We sail in freshwater exclusively. The head hose is new, the flexible PVC of which you recommended. The head has only been used for urine, and flushed well afterwards. Everything is great, exept...we get a foul smell in the head upon flushing. I believe it is originating from the top of the antisiphon loop. We still get a smell even when flushing with head treatment. Could it be eminating from the head intake hose? If so, would you recommend an inline deordorant?
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Questions...
Where is the vented loop you suspect...intake? Or is there also one in the discharge line? Is/are there air valves in the loop(s)? Are you seeing any black flecks in the bowl when you bring in flush water?
Where is the vented loop you suspect...intake? Or is there also one in the discharge line? Is/are there air valves in the loop(s)? Are you seeing any black flecks in the bowl when you bring in flush water?
How Smelly
When we used the boat on a resh water river we would get some smell but no where near as fowl as it is in the saltwater of the Chespaeke. Just because its not saltwater dosen't mean its free of microrganisms and fresh water algae.
When we used the boat on a resh water river we would get some smell but no where near as fowl as it is in the saltwater of the Chespaeke. Just because its not saltwater dosen't mean its free of microrganisms and fresh water algae.
smell
There are two loops mounted against the side of the hull, well above the water line. Both loops have a small vent or valve ontop of the loops. There are now black or any other color flecks upon flushing. The same smell and I don't know how to describe it ocurrs no matter how much flushing(only more flushing, more smell). There is only 3-4 feet of relatively new flexible PVC hose on the discharge to the loops. The intake hose is regular black hose and must have a run of 8-10 feet of which is 23 years old. Hence, I suspect this part of the hose.
There are two loops mounted against the side of the hull, well above the water line. Both loops have a small vent or valve ontop of the loops. There are now black or any other color flecks upon flushing. The same smell and I don't know how to describe it ocurrs no matter how much flushing(only more flushing, more smell). There is only 3-4 feet of relatively new flexible PVC hose on the discharge to the loops. The intake hose is regular black hose and must have a run of 8-10 feet of which is 23 years old. Hence, I suspect this part of the hose.
I suspect you've sucked in some animal or
vegetable life that's died and decaying in the head intake line...a dead minnow can really STINK..and so can some weeds. Intake hoses rarely permeate...and if yours had, there'd be at least a slight odor all the time--especially after the boat has been closed up, not just when you flush. That it's only when you flush, and that it doesn't go away after the first flush after the boat has sat, is almost certain to mean something is decaying in the system. Pull the intake hose off the thru-hull and the toilet...straighten it out and look through it to see whether you can see daylight. If you can't, whether to clean it out or just replace it is up to you. If the hose is clear, put a short piece of hose on the toilet, stick it in a bucket of water laced with about 8 oz of Raritan C.P....flush the whole bucketful. Don't use the toilet for at least 24 hours...flush another bucketful of clean water through it. That SHOULD solve the problem. If it doesn't, get back to me.
vegetable life that's died and decaying in the head intake line...a dead minnow can really STINK..and so can some weeds. Intake hoses rarely permeate...and if yours had, there'd be at least a slight odor all the time--especially after the boat has been closed up, not just when you flush. That it's only when you flush, and that it doesn't go away after the first flush after the boat has sat, is almost certain to mean something is decaying in the system. Pull the intake hose off the thru-hull and the toilet...straighten it out and look through it to see whether you can see daylight. If you can't, whether to clean it out or just replace it is up to you. If the hose is clear, put a short piece of hose on the toilet, stick it in a bucket of water laced with about 8 oz of Raritan C.P....flush the whole bucketful. Don't use the toilet for at least 24 hours...flush another bucketful of clean water through it. That SHOULD solve the problem. If it doesn't, get back to me.
fauty design?
Perhaps at least contributing to our problem might be the thruhull arrangement. Both sinks are also plumbed to the same thruhull as the head intake. Should I contemplate separating these? I think I will try to hook up a pump and flush water out of the intake. See what comes out(we're on the hard).
Perhaps at least contributing to our problem might be the thruhull arrangement. Both sinks are also plumbed to the same thruhull as the head intake. Should I contemplate separating these? I think I will try to hook up a pump and flush water out of the intake. See what comes out(we're on the hard).
Not a faulity design...the BEST design!
Head and sink drain sharing the same thru-hull is the best arrangement, because it allows you to close the thru-hull and fill the sink to flush sea water (or foul fresh water) out of the head intake line, pump and channel in the rim of the bowl. So you don't need a pump to flush out the head intake...just bring some jerry cans of water aboard to pour down the sink. (But you wouldn't anyway...the toilet is all the pump you need to pull a bucketful of water through the system). However, you still should pull the head intake hose off to look through it to see whether anything has gotten trapped in it. You might also want clean out the head sink drain...it could very well be the source of your odor. Close the thru-hull, pour enough Raritan C.P down the sink to fill the hose...let it stand at least 24 hours. Clean your shower sump too. C.P. is a bio-enzymatic cleaning product that not only destroys odor on contact, but also "eats" hair, soap scum etc...it's marketed only as a toilet bowl cleaner, but it's also the best sump and drain cleaner on the planet.
Head and sink drain sharing the same thru-hull is the best arrangement, because it allows you to close the thru-hull and fill the sink to flush sea water (or foul fresh water) out of the head intake line, pump and channel in the rim of the bowl. So you don't need a pump to flush out the head intake...just bring some jerry cans of water aboard to pour down the sink. (But you wouldn't anyway...the toilet is all the pump you need to pull a bucketful of water through the system). However, you still should pull the head intake hose off to look through it to see whether anything has gotten trapped in it. You might also want clean out the head sink drain...it could very well be the source of your odor. Close the thru-hull, pour enough Raritan C.P down the sink to fill the hose...let it stand at least 24 hours. Clean your shower sump too. C.P. is a bio-enzymatic cleaning product that not only destroys odor on contact, but also "eats" hair, soap scum etc...it's marketed only as a toilet bowl cleaner, but it's also the best sump and drain cleaner on the planet.
Btw...I just noticed where you are...
If you haven't winterized your plumbing, you need to...or expect to find a cracked bowl and pump next spring. If you have, and if you're gonna try to deal with this problem now, you'll need to re-winterize the toilet. Easy to do on your boat...just pour antifreeze down the sink (thru-hull closed) and pump the the toilet till you see pink. If you haven't previously winterized, pump a whole gallon through...if you have, about a half gallon should do it. Then open the thru-hull and leave it open all winter. And to answer a question I missed in your original post, you do not want to install an inline "deoderant" device...they only work marginally at best, and can also react negatively with holding tank products.
If you haven't winterized your plumbing, you need to...or expect to find a cracked bowl and pump next spring. If you have, and if you're gonna try to deal with this problem now, you'll need to re-winterize the toilet. Easy to do on your boat...just pour antifreeze down the sink (thru-hull closed) and pump the the toilet till you see pink. If you haven't previously winterized, pump a whole gallon through...if you have, about a half gallon should do it. Then open the thru-hull and leave it open all winter. And to answer a question I missed in your original post, you do not want to install an inline "deoderant" device...they only work marginally at best, and can also react negatively with holding tank products.
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