Spring recommissioning
There's an article in the Head Mistress forum Reference Library that provides instructions for recommissioning the plumbing. To answer your questions: that little bit of oil down the toilet just washes out in a few flushes..enough of it added repeatedly puts an oil slick on the surface in the tank that suffocates the contents and makes it all but impossible for anything to get rid of odor out the vent (see another article in the library: "Holding Tank Odor--Odor Out the Vent") . This year, do it right for a change--take your pump apart while it's clean and dry and slather it liberally with teflon grease. Not only should it last at least half a season, but that gives you the opportunity to see what shape the pump is in while it's clean and dry, and rebuild it if the seals and valves are worn--while it's clean and dry...instead of letting it go till you have to do it when the bowl is full and it won't go down. Preventive maintenance reduces the odds of ever needing a repair by at least 90%. As for when to start using K.O....bacteria--whether it's the bacteria in waste that causes odor or the bacteria in K.O. become totally inactive below 40F, so unless your holding tank is inside the boat where the contents can get considerably warmer , you don't need anything in it till the weather warms up. If the tank gets warm, add the recommended dose of K.O. with the first flush, after you've completely flushed any antifreeze out of the system.
