I just bought a 1987 31' Hunter. The boat was well kept with lots of extras. The problem I have is there is a smell I can't get rid of. The waste tank was pumped, flushed, and repumped. I cleaned the bilge and ice box with TSP and bleach. I read someplace in this forum there are spots under the floor were water can get trapped and stink. Can find it. Can Hunter Marine help. patbfd@yahoo.com
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Hoses for the head
Patrick: You first place to start are the hoses for the head. You should replace these with good high quality NO-STINK hose. As far as the grid liner goes, I would suggest that you mix up a bucket of hot water with detergent and bleach. Remove the fuse from you bilge pump and take the boat out for a sail or motor along in some choppy water. Once you get back to port, you can replace the fuse and let the bilge pump do it's job. Other than removing the cabin sole, this area is pretty much unaccessable.
Patrick: You first place to start are the hoses for the head. You should replace these with good high quality NO-STINK hose. As far as the grid liner goes, I would suggest that you mix up a bucket of hot water with detergent and bleach. Remove the fuse from you bilge pump and take the boat out for a sail or motor along in some choppy water. Once you get back to port, you can replace the fuse and let the bilge pump do it's job. Other than removing the cabin sole, this area is pretty much unaccessable.
E
Ed white
Heady SMell
I have eliminated smells from my boat with a solar powered vent. It operates day and night. Additionally, I added louvered vents to my hatchboards. This helps with the airflow. I still am not sure where the smells are coming from...but a friend of minesaid to add some holding tank chemicals to the hopper when leaving the boat for several days or more. The salt water can get a little ripe. This also seems to have helped a bit.
I have eliminated smells from my boat with a solar powered vent. It operates day and night. Additionally, I added louvered vents to my hatchboards. This helps with the airflow. I still am not sure where the smells are coming from...but a friend of minesaid to add some holding tank chemicals to the hopper when leaving the boat for several days or more. The salt water can get a little ripe. This also seems to have helped a bit.
J
joe phibbs
been there, smelled that
Yep, the aroma(s) you smell are yours, not the Hunter 31. We own a 1986 model and chased our tail for a while until we 1) replaced every single hose at a high price. 2) refurbed the head (a Raritan II with lots of little pieces)joker valve etc. stink. 3) recycled the water in the bilge many, many times. 4. recycled the water in the fresh water system many times. 5. bought the headmistress's book and memorize it. never, ever has one person done so much for humanity as that lady. (NEVER, EVER, NO NEVER put soapy water in the ice box: it flows into the bilge and stinks. Curious point: freshwater does not smell that bad, neither does sea water; urine smells bad but can be masked; bilge water is not stinky, nor does soapy dishwater have an ugy smell. Combine any of the two above and new jersey here we come! its not the boat, it is you.
Yep, the aroma(s) you smell are yours, not the Hunter 31. We own a 1986 model and chased our tail for a while until we 1) replaced every single hose at a high price. 2) refurbed the head (a Raritan II with lots of little pieces)joker valve etc. stink. 3) recycled the water in the bilge many, many times. 4. recycled the water in the fresh water system many times. 5. bought the headmistress's book and memorize it. never, ever has one person done so much for humanity as that lady. (NEVER, EVER, NO NEVER put soapy water in the ice box: it flows into the bilge and stinks. Curious point: freshwater does not smell that bad, neither does sea water; urine smells bad but can be masked; bilge water is not stinky, nor does soapy dishwater have an ugy smell. Combine any of the two above and new jersey here we come! its not the boat, it is you.
J
jim johnson
false bilge smells
My 1987 H31 also had/has "ugly" smells. These emenate from the false bilge and take lots of cleaning. If you notice, there is an area below the engine that is part of the bilge and on my boat drains into the bilge at the bottom of the stairway from a small hole at the aft side. Occasionally I spray water into this area from behind the engine or around the rudder post and pump it out of the bilge with a manual pump. This area does not drain into the main bilge except what flows through/around the wiring pipe. We also had some head odors in the boat until we found that one of the head lines was plugged. Blew it out with air pressure and has been OK since. Jim J
My 1987 H31 also had/has "ugly" smells. These emenate from the false bilge and take lots of cleaning. If you notice, there is an area below the engine that is part of the bilge and on my boat drains into the bilge at the bottom of the stairway from a small hole at the aft side. Occasionally I spray water into this area from behind the engine or around the rudder post and pump it out of the bilge with a manual pump. This area does not drain into the main bilge except what flows through/around the wiring pipe. We also had some head odors in the boat until we found that one of the head lines was plugged. Blew it out with air pressure and has been OK since. Jim J
J
Jerry
Same Problem!!!
The area "below" the sump was the problem in our 31'. I cut a 1" hole in the front of the sump and trapped stink water ran into the sump for about two minutes. Three times a season we fill the sump to the floor board with bildge cleaner and go for a sail. I let the cleaner sit for a few days and pump it out. It always comes out black/yellow the first drain. We fill again with clean water until the black/yellow stops. This is the only way to keep the smell down on our 31'. Good luck.
The area "below" the sump was the problem in our 31'. I cut a 1" hole in the front of the sump and trapped stink water ran into the sump for about two minutes. Three times a season we fill the sump to the floor board with bildge cleaner and go for a sail. I let the cleaner sit for a few days and pump it out. It always comes out black/yellow the first drain. We fill again with clean water until the black/yellow stops. This is the only way to keep the smell down on our 31'. Good luck.
L
Leif
Smelly Head
We had the smelly head problem and replaced the hoses with non-stink hoses. Research told me that the odor in the head pipes is created by the salty or brackish water. I understand fresh water boats do not have this problem with the hoses. Since replacing the hoses we have started leaving a gallon jug of fresh water in teh head to flush with. Replacing the hoses definitley got rid of the worst odors.
We had the smelly head problem and replaced the hoses with non-stink hoses. Research told me that the odor in the head pipes is created by the salty or brackish water. I understand fresh water boats do not have this problem with the hoses. Since replacing the hoses we have started leaving a gallon jug of fresh water in teh head to flush with. Replacing the hoses definitley got rid of the worst odors.
P
Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Not quite true...
Sea water doesn't permeate sanitation hose. It does stagnate in the head INTAKE, resulting in odor in the head when the toilet is flushed until all the stagnant water has been rinsed out. Waste left sitting in the head discharge hose and tank pumpout hose does permeate the hose. Flushing with fresh water makes no difference...the only thing that does is rinsing the the waste out of the hose...whether that's done with salt or fresh water makes no difference. If replacing the hose only got rid of the worst of your odors, you still have problems to solve...that is, unless you consider a certain amount of odor acceptable. I don't. Nor should anyone else have to....cuz a totally odor-free boat IS possible.
Sea water doesn't permeate sanitation hose. It does stagnate in the head INTAKE, resulting in odor in the head when the toilet is flushed until all the stagnant water has been rinsed out. Waste left sitting in the head discharge hose and tank pumpout hose does permeate the hose. Flushing with fresh water makes no difference...the only thing that does is rinsing the the waste out of the hose...whether that's done with salt or fresh water makes no difference. If replacing the hose only got rid of the worst of your odors, you still have problems to solve...that is, unless you consider a certain amount of odor acceptable. I don't. Nor should anyone else have to....cuz a totally odor-free boat IS possible.
J
Jim and Ellen
Have the solution!!!!
We experienced the same problem on our 87. There are a few things that we did to solve our problem.....we first blamed the hoses on the holding tank and went that route..but the boat still had a strange odor. We then extended the hose from the cooler so that it drains directly into the lowest portion of the bilge. We drilled a hole for access in the area at the center of where the floorboard over the bilge rests. We bought 3/8" clear plastic hose at Lowes and wrapped the hose with duct tape so that it would create a good seal in our 2 gallon Shop-Vac. When you insert the clear hose between the aft grated floorboard and the large center floorboards into the hole that was drilled, you will find a water pocket. This water was black and ugly and it put us wise to the problem. Underneath the setee cushions, over the stringer where the holly and teak sole is attached, I drilled a second hole in the stringer..found ugly water in there as well. In the other stringer in the port side there were two holes, one where the wires came through and a second one farther to the front of the boat. All of these holes, I place my clear 3/8" vacumm hose and any water that is trapped is easily vacummed away. Each time that we leave the boat for the week, we vacumm and add a little bilge cleaner in each of these holes. It has made the world of difference! Even the vacumm water is getting clearer and clearer..Some of the water was getting into these areas from the ice in the cooler and the hose being too short, the boat would heel and this water would run between the fiberglass floor and the hull. The rest of the water that was getting in was getting there from the engine compartment from a leaky water pump. We empty the holding tank often and always vacumm through all of the holes. Voila! No odors!!!! Good Luck! Elleigh Bene Vita
We experienced the same problem on our 87. There are a few things that we did to solve our problem.....we first blamed the hoses on the holding tank and went that route..but the boat still had a strange odor. We then extended the hose from the cooler so that it drains directly into the lowest portion of the bilge. We drilled a hole for access in the area at the center of where the floorboard over the bilge rests. We bought 3/8" clear plastic hose at Lowes and wrapped the hose with duct tape so that it would create a good seal in our 2 gallon Shop-Vac. When you insert the clear hose between the aft grated floorboard and the large center floorboards into the hole that was drilled, you will find a water pocket. This water was black and ugly and it put us wise to the problem. Underneath the setee cushions, over the stringer where the holly and teak sole is attached, I drilled a second hole in the stringer..found ugly water in there as well. In the other stringer in the port side there were two holes, one where the wires came through and a second one farther to the front of the boat. All of these holes, I place my clear 3/8" vacumm hose and any water that is trapped is easily vacummed away. Each time that we leave the boat for the week, we vacumm and add a little bilge cleaner in each of these holes. It has made the world of difference! Even the vacumm water is getting clearer and clearer..Some of the water was getting into these areas from the ice in the cooler and the hose being too short, the boat would heel and this water would run between the fiberglass floor and the hull. The rest of the water that was getting in was getting there from the engine compartment from a leaky water pump. We empty the holding tank often and always vacumm through all of the holes. Voila! No odors!!!! Good Luck! Elleigh Bene Vita
P
Patrick
J
Jim
i would also like to see pictures
I also have a Hunter 31 and am interested in what exactly you did with the holes??
I also have a Hunter 31 and am interested in what exactly you did with the holes??
- Status
- Not open for further replies.