Replace Hose with PVC

[Ken Palmer]

Every time we visit our boat, a Hunter 33.5, my wife says how stinky it smells in the cabin after being closed up for days, especially in the head area. She says that the foam-backed wall covering in the storage area mounted on the hull needs to be replaced. Of course I smell nothing... My nose is wacky.

My idea is to replace the hose that feeds the holding tank with PVC. I know there have been posts from some that have tried this, but I wasn't paying attention at the time. I know that you can test if the hose is the culprit by wrapping a wet rag around the hose and smelling it after a while. I have not tried that yet. If I do replace the hose with PVC, how do you fit the ends to the toilet and the tank? Are there adaptor fittings made to do this? If so, where do you buy them, West Marine or a Home Depot?

If you have done this to your boat, pictures would be nice. Thanks!
PHEW

 

[bruce1309]

I'll tell you what Ken...I replaced mine this year with new hose. It's white and an impermeable material that my marina carries. It eliminated all head odors. The admiral is REAL pleased! And so am I. My feeling is if you can smell it, it's permeated...replace asap.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

And what if you replace all the hoses and still have odor?

The sanitation system isn't the only source of odor, even odors that smell like a swamp or a sewer. I've had a lot of calls over the years from people who've replaced their entire sanitation system trying to get rid of what they thought was "head" odor, when all they really needed to do was clean their bilges and sumps--really CLEAN 'em for a change instead of just dumping in more cleaner and/or some bleach and calling it done.

So replacing hoses without first making sure they're the culprit can be a waste of time, effort and money. And even if the hoses are the culprit, there can still be residual odor in cushions, rugs and other soft goods on the boat.

So instead of blindly jumping at the easiest fix, take the time to identify the right fix and then do the work necessary to solve the problem.