So I am in process of replacing my holding tank and all the hoses, etc. This is due to stink boat. One of the issues was a leaking 3-way valve in the compartment that houses the holding tank. It leaked onto and under the sole and left salty crud deposits behind in the wood which I have scrubbed and scrubbed some more. The problem is under the sole. I have flushed it with much water and pine sol. It does eventually make its way to the bilge but there are lots of nooks and crannies along the way to trap water. The question is: What to do? Are there any products out there that I might flush through to help neutralize any remaining source of odor?
Stink Boat
- Thread starter markwbird
- Start date
Perhaps time to pull the fastenings and remove all the sole sections. We have done that in the past for cleaning the bilge and also refinished all the T&H sole sections. The varnished surface will reward you with years of pride and of course the clean bilge will be scent-less.....
(I have replaced our OEM holding tank and hoses, and also had to clean up "something" left in those bilge sections courtesy of the prior owner.... Sigh.... bleach and soap was involved... )
(I have replaced our OEM holding tank and hoses, and also had to clean up "something" left in those bilge sections courtesy of the prior owner.... Sigh.... bleach and soap was involved... )
Yes, bleach, bleach and more bleach. You may have to spray some paint once dry but start with the bleach. Inside the tank I have relied on Odorlos for more than a decade, but others also have favorites.
You may find K.O. does the trick. Or C.P. Both are recommended by Peggie. The time our original holding tank split a seam when it was completely full under the Carquinez Bridge, you want to talk stink. That was it. And at exactly the same precise moment, the fresh water circulation pump on the front of the engine exploded. Took a good three months of spraying in every available hole to completely eliminate the smell. An annual treatment with Pure Ayre also gets rid of smells.
Peggie also recommends Pure Ayre for the problem you describe. I recommend you get Peggie's book.
Avoid three way valves with O rings on each rotating port. The O rings are there to allow the ports to rotate to accommodate your hose alignment. Great in theory, but with the O ring port valves that I have seen, if you slightly cock the port, you get a leak. Those 1-1/2" hoses put torque on the ports causing the O rings to leak.
I have now eliminated all y valves as they are a weak spot in my opinion. Both my tanks are above the waterline so I was able to eliminate the y valve, mascerater pump and a bunch of hose and convert to gravity discharge. Obviously still also have deck pump out as well. Regarding your bilge, try mixing up some soapy water and filling and let it soak. Drain then do it again and again with fresh water. When we drain we use the bilge pump and a wet vacuum to empty them, wipe down with rags then keep open to air dry. We lift as many boards as we can but there are some tight areas and then there are the weep holes...... this will get them all. We do not use bleach as it is very corrosive. Mix some raritan ko in the first soaking and your troubles will fade away.
Just my way to a clean stink free bilge.....
Good luck! And yes The HeadMistress’s (Peggie) book and advise are a great start.
Greg
Just my way to a clean stink free bilge.....
Good luck! And yes The HeadMistress’s (Peggie) book and advise are a great start.
Greg
I DON"T have a 3 way valve. I have a bottom suction line and a bottom over the side line. The over the side line feeds a PVC sewerage rated gate valve. Then a PVC sewerage rated union the feeds into the base of a macerating pump. Should the pump fail, the gate valve isolates it and allows for change out/repair with little seepage that can be captured in an aluminum foil pan.
That will be a last resort. To remove the sole would be to disassemble most of the cabinetry in the salon.Perhaps time to pull the fastenings and remove all the sole sections. We have done that in the past for cleaning the bilge and also refinished all the T&H sole sections. The varnished surface will reward you with years of pride and of course the clean bilge will be scent-less.....
(I have replaced our OEM holding tank and hoses, and also had to clean up "something" left in those bilge sections courtesy of the prior owner.... Sigh.... bleach and soap was involved... )
Yes, bleach can corrode. OK if you keep it away from stuff that can corrode. Fiberglass and plastic won't for example.
I hadn't heard that a 3-way valve is a problem. I have a T-fitting just ahead of the macerator pump (between the tank and the pump) for deck pump-out. I don't like a T - fitting and was planning to install a Y - valve there instead. I figured it would be a smoother run to the deck pump out and close off the hose just uphill from the macerator pump at the same time. As soon as we quit for the winter, I'm changing my hoses and toilet. I think changing the tank is unnecessary for smell reasons. I'd guess that you can flush it out real well and ventilate it sufficiently to cure any odor that originates in the tank. Our boat came with a circuitous route for the vent with a vent filter mounted in a clothes closet … yuk! I just recently put in a new vent line with a nice short, direct run to the vent thru-hull and eliminated the vent filter. It immediately solved a lot of odor problem in the bathroom. I anticipate that replacing the hoses, macerator pump and toilet will cure the rest. I don't really want a macerator pump, but it seems to be the way to discharge overboard when we are off-shore.
Indeed. We just came out of the Delta and were pleased with the time we were making. "We'll be home by 3:00, a new record". Then there was all this screeching sound and I went below to check. Man it stinks down here. Had to shut everything down and sail all the way to Alameda. Made it by 7:00 pm on a Sunday night with work the next day. Reached over and flipped the manual bilge pump switch on to eliminate the sloshing.
BTW. Did you do the Three Bridge Fiasco this last time around? I saw another H-34 in the race.