Peggy: A couple of weekends ago, the head holding tank got filled to the brim. Since then, the head stinks to high heaven even though it's been pumped out. Any suggestions?? It's really hot here right now and ooooooooooeeeeee Thanks
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Flush the whole system out.
With lots and lots and lots of fresh water...put it down the head till you overflow the tank out the vent line and let it run till the water runs clean. Then run some undiluted white vinegar through the head discharge hose on "dry." Here's what caused your problem: when the tank overflowed, sewage went into the vent line and back up the hose toward the head...so just pumping the tank won't help...the whole system has be cleaned out. However...Holding tanks need to be at least nominally rinsed out with fresh water on a regular basis--at least every 2nd or 3rd pumpout, better yet, every time you pump out. You can do it two ways: either pump it out, then fill it with water through the deck ftting...or if your marina charges you for two pumpouts if you do that, run a hose (NOT the one you use to fill your fresh water tank!) into the head and keeping flushing fresh water through the toilet while it's being pumped out till the tank is rinsed out. It's not necessary to do it every time as thoroughly as you need to to solve your problem, but a nominal rinse of a couple of bucketfulls down the toilet just as the pumpout start sucking air stirs up any sludge on the bottom of the tank and dilutes that last inch that the pumpout can't get. Btw...what's your definition of "really hot?" We're sitting around 100 right now. And if you think your system stinks, be glad you're not down here!
With lots and lots and lots of fresh water...put it down the head till you overflow the tank out the vent line and let it run till the water runs clean. Then run some undiluted white vinegar through the head discharge hose on "dry." Here's what caused your problem: when the tank overflowed, sewage went into the vent line and back up the hose toward the head...so just pumping the tank won't help...the whole system has be cleaned out. However...Holding tanks need to be at least nominally rinsed out with fresh water on a regular basis--at least every 2nd or 3rd pumpout, better yet, every time you pump out. You can do it two ways: either pump it out, then fill it with water through the deck ftting...or if your marina charges you for two pumpouts if you do that, run a hose (NOT the one you use to fill your fresh water tank!) into the head and keeping flushing fresh water through the toilet while it's being pumped out till the tank is rinsed out. It's not necessary to do it every time as thoroughly as you need to to solve your problem, but a nominal rinse of a couple of bucketfulls down the toilet just as the pumpout start sucking air stirs up any sludge on the bottom of the tank and dilutes that last inch that the pumpout can't get. Btw...what's your definition of "really hot?" We're sitting around 100 right now. And if you think your system stinks, be glad you're not down here!
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