We have posted many topics trying to rid ourselves of the pervasive sewage smell on our 40.5, and have read tons of other postings. We have found the extra bilges, and cleaned them out, and that was PART of the odor. We have removed the front head(and its nasty hose) from the system. We have replaced all hoses (head, vent, pumpout,macerator)with the stuff Peggy recommends, we have replaced the macerator itself, and installed a Y-valve because there was not one. However, the last time we were pumped out, we found black water from the holding tank under the aft head sink!! Has anyone ever had this problem? We thought it could be the pumpout hose leaking between the layers of the hull, but when we replaced it, it appeared to be intact. Is it possible that the head itself is leaking below what we can see of it? We have ordered a replacement holding tank, and are now thinking we may need a new toilet. Recommendations? Anyone dealt with this before???
- Status
Where is your Y-Valve?
My Y valve is located under the aft sink. Is this where your's was installed? If so, it's leftover from the installation or something in the system is leaking. Hard to figure how the discharge gets there any other way. Your head, if leaking, would show on the mounting surface. Can't figure any way it would get below it. I assume you looked for any leak from the holding tank vent when you replaced it. Even if it were leaking, I don't know how it could get that far aft. I'd just say clean it up, check for leaks and see if it appears again. Rick D.
My Y valve is located under the aft sink. Is this where your's was installed? If so, it's leftover from the installation or something in the system is leaking. Hard to figure how the discharge gets there any other way. Your head, if leaking, would show on the mounting surface. Can't figure any way it would get below it. I assume you looked for any leak from the holding tank vent when you replaced it. Even if it were leaking, I don't know how it could get that far aft. I'd just say clean it up, check for leaks and see if it appears again. Rick D.
only a couple of ways
black water could get under the sink: 1. of the 3 hoses there, one is the sink drain, one the head water feed and the third being the macerator discharge. The latter being the only possibility. A slow leak at the hose clamps at the thru hull?? 2. the vent line or deck pumpout hoses. If either leaked, black water could travel down inside the liner to the area under the head, trapped there and eventually drain into the same adjacent sink cabinet area. If the head was leaking, you'd see it.
black water could get under the sink: 1. of the 3 hoses there, one is the sink drain, one the head water feed and the third being the macerator discharge. The latter being the only possibility. A slow leak at the hose clamps at the thru hull?? 2. the vent line or deck pumpout hoses. If either leaked, black water could travel down inside the liner to the area under the head, trapped there and eventually drain into the same adjacent sink cabinet area. If the head was leaking, you'd see it.
Y valve
This was another question we had actually. We put the Y valve in under the nav station seat. Our system has a hose from the head to the tank, and a hose from the tank to pumpout. This pumpout hose branches to the macerator (originally had a PVC T here)... is this right? It seemed in some of my reading that the Y valve should be prior to the holding tank....
This was another question we had actually. We put the Y valve in under the nav station seat. Our system has a hose from the head to the tank, and a hose from the tank to pumpout. This pumpout hose branches to the macerator (originally had a PVC T here)... is this right? It seemed in some of my reading that the Y valve should be prior to the holding tank....
Shipboard investigation
I have used the following to solve all my leak problems with 100% success. Since you have located the leak, look around the edge of the pool of yuck under your sink. There should be a "track" of yuck that leads to the offending leak. A strong light helps a lot in finding the track. If after looking and looking you don't find a track, consider if it might be dripping into the pool instead of flowing into it. The leak would then have to be directly over the pool (assuming you are not heeled during the leaking). As a last resort, clean up the mess completly and get a pumpout while looking under the sink. If it is happening during the pumpout you should see it at that time. Good luck
I have used the following to solve all my leak problems with 100% success. Since you have located the leak, look around the edge of the pool of yuck under your sink. There should be a "track" of yuck that leads to the offending leak. A strong light helps a lot in finding the track. If after looking and looking you don't find a track, consider if it might be dripping into the pool instead of flowing into it. The leak would then have to be directly over the pool (assuming you are not heeled during the leaking). As a last resort, clean up the mess completly and get a pumpout while looking under the sink. If it is happening during the pumpout you should see it at that time. Good luck
Getting rid of the smell
I had a Catalina 30 that right after we got it had a head smell that would stop a charging rino in its tracks. The smell went away after cleaning the air vent and flushing the tank with bay water several times. I would pump the head to fill the tank and then get a pump out. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Pump the head to get the tank about half full and take her on a sail to stir things up then pump out again. Never had a problem after that. Just needed some TLC and a good wack in the stern.
I had a Catalina 30 that right after we got it had a head smell that would stop a charging rino in its tracks. The smell went away after cleaning the air vent and flushing the tank with bay water several times. I would pump the head to fill the tank and then get a pump out. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Pump the head to get the tank about half full and take her on a sail to stir things up then pump out again. Never had a problem after that. Just needed some TLC and a good wack in the stern.
- Status