach treatment to the tank worked for me. But I can see your point too as the plastic that the hose is made out of is thinner material and would pass molicules sooner than the tank. So when it becomes a problem again I'll try what you said with the hot rag. Thanks for the tip! Fair winds, Gerry
Hey Peggy, I'll give your suggestion a try the next time it starts to smell. My tank smelled like the addatives that are normally put into the tank for odor, not sewage. Like I said in my original post that the bleach treatment to the tank worked for me. But I can see your point too as the plastic that the hose is made out of is thinner material and would pass molicules sooner than the tank. So when it becomes a problem again I'll try what you said with the hot rag. Thanks for the tip! Fair winds, Gerry
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Don't wait till it starts to smell to do anything.
By then, it's too late...you want to prevent odor. Buy some Odorlos...Pump out and thoroughly flush out your tank with nothing but clean water...add the recommended amount of Odorlos--flush it into the tank through the toilet...and follow directions for continued use. Might not hurt if you also checked out the link below.
By then, it's too late...you want to prevent odor. Buy some Odorlos...Pump out and thoroughly flush out your tank with nothing but clean water...add the recommended amount of Odorlos--flush it into the tank through the toilet...and follow directions for continued use. Might not hurt if you also checked out the link below.
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