Staggering smell emits when flushing?

[Doug Snell]

Hello Peggy-You eariler advice has helped me gain some control on the the holding tank problems I had. I have replaced a flexible bladder with a hard tank and added a diverter valve which then runs to either a deck pumpout fitting, or to a manual pump going to a thruhull fitting. The diverter valve has never been moved from its closed position...isolating my toilet and tank for its life (only one month old now).Recently I was on the boat and used the head. The smell that emitted from the vent was enought to stagger my guest in the cockpit to their knees (not in reality, but their looks said alot). Since the interior of the boat did not have the same smell, I have to assume it went out the holding tank vent. When I first commisioned the tank a month ago, I poured a half-gallon of clean water and the appropriate amount of Odorlos tank treatment down the toilet...so what is causing this offensive odor? Is there something I missed? I assure you the reason I used the tank was not a source of the odor expirienced.Doug

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

I'm not surprised

It's been over a month since you put any Odorlos in the tank...that "dose" has long since exhausted itself. Odorlos isn't bacteria...it doesn't multiply and continually renew itself...the active ingredient is nitrates--a nutrient that promotes oxygen release from the waste. It becomes diluted and exhausts itself as new waste is added, and especially in hot weather. Any waste that's gone into the tank in the last 3 weeks has had -0- benefit from the Odorlos...the same as if you hadn't used anything in the tank. Read the directions: they say "based on WEEKLY dosages" (or each time you come back to the boat if you're not aboard every weekend). Add it immediately after pumping out each time...and add it again with the first flush each time you come back to the boat. But first, it would be a very good idea to pump out and thoroughly flush out your tank to get rid of all the putrid contents.