How/preserve new waste & water hoses

[Gary C.]

Only boat we ever had was bought used and had cruddy waste and fresh water hoses when we bought it. Getting a new boat in a few weeks. What type of periodic maintanence practices can keep the holding tank and hoses ( there is a long run for the waste tank hose to the tank too ) from smelling in hot weather, and also the fresh water hoses/tanks from getting moldy/cruddy over use? Thanks in advance for any advice. This is such a great forum.

 

[Steve Dion]

Chemicals and clean/clear hoses

Gary:The best thing to do is to keep your waste lines clear of any waste (pump lots of fresh water when done). Use a good chemical treatment that breaks down the waste. Keep your vent free and clear. Be sure to keep your tank from overflowing and you should be fine.If you start with poor quality hose it is only going to be a matter of time before you need to replace it regardless of what you do.

 

[Don]

Check out the Head Mistress....

on the main page under forums. Peggie has a wealth of information. For the fresh water side, I have found that dumping the water tank several times a season and refilling helps to keep the crud down. Each spring, I add 1/4 cup of chlorine to my 20 gal tank. I let it sit overnight and drain into the bilge. Fill with fresh water and drain again. I found out the hard way not to leave chlorine in the tank year round. It attacks rubber seals in fawcets, pumps and anything it comes in contact with.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

The first season for a new boat is easy

Since waste left standing in the head discharge hose is the main cause of odor permeation, always be sure to lush a gallon of clean water down the toilet, followed by a cupful of white vinegar, at the end of each weekend to rinse the waste out of the head discharge hose.Use only non-chemical holding products--Raritan K.O. or Odorlos--in the tank. Chemical products only mask waste odor with a chemical odor and kill the bacteria needed to break down waste, resulting in sludge. Check your tank vent regularly and keep it clear of any blockages. NEVER let waste overflow out the vent. Rinse the tank nominally after every pumpout...thoroughly after every 5-6 pumpouts. A brand new toilet shouldn't need any lubrication for a year. If you winterize, lube it properly in the fall...if you don't, do it next spring.Your fresh water system shouldn't need any attention the first season either. Recommission it next spring. My book "Get Rid of Boat Odors!" will be out in April, and includes all the preventive maintenance instructions you need to keep your sanitation and fresh water systems working smoothly and your boat odor-free.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

Don, you're on the right track, but--

You're not using enough bleach to kill the critters (molds, fungi etc) in the plumbing, which are 90% of the funky water problem. Cleaning the tank only addresses 10% of the problem. For a 20 gallon tank, you need a pint of bleach. Turn on every faucet and let water run till what's coming out smells strongly of bleach...then leave the pump on so the system remains pressurized to keep the solution in the plumbing overnight. Then drain the tank through every faucet instead into the bilge, fill with fresh water and drain through every faucet again. to flush the bleach solution out the plumbing. If you still can taste/smell bleach, put about 5 gallons of water in the tank, along with a quart of white vinegar, run it through every faucet till you can smell vinegar and leave the system pressurized for a day or two. Flush that solution out refill the tank with fresh water.Btw, this also gets rid of any antifreeze taste/smell in addition to ensuring that your onboard water will smell and taste good all season.