This is my first post on this site after reading many many threads about trouble shooting sanitation issues and purchasing Peggy Hall's book. We have a Wauquiez Hood 38, are new to boat ownership and have some smelly situations.
In general, the boat does not stink, however, I do smell an occaisional, faint (more faint to my husband than me, but definitely there for both of us) whiff of holding tank/head smell in the V-berth, where the system in located. There is a hanging locker where the pump out and vent hose are located that have a more definite and consistent smell. The holding tank itself, under the v-berth, has a very faint smell that does not seem to be present when the v-berth is put together and the
Worse, is an over powering eggy, sewer small when we flush into the holding tank. It is worse in the cabin of the boat than inside the head compartment and I cannot say for sure whether the smell is also prevalent outside. Unfortunately, we are on the hard now, so I cannot test it. It does dissipate after several minutes, but is pretty overpowering awful during that time. We have a dometic/sealand electric, salt water flush toilet with a macerator in it. It has a separate flush and fill button.
After reading Peggy's book, I am guessing that at least part of the issue is our vent line. My concern is that not enough oxygen is getting into the tank. The head and tank are on the starboard side of the boat and the pump out and vent are on the port side, so those two hoses have 3 turns before making it to the deck and are too long, maybe 10 feet. They both had big sags in them as well, but we have reduced that as much as we can.
I guess my questions are:
Do you have some suggestions to get more oxygen into the tank without pulling out and redesigning the entire system?
Am I on the right track to be looking at the hoses and oxygen? Are there any steps I can take to try to reduce or eliminate the smell before investing in new hoses?
If I do need to replace the hoses, do you have any suggestions for quality hose? (I have been looking at the Raritan Saniflex.) I am wondering if there are some spots that should have the pricier hoses and some that you can get away with something cheaper without sacrificing too much. If so, what would be the priority/most common stink culprits I should be looking to replace first?
Thanks for your time and expertise!
In general, the boat does not stink, however, I do smell an occaisional, faint (more faint to my husband than me, but definitely there for both of us) whiff of holding tank/head smell in the V-berth, where the system in located. There is a hanging locker where the pump out and vent hose are located that have a more definite and consistent smell. The holding tank itself, under the v-berth, has a very faint smell that does not seem to be present when the v-berth is put together and the
Worse, is an over powering eggy, sewer small when we flush into the holding tank. It is worse in the cabin of the boat than inside the head compartment and I cannot say for sure whether the smell is also prevalent outside. Unfortunately, we are on the hard now, so I cannot test it. It does dissipate after several minutes, but is pretty overpowering awful during that time. We have a dometic/sealand electric, salt water flush toilet with a macerator in it. It has a separate flush and fill button.
After reading Peggy's book, I am guessing that at least part of the issue is our vent line. My concern is that not enough oxygen is getting into the tank. The head and tank are on the starboard side of the boat and the pump out and vent are on the port side, so those two hoses have 3 turns before making it to the deck and are too long, maybe 10 feet. They both had big sags in them as well, but we have reduced that as much as we can.
I guess my questions are:
Do you have some suggestions to get more oxygen into the tank without pulling out and redesigning the entire system?
Am I on the right track to be looking at the hoses and oxygen? Are there any steps I can take to try to reduce or eliminate the smell before investing in new hoses?
If I do need to replace the hoses, do you have any suggestions for quality hose? (I have been looking at the Raritan Saniflex.) I am wondering if there are some spots that should have the pricier hoses and some that you can get away with something cheaper without sacrificing too much. If so, what would be the priority/most common stink culprits I should be looking to replace first?
Thanks for your time and expertise!
