I've just gone through the previous two topics and it sounds like they have my boat! The head/holding tank is my biggest headache, too. Or rather the smell is! In spite of new hoses, clearing vents, rinsing the inner hull, cleaning/pumping the bilge, super-flushing the tank, and flushing the head with fresh water, we still get a distinct lingering odor in the cabin, but mainly in the forepeak and hanging locker (site of vent and vent hose). It is stronger under the v-berth, though, so lifting the cushions and getting my head in there confirms that the odor prevails over my efforts to get rid of it. I'm going to purchase and read your new book, Peggy, but I'll also try the cures you've outlined in the previous posts - KO on the inner hull and locker surfaces, Odorlos in the tank, closing off one of the tank vent outlets to eliminate the tee, replace the clear vent hose. I'll let you know if all this works!!!! Michael O'
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You might try cleaning the bilge
I get a LOT of calls from people who've replaced everything in their sanitation system trying to get rid of what they thought was "head" or holding tank odors...when the real culprit was either a bilge that just needed a REAL cleaning instead of just dumping in more bilge cleaner, or trapped stagnant water somewhere. Water left to stagnate long enough can smell worse than a sewer.
I get a LOT of calls from people who've replaced everything in their sanitation system trying to get rid of what they thought was "head" or holding tank odors...when the real culprit was either a bilge that just needed a REAL cleaning instead of just dumping in more bilge cleaner, or trapped stagnant water somewhere. Water left to stagnate long enough can smell worse than a sewer.
Bilge ain't it.......
Good suggestion, Peggy, but I've REALLY cleaned the bilge. Never was "that" smell in the bilge anyway (my nose has been quite close to the bilgewater a number of times!), and I've cleaned it so well it's at the not-quite-clean-enough to drink catagory.
As for stagnant water, it's at least possible, but I've already searched for such and found none. Although the odor isn't distinctly "sewer", I'm certain it comes from the sanitation system. A real give-away is the smell residing inside the hanging locker where the the head vent hoses pass up to the vent through hull. I didn't know whether the clear plastic vent hoses could permeate the odor, but I'm guessing now that it is a real possibility. Right? I'm going to replace them anyway...... Michael O'
Good suggestion, Peggy, but I've REALLY cleaned the bilge. Never was "that" smell in the bilge anyway (my nose has been quite close to the bilgewater a number of times!), and I've cleaned it so well it's at the not-quite-clean-enough to drink catagory.
As for stagnant water, it's at least possible, but I've already searched for such and found none. Although the odor isn't distinctly "sewer", I'm certain it comes from the sanitation system. A real give-away is the smell residing inside the hanging locker where the the head vent hoses pass up to the vent through hull. I didn't know whether the clear plastic vent hoses could permeate the odor, but I'm guessing now that it is a real possibility. Right? I'm going to replace them anyway...... Michael O'Clear vent hose is a real possibility
If that's not it, don't rule out trapped water. Hunter's are notorious for areas below decks that can't drain...and they STINK!
If that's not it, don't rule out trapped water. Hunter's are notorious for areas below decks that can't drain...and they STINK!
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