I have a problem with my Reritan electric head smelling. It works great and never smells unless we take the boat out for a run and mix up the holding tank contents. I don't see anything in the head as it seems to stay dry but boy o boy does it stink! After we stop the smell is horrible but goes away when we air out the boat. if I put a wet rag in the bottom of the head it holds back the oder. What can I do to fix this problem? Some people have told me the toilet should have standing water in the bowl to prevent this. Help?
smelly ending
- Thread starter TommyBoy
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You have at least a couple of problems...
When, if ever, was the joker valve last replaced in the toilet? The joker valve is a one-way valve in the toilet discharge fitting...when it becomes worn, it becomes a TWO way valve that allows odor from the tank to escape into the bowl. It should be replaced annually...doing so now will help a lot. Your toilet is a Raritan...on a Carver most likely a Crown Head. If you don't have an owners manual, you can download one from the Raritan website:
Raritan Toilets
If the whole boat stinks when it's been closed up, it's also highly likely that your sanitation hoses have permeated with odor...a common problem on Carvers. The only cure: replace the hoses.
Or, the sanitation system MAY not even be the culprit...I get a lot of calls from people who've replaced their entire system--toilet, tank and hoses--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 and flush all the dirty water out for a change instead of only dumping in more "miracle" cleaner and/or bleach, and calling it done. A wet dirty bilge or sump is a real "primordial soup" that can make a whole boat smell like a swamp or even a sewer. If you haven't ever thoroughly clean 'em, you'll be amazed at how much better your boat will smell, even if the sanitation system is also a culprit.
And...If the odor coming back into the bowl from the tank is that bad, I suspect you also have horrendous odor out the tank vent every time the toilet is flushed and/or the boat rocks. We need to fix that too...but I need more information to know how best to do it. Which model Carver and how old? That'll tell me where the tank and toilet are and what you need to do.
You might also spend some time reading the discussions in this forum...a lot of good information there...how to do things, how NOT to do things. And, you might want to check out the link in my signature too.
When, if ever, was the joker valve last replaced in the toilet? The joker valve is a one-way valve in the toilet discharge fitting...when it becomes worn, it becomes a TWO way valve that allows odor from the tank to escape into the bowl. It should be replaced annually...doing so now will help a lot. Your toilet is a Raritan...on a Carver most likely a Crown Head. If you don't have an owners manual, you can download one from the Raritan website:
Raritan Toilets
If the whole boat stinks when it's been closed up, it's also highly likely that your sanitation hoses have permeated with odor...a common problem on Carvers. The only cure: replace the hoses.
Or, the sanitation system MAY not even be the culprit...I get a lot of calls from people who've replaced their entire system--toilet, tank and hoses--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 and flush all the dirty water out for a change instead of only dumping in more "miracle" cleaner and/or bleach, and calling it done. A wet dirty bilge or sump is a real "primordial soup" that can make a whole boat smell like a swamp or even a sewer. If you haven't ever thoroughly clean 'em, you'll be amazed at how much better your boat will smell, even if the sanitation system is also a culprit.
And...If the odor coming back into the bowl from the tank is that bad, I suspect you also have horrendous odor out the tank vent every time the toilet is flushed and/or the boat rocks. We need to fix that too...but I need more information to know how best to do it. Which model Carver and how old? That'll tell me where the tank and toilet are and what you need to do.
You might also spend some time reading the discussions in this forum...a lot of good information there...how to do things, how NOT to do things. And, you might want to check out the link in my signature too.
The boat is a 1987 Mariner 3207 and the hose from the head to tank is new. The bildge smells normal (like a bilge) with no bad odor after an outing. But when I take the rag from the head it gets bad fast. I do drive people off the dock for a couple mins when flushing if the wind is not cooperating. Thanks for your help i really enjoy reading your tips.
Almost forgot, any ideas on how to better clean a bilge? I usually hose down everything with a garden hose and scrub what I can with Simple Green then go for a ride and let the bilge pumps do their thing. There are spots I can't get access to for cleaning. What do I do then?
That sounds like odor from the tank
First thing you need to do is pump out and THOROUGHLY rinse out the tank (you'll find directions for doing that in HM forum discussions)..Next run a LOT of clean water through the toilet to rinse it out before you remove the discharge fitting to replace the joker valve. Put a garbage bag or aluminum pan under it to catch any spills. The joker valve is part #C253 in the exploded drawing in the manual for your toilet, which you can download from here http://www.raritaneng.com/pdf_files/crown_head/L91crownheadv1002.pdf
However, the joker valve is also a part in the rebuild kit If its been at least 5 years since the toilet has been rebuilt (all the seals valves and gasket replaced...they DO wear out!), that should be done. The correct kit for a 1987 Crown Head is CDRK. If a PO has replaced the toilet with different one, I need to know what it is to know which kit is the right one.
Now...about your tank: Make sure the tank vent is completely open...scrape out the thru-hull with a screwdriver blade (or whatever works)...if there's a screen in it, knock it out...screens cause more problems than they solve. You haven't said what you're using in the tank, if anything...if you're NOT using anything, no wonder it stinks! But whatever or whether, try using Odorlos in the tank--it costs a lot less at RV supply stores than at marine stores, btw--being sure to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS, which means adding more as needed. If Odorlos doesn't work, we may have to modify the tank vent, which isn't that hard to do, to get more oxygen--which is the key to eliminating odor--into the tank.
Doing all of the above SHOULD solve the worst of your odor problem, if it doesn't solve it completely. Now about bilge cleaning...You said,
any ideas on how to better clean a bilge? I usually hose down everything with a garden hose and scrub what I can with Simple Green then go for a ride and let the bilge pumps do their thing.
Would you just hose down a sinkful of dirty dishwater, scrub a bit with detergent and then just pull the plug without rinsing and expect the sink to be clean? Then WHY do so many boat owners think they can end up with a clean bilge doing what amounts to the same thing??? Doesn't matter what cleaning product you use, you'll never have a clean sink OR bilge unless you rinse ALL the dirty water out! If there are areas you can't reach, buy a power washer...they aren't expensive and IMO essential boat maintenance equipment. And then use a shop vac or dinghy bailer and a bucket and sponge to mop up the rest of the water, both after cleaning and also at the end of each weekend aboard. Dry bilges don't stink.
I strongly recommend that you check out the link in my signature here...it goes to a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" manual that will teach you how to operate and maintain your system to PREVENT 99% of problems so you won't have to solve 'em. And also spend a lot of time reading previous discussions in this forum...some good ideas there about how to do it and also how NOT to do it! And I'm glad to answer questions too.
First thing you need to do is pump out and THOROUGHLY rinse out the tank (you'll find directions for doing that in HM forum discussions)..Next run a LOT of clean water through the toilet to rinse it out before you remove the discharge fitting to replace the joker valve. Put a garbage bag or aluminum pan under it to catch any spills. The joker valve is part #C253 in the exploded drawing in the manual for your toilet, which you can download from here http://www.raritaneng.com/pdf_files/crown_head/L91crownheadv1002.pdf
However, the joker valve is also a part in the rebuild kit If its been at least 5 years since the toilet has been rebuilt (all the seals valves and gasket replaced...they DO wear out!), that should be done. The correct kit for a 1987 Crown Head is CDRK. If a PO has replaced the toilet with different one, I need to know what it is to know which kit is the right one.
Now...about your tank: Make sure the tank vent is completely open...scrape out the thru-hull with a screwdriver blade (or whatever works)...if there's a screen in it, knock it out...screens cause more problems than they solve. You haven't said what you're using in the tank, if anything...if you're NOT using anything, no wonder it stinks! But whatever or whether, try using Odorlos in the tank--it costs a lot less at RV supply stores than at marine stores, btw--being sure to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS, which means adding more as needed. If Odorlos doesn't work, we may have to modify the tank vent, which isn't that hard to do, to get more oxygen--which is the key to eliminating odor--into the tank.
Doing all of the above SHOULD solve the worst of your odor problem, if it doesn't solve it completely. Now about bilge cleaning...You said,
any ideas on how to better clean a bilge? I usually hose down everything with a garden hose and scrub what I can with Simple Green then go for a ride and let the bilge pumps do their thing.
Would you just hose down a sinkful of dirty dishwater, scrub a bit with detergent and then just pull the plug without rinsing and expect the sink to be clean? Then WHY do so many boat owners think they can end up with a clean bilge doing what amounts to the same thing??? Doesn't matter what cleaning product you use, you'll never have a clean sink OR bilge unless you rinse ALL the dirty water out! If there are areas you can't reach, buy a power washer...they aren't expensive and IMO essential boat maintenance equipment. And then use a shop vac or dinghy bailer and a bucket and sponge to mop up the rest of the water, both after cleaning and also at the end of each weekend aboard. Dry bilges don't stink.
I strongly recommend that you check out the link in my signature here...it goes to a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" manual that will teach you how to operate and maintain your system to PREVENT 99% of problems so you won't have to solve 'em. And also spend a lot of time reading previous discussions in this forum...some good ideas there about how to do it and also how NOT to do it! And I'm glad to answer questions too.
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