Occaisional Head Smell
- Thread starter asalotto
- Start date
Some modifications to the intake plumbing and the vent line can fix that.
--peggie
I just thought I'd bump this thread based on my more recent experiences with No-flex Digestor.
I decided to give it another try and this time stick with it. I can say now that it is working very well for me. The only thing I can figure is that I must not have cleaned out the tank from my previous product adequately, and it might have been interfering with it--though I did rinse the tank several times with fresh water before making the switch. I really don't know. But I have been using No-Flex since early this summer and I'm now quite pleased with it.
I had pretty good results with Odorlos before this, but one improvement I've noticed with the No-Flex is that it seems to do a much better job of keeping sludge and calcified deposits at bay. The tank seems to remain very clean. And the head is odor-free--at least as good as Odorlos, if not slightly better. (Odorlos was effective at odor control, but No-Flex seems to stamp out the odor even faster.)
Anyway, I'm still not entirely clear why my earlier attempts with the product were not effective, but I thought it would be fair to report back that I am having good luck with it now and plan on sticking with it.
This is our 3rd cruising season (Nov-May) using Noflex and it works amazingly well. Never an odor.
I have a 2002 Catalina 310. I bought the boat in 2020 and had the issue you describe with the head though it also stank while motoring. Since i wasn't sure of the exact cause, I replaced all the hoses (not needed in your case), and, most importantly, added a large diameter through hull tank vent using the diameter Peggy recommends in her book. That solved the problem. Subsequently, I religiously use NoFlex and have installed the Raritan Fresh head (manual) Peggy references. Zero odors since. My only complaint is it really takes a toll on fresh water supply which could be a drag if extended cruising were something I did. Since your boat is new, I am wondering if maybe the tank vent is your problem? On the 310, I don't my original tank vent allowed enough air exchange.
Two suggestions: 1, Learn to use "dry" flush to do more than just empty the last of the water in bowl...one pump in the wet mode, switch to "dry" to move the flush to the tank, back to "wet" to rinse behind it. Doing it this way will not only conserve your fresh water, but it can increase the number of flushes your tank can hold by 50% or more.
And btw...I recommend doing this to increase tank capacity whether your toilet uses fresh water or sea water.
2. Install a water maker to use during extended cruising. You'll need the additional water whether you're using it for toilet flushing or not.
--Peggie
Leave the stink in the head not the cockpit!
I started off using that nasty formaldehyde stuff that came with my boat. It was simply awful. I switched to Odorlos and it was a big improvement. The yard is a 4+ hour journey at the end of the season and my porta potty stopped pumping water. Nothing is worse than the stench of two week old pure urine. There's no way to pump out until the spring. This time I switched to WestMarine ExterminOdor. Wow! This stuff works amazing! Zero smell even when the valve to the tank is open!
You can't just add water in a cup from the sink? Or bring water aboard in a gallon milk jug to use for this? Although it's fitted for pumpout, that's not the only way to empty it..it is after all a "portapotty:" So disconnect the hoses to make it portable and take the tank ashore to dump down a toilet (you'd want to do this every few days, before it has enough in it to become too heavy to carry).
--Peggie
--Peggie
The head will be replaced as it has multiple issues. We decided to wait till spring to do this project because we have no way to do a proper pump out of the tank and hoses and we'd prefer to not leave waste in a brand new unit. We will have a five hour journey to get to our slip in the spring so having some extra room in the tank might be helpful. Anyways, I just wanted to tell how well this new treatment worked. My intention was not to jack this thread
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You didn't hijack the thread...I just provided some additional solutions to your odor problem.
--Peggie
--Peggie
I've notice a number of members here who have replaced the breather hose. What size is it. ID & OD
Oh one other thing ....... is there anyone from Great Lakes area who knows where to get NoFlex
Cheers
Oh one other thing ....... is there anyone from Great Lakes area who knows where to get NoFlex
Cheers
5/8" is the standard vent line ID...OD is immaterial. Always use sanitation hose, never clear water hose (although some boat builders will use it 'cuz it's cheap. However I recommend upgrading the vent line to 1" ID and replacing the "vent" thru-hull wth an open bulkhead or "mushroom" thru-hull for a couple of reasons:
1. It improves the air exchange necessary to keep the tank aerobic (essential to preventing odor out the vent).
2. It makes it possible to put a hose nozzle against to back flush the vent line every time you wash the boat and/or pump out, preventing vent blockages. Anything that's tried to set up housekeeping in it will just get a water slide ride into the tank.
--Peggie