Help! The odor just won't go away! We have 1996 Beneteau 321 purchased in 2002. There has been a noxious odor in the boat since day one. I rebuilt the Jabsco manual head, I replaced all the hoses, cleaned the bilge till you could eat off it, but still have a bad odor when boarding after a week away. A dock mate suggested that the odor may be originating in the air conditioning system. Another suggested that it is coming from the black water in the bowl and recommended that I replumb to use fresh water when water conservation is not an issue. Help!
Phew! Have a Persistent Odor!
- Thread starter jmcclain
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Water Heater?
My hot water heater emitted an odor evertime I turned it on that was persistant. The malodorous conditiion was due to bacteria build up coupled with with hot water "cooking". Its just another area you may wish to investigate. I flushed my system no less then three times before all the stink finally left. Bob Atlanta
My hot water heater emitted an odor evertime I turned it on that was persistant. The malodorous conditiion was due to bacteria build up coupled with with hot water "cooking". Its just another area you may wish to investigate. I flushed my system no less then three times before all the stink finally left. Bob Atlanta
Bad Smells
Our boat had a bad odor when we bought it. I installed a solar powered fan in the head to keep air moving and it seemed to cut the smell down a great deal. The only location that made any sense to place the fan was in the middle of a Lewmar hatch right above the bowl. By cutting a good size hole in the plexi, I was able to attach the fan in about 30 min. Still, a noticeable trace of smell still was still there so I ended up replacing all of the large hoses attached to the holding tank back to the pump out deck plate. After years of use, your hoses start to leach fluids out and would account for the smell. Take a clean paper towel or rag and wipe the exterior sides of your hoses. If you smell a bad odor on the rag, you probably have your culprit. Quick tip: In the past, I never knew how full my holding tank was until it was spraying out the vent stantion (made for a nice show with guests aboard). I would always guess but never knew for sure until I bought a Tank Eye. One of the cheapest (under $30.00) best upgrade I put on my boat. It simple to install (took 2 minutes) and even more simple to use. A quick look at my tank eye and I know exactly how full my tank is. I bought mine at from http://www.lbcarco.com
Our boat had a bad odor when we bought it. I installed a solar powered fan in the head to keep air moving and it seemed to cut the smell down a great deal. The only location that made any sense to place the fan was in the middle of a Lewmar hatch right above the bowl. By cutting a good size hole in the plexi, I was able to attach the fan in about 30 min. Still, a noticeable trace of smell still was still there so I ended up replacing all of the large hoses attached to the holding tank back to the pump out deck plate. After years of use, your hoses start to leach fluids out and would account for the smell. Take a clean paper towel or rag and wipe the exterior sides of your hoses. If you smell a bad odor on the rag, you probably have your culprit. Quick tip: In the past, I never knew how full my holding tank was until it was spraying out the vent stantion (made for a nice show with guests aboard). I would always guess but never knew for sure until I bought a Tank Eye. One of the cheapest (under $30.00) best upgrade I put on my boat. It simple to install (took 2 minutes) and even more simple to use. A quick look at my tank eye and I know exactly how full my tank is. I bought mine at from http://www.lbcarco.com
The air conditioning ducts are good bet...
You've eliminated just about everything else...except possibly the shower sump or a bilge area that's trapped water below the cabin sole...due to blocked or never-installed limber holes in the stringers. If your icebox or fridge drains into the bilge that's the most likely source. However, if the source is the a/c ducts, you'd only have odor when the system is running. So if you leave it off while you're away from the boat, it's unlikely. However, there is a product just for use in AC vents called GelAire...you can read all about it here: http://www.gelair.com.au/index.html If stagnant sea water trapped in the toilet intake were the source, the odor would be pretty much confined to the head and would go away after flushing the toilet long enough to clear all the stagnant water out of the toilet...so while it may be ONE source of your odor when the boat has been closed up, I don't think it's the only one or the main one. If you decide to convert to fresh water flush, you'll have to replace the toilet with one designed to use pressurized flush water...there's no way to connect ANY raw water toilet to the onboard fresh water system without risk of polluting the potable water supply, damage to the toilet, or both. Every toilet mfr includes strong warnings against doing it. If the water heater were the source, you'd only have odor when you run hot water...so I don't think that's your source. The best I can do from here is tell you to keep looking. Odors are always strongest at their source...so start sticking your nose into lockers and other enclosed places immediately upon coming aboard--before you open up and air out the boat. Sooner or later you'll find it.
You've eliminated just about everything else...except possibly the shower sump or a bilge area that's trapped water below the cabin sole...due to blocked or never-installed limber holes in the stringers. If your icebox or fridge drains into the bilge that's the most likely source. However, if the source is the a/c ducts, you'd only have odor when the system is running. So if you leave it off while you're away from the boat, it's unlikely. However, there is a product just for use in AC vents called GelAire...you can read all about it here: http://www.gelair.com.au/index.html If stagnant sea water trapped in the toilet intake were the source, the odor would be pretty much confined to the head and would go away after flushing the toilet long enough to clear all the stagnant water out of the toilet...so while it may be ONE source of your odor when the boat has been closed up, I don't think it's the only one or the main one. If you decide to convert to fresh water flush, you'll have to replace the toilet with one designed to use pressurized flush water...there's no way to connect ANY raw water toilet to the onboard fresh water system without risk of polluting the potable water supply, damage to the toilet, or both. Every toilet mfr includes strong warnings against doing it. If the water heater were the source, you'd only have odor when you run hot water...so I don't think that's your source. The best I can do from here is tell you to keep looking. Odors are always strongest at their source...so start sticking your nose into lockers and other enclosed places immediately upon coming aboard--before you open up and air out the boat. Sooner or later you'll find it.
Test the head.
Try closing off the head intake and rinse the untake line with fresh water. Then have everyone flush the head with fresh tank water from the head faucet for a week or two. Be sure that the entire liner is rinsed out with fresh water.
Try closing off the head intake and rinse the untake line with fresh water. Then have everyone flush the head with fresh tank water from the head faucet for a week or two. Be sure that the entire liner is rinsed out with fresh water.
Grungy water trapped
Nothwithstanding all these good ideas, some grunge may simply be trapped. Find all the drains you can all over the boat. Sprinkle baking soda liberally, add vinegar. Flush with hot water boiled on your own stove. Follow with hose water for good cleansing. Stand back and observe what the bilge yields.
Nothwithstanding all these good ideas, some grunge may simply be trapped. Find all the drains you can all over the boat. Sprinkle baking soda liberally, add vinegar. Flush with hot water boiled on your own stove. Follow with hose water for good cleansing. Stand back and observe what the bilge yields.
General odor
I've have an off odor since i bought my boat two years ago. Tried everything i could think of. The latist attempt (twoo Weeks) seems to be working. I bought a box of 20 mule team borix and used that in the head and to clean my belge. As of today there is no odor...Still praying!
I've have an off odor since i bought my boat two years ago. Tried everything i could think of. The latist attempt (twoo Weeks) seems to be working. I bought a box of 20 mule team borix and used that in the head and to clean my belge. As of today there is no odor...Still praying!
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