plastic holding tank odor
- Thread starter Panera
- Start date
Plastic tanks rarely if ever permeate. MaineSail posted several years ago that he had seen only one in his entire career, and a conversation with the mfr revealed that it had been improperly cured.
The two most likely sources of odor INSIDE a boat are permeated sanitation hoses or bilges in serious need of a real cleaning instead of just dumping more bilge cleaner in and letting it slosh around for a while before turning on the bilge pumps to drain it.
There are other possibilities...have you just acquired the boat and odor along with it? Describe the odor--sewer, moldy, swampy? Sharp or soft? Is it throughout the boat or limited to one area (the head maybe)? Any other information would be helpful.
--Peggie
The two most likely sources of odor INSIDE a boat are permeated sanitation hoses or bilges in serious need of a real cleaning instead of just dumping more bilge cleaner in and letting it slosh around for a while before turning on the bilge pumps to drain it.
There are other possibilities...have you just acquired the boat and odor along with it? Describe the odor--sewer, moldy, swampy? Sharp or soft? Is it throughout the boat or limited to one area (the head maybe)? Any other information would be helpful.
--Peggie
Hi Peggy, thank for you prompt reply. The boat is a 1997 Hunter. I've had it for 4 years and love it. 2 years age the yard failed to install the primary diesel filter and a had a bilge full of diesel to clean up, after many attempts lestoil and other cleaners finally did the trick. The diesel was in many unreachable places. In 2020 my waste sender failed and with pump out stations broken I had a very full tank never seemed to overflow. since I've restored the maceration, which is attached to the pump out hose and heading out to sea to dump.
jump being on the boat yesterday, in Portland maine we could detect the odor. the hose is original, wiping with a paper towel no sign of leakage nor any smell on the towel.
The hose requires a couple on very tight bends near the potty, do you have a recommendation on a hose that allows such flexibility? also, replace the pump and joker in 2018 and have a new one to replace it this spring.
Do you recommend a product to saturate thetank and surrounds to help clean that part of the bilge area?
Thanks so.much for your expert advice. BTW, your book was one of the first I bought.
jump being on the boat yesterday, in Portland maine we could detect the odor. the hose is original, wiping with a paper towel no sign of leakage nor any smell on the towel.
The hose requires a couple on very tight bends near the potty, do you have a recommendation on a hose that allows such flexibility? also, replace the pump and joker in 2018 and have a new one to replace it this spring.
Do you recommend a product to saturate thetank and surrounds to help clean that part of the bilge area?
Thanks so.much for your expert advice. BTW, your book was one of the first I bought.
I'm sure the spill IS at least one of the sources of your odor. The bilges are in need of a serious thorough cleaning, which is best done using a power washer...if you don't have one, get one...retail "homeowner" power washers are not expensive and can get into areas that cannot be reached by hand, even with a long handle brush. My last boat was a "project" boat that I had been sitting in the water for 5 years...One whiff of the bilge and I was off to Home Depot to buy my first power washer. They have many good uses...cleaning winter off the deck, hull and cockpit...hosing down my dock finger with it from time to time meant a lot less dirt tracked on to the boat...plus many good uses at home. You have my book...read the chapter "Boat Odors Are Not All in Your Head."
There's no need to saturate the tank...it just needs to be thoroughly rinsed out with a strong solution of liquid detergent (any brand, but I'd use Tide) and the outside of it cleaned off, which a power washer will easily do.
As for hoses...replace ALL of them including vent line and toilet intake line. If they're original they've been living on borrowed time for at least 15 years because rubber and plastics dry out over time, becoming hard, brittle and prone to cracking and splitting...the last thing you want to happen! Raritan SaniFlex hose RaritanSaniFlex hose is the only one I now recommend now. It's the top rated hose because it not only has a 10 yr warranty against odor permeation, but is also so flexible it can be bent almost as tight as a hairpin without kinking. Don't be spooked by the list price Defender has 1" and 1.5" for $10-$12/ft, which isn't cheap, but sanitation hose is the last thing you want to buy cheap if you only want to do this job ONCE instead of every couple of years. And, unlike most retailers, they sell it by the foot, so you only have to buy the amount you need. The chapter "Replacing Hoses in An Existing System" was somehow left out of my book...I'll send it to you if you'll send me a PM that includes your email address (no way to attach anything to a PM).
We'll deal with eliminating residual odors that remain after a thorough cleaning after you've done that.
--Peggie
There's no need to saturate the tank...it just needs to be thoroughly rinsed out with a strong solution of liquid detergent (any brand, but I'd use Tide) and the outside of it cleaned off, which a power washer will easily do.
As for hoses...replace ALL of them including vent line and toilet intake line. If they're original they've been living on borrowed time for at least 15 years because rubber and plastics dry out over time, becoming hard, brittle and prone to cracking and splitting...the last thing you want to happen! Raritan SaniFlex hose RaritanSaniFlex hose is the only one I now recommend now. It's the top rated hose because it not only has a 10 yr warranty against odor permeation, but is also so flexible it can be bent almost as tight as a hairpin without kinking. Don't be spooked by the list price Defender has 1" and 1.5" for $10-$12/ft, which isn't cheap, but sanitation hose is the last thing you want to buy cheap if you only want to do this job ONCE instead of every couple of years. And, unlike most retailers, they sell it by the foot, so you only have to buy the amount you need. The chapter "Replacing Hoses in An Existing System" was somehow left out of my book...I'll send it to you if you'll send me a PM that includes your email address (no way to attach anything to a PM).
We'll deal with eliminating residual odors that remain after a thorough cleaning after you've done that.
--Peggie
Replaced the potty hose using Raritan SaniFlex hose. Starting to work on cleaning up the area around the tank by spraying DEP Disinfection full strength last weekend. On the boat today could still smell odor so sprayed Industrial Strength Lysol, very nasty smell very industrial to help eliminate the septic odor. No water on at the marina yet, will power wash the area once water is turned on.
If you replaced stinky hoses, there's almost certain to be residual odor from 'em in every area they passed through. That'll be easy, if a bit labor intensive, once you have water again.
If the odor is only around the holding tank, don't do anything else until you have water again, 'cuz a thorough cleaning with detergent and water is the only thing that'll work.
If you're using a power washer, don't put detergent in its reservoir...that dilutes it too much. Instead, buy a 1 gallon pump garden sprayer--and get a good one (Ortho makes one for bout $15 (pre-inflation price) I've had for 20 years. Start by wetting down every surface, nook and cranny in that area, then spray detergent (Dawn dishwashing liquid is a good choice) full strength on every surface, nook and cranny and give it a few minutes to work before attacking with the power washer. Finally rinse very thoroughly. (These instructions also apply to bilge cleaning, btw). Be sure to clean off the tank and get under the tank.
The final step after everything is at least 90% dry will be to use the sprayer again to apply a fine mist of a product called PureAyre PureAyre onto every surface, nook and cranny. Do NOT rinse...just let it dry. If you still have any odor, you missed a spot.
I found PureAyre at a boat show in Seattle in 2005...came home with some samples and it knocked my socks off! It's the only thing I've ever found that'll eliminate ANY odor, even diesel and smoke, when used as directed. They make several versions...the "household" version will work well for this job. Amazon has it...I recommend you buy a gallon...there will will be other jobs where you'll use it.
--Peggie
If the odor is only around the holding tank, don't do anything else until you have water again, 'cuz a thorough cleaning with detergent and water is the only thing that'll work.
If you're using a power washer, don't put detergent in its reservoir...that dilutes it too much. Instead, buy a 1 gallon pump garden sprayer--and get a good one (Ortho makes one for bout $15 (pre-inflation price) I've had for 20 years. Start by wetting down every surface, nook and cranny in that area, then spray detergent (Dawn dishwashing liquid is a good choice) full strength on every surface, nook and cranny and give it a few minutes to work before attacking with the power washer. Finally rinse very thoroughly. (These instructions also apply to bilge cleaning, btw). Be sure to clean off the tank and get under the tank.
The final step after everything is at least 90% dry will be to use the sprayer again to apply a fine mist of a product called PureAyre PureAyre onto every surface, nook and cranny. Do NOT rinse...just let it dry. If you still have any odor, you missed a spot.
I found PureAyre at a boat show in Seattle in 2005...came home with some samples and it knocked my socks off! It's the only thing I've ever found that'll eliminate ANY odor, even diesel and smoke, when used as directed. They make several versions...the "household" version will work well for this job. Amazon has it...I recommend you buy a gallon...there will will be other jobs where you'll use it.
--Peggie
Apparently your macerator pump line is connected to the pumpout line using a tee fitting...something production boat builders are fond of using for only one reason: tees cost 'em less than y-valves. It really should be a y-valve because it cuts off flow from the tank when it's necessary to replace the impeller or do any other repair. A tee can't do that.
--Peggie
--Peggie