peggie, i'm getting a strong odor from the holding tank. i have a 1" vent line run from the tank about 4' horizontal then it turns up about 12" and terminates at the bow. i pumped the head out last weekend then added some k.o. the holding tanks still smells whenever the head is pumped but otherwise the boat doesn't smell. i was wondering during the week when the boat is at the slip, could i remove the pumpout cap. i was thinking this would allow a cross ventilation in the tank. all my tank fitting come out the top of the tank.
Holding tank odor
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Are you sure?
Seems like the fitting for the pump out/drain hose must come out the bottom of the tank. If at the top you would not be able to prime and maintain the pumping action???
Just a thought.....
Seems like the fitting for the pump out/drain hose must come out the bottom of the tank. If at the top you would not be able to prime and maintain the pumping action???
Just a thought.....
That wouldn't help
The tank discharge line comes from the bottom of the tank, so opening the cap wouldn't increase ventilation above the surface at all.
Questions:
You added K.O. after you pumped out... was there another tank product in the tank? If so, what? Did you thoroughly flush out the tank before you added K.O. (If you didn't, it means you didn't read the directions!)
what size is your tank?
How much K.O. did you add?
Is there a filter in the vent line?
Describe your tank vent thru-hull.
The tank discharge line comes from the bottom of the tank, so opening the cap wouldn't increase ventilation above the surface at all.
Questions:
You added K.O. after you pumped out... was there another tank product in the tank? If so, what? Did you thoroughly flush out the tank before you added K.O. (If you didn't, it means you didn't read the directions!)
what size is your tank?
How much K.O. did you add?
Is there a filter in the vent line?
Describe your tank vent thru-hull.
the only thing
i had been adding to the tank was vinegar.
its a 22 gallon tank. i can't remember how much i added but i followed what was on the ko bottle and used a measuring cup.
no filter in the vent line.
the vent thru-hull is a flush mount 1" bronze thru-hull.
i think the flushing out part was my mistake. after it is pumped out, should i fill it with water and pump it out again?
i had been adding to the tank was vinegar.
its a 22 gallon tank. i can't remember how much i added but i followed what was on the ko bottle and used a measuring cup.
no filter in the vent line.
the vent thru-hull is a flush mount 1" bronze thru-hull.
i think the flushing out part was my mistake. after it is pumped out, should i fill it with water and pump it out again?
Pump out and rinse out the tank
You don't have to fill it again to rinse it out...after you've pumped out, put 2-3 gallons of clean water into it via the pumpout fitting--'cuz that sends the water into the tank at the bottom to stir up any sludge--pump that out...repeat several times, till you're pumping out clean water. This is something that should be done 2-3x/season, especially in preparation for winter layup, to prevent sludge buildup in the tank.
Make sure there's no blockage in your vent thru-hull or vent line...shoot water down the vent through the thru-hull. This is something you should do after every pumpout and/or every time you wash the boat.
Now add the recommend dose of K.O. Just flush it down the toilet with the first use. If you add it immediately after pumping out last thing before the boat sits for several days, add a couple more ounces with the first flush after you come aboard again.
NEVER use any household chemical bowl cleaner, bleach or any cleaning product that contains bleach, Lysol or any other household cleaners to clean the bowl.
This SHOULD solve your odor problem. If it doesn't, your tank may not be getting enough oxygen via the vent to let K.O. work aerobically.
You might want to check out the link below.
You don't have to fill it again to rinse it out...after you've pumped out, put 2-3 gallons of clean water into it via the pumpout fitting--'cuz that sends the water into the tank at the bottom to stir up any sludge--pump that out...repeat several times, till you're pumping out clean water. This is something that should be done 2-3x/season, especially in preparation for winter layup, to prevent sludge buildup in the tank.
Make sure there's no blockage in your vent thru-hull or vent line...shoot water down the vent through the thru-hull. This is something you should do after every pumpout and/or every time you wash the boat.
Now add the recommend dose of K.O. Just flush it down the toilet with the first use. If you add it immediately after pumping out last thing before the boat sits for several days, add a couple more ounces with the first flush after you come aboard again.
NEVER use any household chemical bowl cleaner, bleach or any cleaning product that contains bleach, Lysol or any other household cleaners to clean the bowl.
This SHOULD solve your odor problem. If it doesn't, your tank may not be getting enough oxygen via the vent to let K.O. work aerobically.
You might want to check out the link below.
why no bleach in head bowl
Why do you not use any bleach products to clean a tank? What does that do to your holding tank?
Why do you not use any bleach products to clean a tank? What does that do to your holding tank?
Because...
Bleach is highly destructive to the soft rubber parts in toilets and breaks down hose resistance to odor permeation.
Bleach has no place ANYWHERE on a boat except in recommissioning fresh water systems.
And bleach isn't the only thing...never use household chemical bowl cleaners, any other chemical household cleaners, anything that contains bleach...pine oil cleaners, Lysol, Vaseline--or ANY petroleum based product either...they're all murderous to rubber and hoses and/or corrosive.
Bleach is highly destructive to the soft rubber parts in toilets and breaks down hose resistance to odor permeation.
Bleach has no place ANYWHERE on a boat except in recommissioning fresh water systems.
And bleach isn't the only thing...never use household chemical bowl cleaners, any other chemical household cleaners, anything that contains bleach...pine oil cleaners, Lysol, Vaseline--or ANY petroleum based product either...they're all murderous to rubber and hoses and/or corrosive.
Re: Because...
whoops- I have used bleach in my bilge to clean it and flush it out. I also used it in the heads but luckily I am replacing all my lines so should be OK.
whoops- I have used bleach in my bilge to clean it and flush it out. I also used it in the heads but luckily I am replacing all my lines so should be OK.
About bleach
Bleach is not a cleaning product and therefore cannot CLEAN anything...if it could, there'd be no reason to use detergent with it in the laundry. It does, in strong enough concentration kill some organisms, which is why it temporarily reduces odor from a wet dirty bilge, but that's all it can do. So using bleach to "clean" a bilge or anything else is a waste of time, effort and bleach.
Think about it...if you had a wet dirty kitchen sink, would you just pour bleach into it, rinse it out a bit and expect to have a clean sink? If you had a dirty bathtub, would you just pour bleach into it, rinse and expect to have a clean tub? So WHY do so many boat owners think they can have a clean bilge by just pouring bleach into it???
And if you want to find out just how destructive bleach can be to rubber, try adding it to flush water tank on your toilet at home and see what it does to the flapper valve in the bottom of the tank (be sure you have a replacement on hand when you do). That SHOULD be enough to convince you that the stuff has no place in the toilet OR bilge on your boat.
Bleach is not a cleaning product and therefore cannot CLEAN anything...if it could, there'd be no reason to use detergent with it in the laundry. It does, in strong enough concentration kill some organisms, which is why it temporarily reduces odor from a wet dirty bilge, but that's all it can do. So using bleach to "clean" a bilge or anything else is a waste of time, effort and bleach.
Think about it...if you had a wet dirty kitchen sink, would you just pour bleach into it, rinse it out a bit and expect to have a clean sink? If you had a dirty bathtub, would you just pour bleach into it, rinse and expect to have a clean tub? So WHY do so many boat owners think they can have a clean bilge by just pouring bleach into it???
And if you want to find out just how destructive bleach can be to rubber, try adding it to flush water tank on your toilet at home and see what it does to the flapper valve in the bottom of the tank (be sure you have a replacement on hand when you do). That SHOULD be enough to convince you that the stuff has no place in the toilet OR bilge on your boat.
Are you sure the odor is coming from the holding tank. In many cases, the odor is coming from the hoses. A good test is to put a hot wet cloth against the hoses and take it away after a few minutes. If the cloth smellls, the hoses are permeated and need to be replaced. Also, do you flush with raw water or fresh water. The organisms that live in raw water, be it fresh, brackish or salt, can often die off and cause a terrible odor that many mistake as coming from the holding tank.
A question I should have asked a lot sooner
I've been assuming you're asking about odor out the tank vent...Sailing dog obviously assumes you're asking about odor inside the boat. They're two entirely different problems requiring entirely different solutions.
So which IS your problem-- odor out the tank vent when the toilet is flushed and/or the boat rocks? Odor inside the boat? Or both?
I've been assuming you're asking about odor out the tank vent...Sailing dog obviously assumes you're asking about odor inside the boat. They're two entirely different problems requiring entirely different solutions.
So which IS your problem-- odor out the tank vent when the toilet is flushed and/or the boat rocks? Odor inside the boat? Or both?
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