Looking for feedback on Raritan's Knock Out Odors (KO2) kit

[Captain Larry-DH]

Related - FYI - this week I discovered PineSol is a great mildew cleaner.

 

[JimHansen77]

Good morning - I like the idea behind the Raritan KO2 kit: with every flush a little bit of C.P. is pushed through the pump (I've a SuperFlush) and through the bowl to prohibit low tide-like odors. It's on the pricey side, but includes a metering valve that appears to be expensive to buy on its own so is probably not a horrible deal. Oddly, while lots of stores stock the product I can find few comments about the product in the forums. Does anyone here have good or bad things to say about it? Thanks!

I ended up installing the KO2. I like it a great deal and recommend it.

I had one issue with the install. Item #4 in the pix below is a T check valve that sucks in the CP contained in the KO2 tank (item 1). The fitting where the CP comes in from the tank and the fitting on the downstream end of the T both screw into the body of the check valve and both of them leaked. I unscrewed them and gooped up the threads with thread sealant paste and all was well. I recommend that anyone who installs the KO2 does same before putting everything together.

Jim

 

[JimHansen77]

I ended up installing the KO2. I like it a great deal and recommend it.

I had one issue with the install. Item #4 in the pix below is a T check valve that sucks in the CP contained in the KO2 tank (item 1). The fitting where the CP comes in from the tank and the fitting on the downstream end of the T both screw into the body of the check valve and both of them leaked. I unscrewed them and gooped up the threads with thread sealant paste and all was well. I recommend that anyone who installs the KO2 does same before putting everything together.

Jim

With the pix

 

[Lulastar1]

I apologize, Peggie - I wasn't clear. The KO2 kit (Knock Out Odors) is sold by Raritan as a system to get CP into the raw water inlet just before the head's pump. It's basically a reservoir with a metering valve, a check valve, and a T-fitting. When you pump the head it sucks in a small amount of CP, runs it through the pump and into the bowl.

Wellll...Yes and no. K.O. is live aerobic bacteria which needs a decent supply of oxygen via the tank vent to work as advertised. Iow, the tank has to be able to "breathe." Ideally, vent lines should be short (5-7'), straight as an arrow, and not rise more than 45 degrees, 'cuz the gasses in the tank don't rise and ambient doesn't fall...45 degrees is the closest to vertical that will allow them to exchange.
"Ideal" can be impossible to achieve on most boats, but it lets you know what you're shooting for. If the vent line can't be straight, make sure that any bends in it are gentle sweeps, only one MAYBE two, no longer than 8-10'.

"Vent" thru-hulls are designed to keep sea water out of fuel and water tanks...they're totally wrong for waste holding tank vents because they restrict the tank's ability to breathe, but boat builders save a few pennies by using the same thru-hull on all tank vents. Replacing the "vent" thru-hull with an open bulkhead (aka "mushroom) fitting is the best thing you can do for a holding tank. Not only does it allow the tank to breathe, but you can prevent vent blockages by putting a hose nozzle against it to backflush the vent line on a regular basis. Anything trying to set up housekeeping in it will just be flushed into the tank.

That's the complete answer to your question "does KO work as advertised?" The short answer is: as long as it''s getting enough oxygen for the bacteria to survive.

Hi Peggie. Do you have a recommendation for something that will work when the ventilation/oxygen is less than great?

Wellll...Yes and no. K.O. is live aerobic bacteria which needs a decent supply of oxygen via the tank vent to work as advertised. Iow, the tank has to be able to "breathe." Ideally, vent lines should be short (5-7'), straight as an arrow, and not rise more than 45 degrees, 'cuz the gasses in the tank don't rise and ambient doesn't fall...45 degrees is the closest to vertical that will allow them to exchange.
"Ideal" can be impossible to achieve on most boats, but it lets you know what you're shooting for. If the vent line can't be straight, make sure that any bends in it are gentle sweeps, only one MAYBE two, no longer than 8-10'.

"Vent" thru-hulls are designed to keep sea water out of fuel and water tanks...they're totally wrong for waste holding tank vents because they restrict the tank's ability to breathe, but boat builders save a few pennies by using the same thru-hull on all tank vents. Replacing the "vent" thru-hull with an open bulkhead (aka "mushroom) fitting is the best thing you can do for a holding tank. Not only does it allow the tank to breathe, but you can prevent vent blockages by putting a hose nozzle against it to backflush the vent line on a regular basis. Anything trying to set up housekeeping in it will just be flushed into the tank.

That's the complete answer to your question "does KO work as advertised?" The short answer is: as long as it''s getting enough oxygen for the bacteria to survive.

Hi Peggie. Do you have a recommendation for something that will work when ventilation/oxygen is less than great? We started using CP a few months ago in the toilet and its been helping, but we want to do a deeper clean in the tank. Our vent is very narrow and doesn't work well.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Hi Peggie. Do you have a recommendation for something that will work when the ventilation/oxygen is less than great?

Hi Peggie. Do you have a recommendation for something that will work when ventilation/oxygen is less than great? We started using CP a few months ago in the toilet and its been helping, but we want to do a deeper clean in the tank. Our vent is very narrow and doesn't work well.

I went through something similar with my new to me boat earlier this year. I started a thread about recommissioning the waste system. While it was suggested to me to use dish soap and water to do a deep clean of the tank, it wasn't really necessary. For me, the three items that did the trick were replacing the joker valve, using Odorlos (it took a few weeks for the smell to disappear) and cleaning the tank vent. My hoses were of good quality and fairly new.

Hoses are usually the number one recommended item to check. you can do so by placing a hot wet rag on the hoses for I believe 15 minutes and then seeing if they smell. If they do, you need to replace the hoses.

If you find that you have backflow into the bowl after being away from the boat for a while, it's a good indication that the joker valve needs to be replaced.

I could be wrong, but I dont think any treatment is going to work without proper ventilation. Chances are your vent or hose is clogged. I'd recommend replacing one or both. It's much cheaper and easier to install than the KO system

This is one area on your boat that it pays to use quality hoses. I'm not an expert but this was my experience. I was guided by Peggy and others on this forum

 

[Lulastar1]

I went through something similar with my new to me boat earlier this year. I started a thread about recommissioning the waste system. While it was suggested to me to use dish soap and water to do a deep clean of the tank, it wasn't really necessary. For me, the three items that did the trick were replacing the joker valve, using Odorlos (it took a few weeks for the smell to disappear) and cleaning the tank vent. My hoses were of good quality and fairly new.

Hoses are usually the number one recommended item to check. you can do so by placing a hot wet rag on the hoses for I believe 15 minutes and then seeing if they smell. If they do, you need to replace the hoses.

If you find that you have backflow into the bowl after being away from the boat for a while, it's a good indication that the joker valve needs to be replaced.

I could be wrong, but I dont think any treatment is going to work without proper ventilation. Chances are your vent or hose is clogged. I'd recommend replacing one or both. It's much cheaper and easier to install than the KO system

This is one area on your boat that it pays to use quality hoses. I'm not an expert but this was my experience. I was guided by Peggy and others on this forum

Thanks so much! This is really helpful. We'll start by trying the rag trick. We've replaced the joker valve already so that should be good. We recently started using odorlos too which did help and we use CP throughout the week, which also has helped. You're probably right about the hoses. We changed them about 6 years ago. I wonder what the normal lifespan is.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Thanks so much! This is really helpful. We'll start by trying the rag trick. We've replaced the joker valve already so that should be good. We recently started using odorlos too which did help and we use CP throughout the week, which also has helped. You're probably right about the hoses. We changed them about 6 years ago. I wonder what the normal lifespan is.

Thanks for your help!

I'm guessing lifespan is in the range of 5-10 years. Odorlos didnt start working until I cleared my vent

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

"Normal" odor free lifespan of sanitation hoses depends on the quality of the hose. I've had the least expensive (flex PVC #148) permeate in < 90 days. Raritan SaniFlex is the top rated hose..it's expensive but worth it because it has a 10 year warranty against odor permeation and is also so flexible it can be bent almost as tight as a hairpin without kinking...making re-hosing a whole bunch easier job.

--Peggie

 

[Project_Mayhem]

One more tip which I will try when I run out of CP - Apparently you can use head treatment in its place. I can't remember if it should be diluted or not. Full details are somewhere on Sail Delmarva

 

[JimHansen77]

+1 on Raritan Saniflex. It is super easy to work with *and* smells like vanilla. You could cut off a hunk of it and use it as an air freshener in your car