Sump Pit Bildge Water

[Jerry]

I have a 31' with a bad smell comming from below the floor. I plan to flush with water and cleaners in the spring and I have 5 bottles of KO set to finish up the job. Does most of the water below the floor make its way into the bildge sump or does it sit in spots below the floor and grow this type of ordor? Please advise.

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Either scenario is possible

Water in the bilge, water trapped below decks that can't, and wet sumps can all stink like a sewer. Find it, and thoroughly wash it all out. Create drainage--cut limber holes or unplug any you have--to let as much water drain as possible.Unless you've had a sewage spill K.O. is the wrong product for the job. All you really need is a good detergent bilge cleaner--B.C. is outstanding--and plenty of water, then a complete drying out. Keep your sumps clean by pouring some C.P. in them when it can stand for at least a day, and occasionally wash it out and rinse it out.

 

[Don]

Just flush it like crazy...

At Peggy's urging, I finally took a hose under the v-berth of my 31 (with the bilgle pump off) and just sprayed until water almost reached the floorboards. Then pumped it all out. Did it again and again until only clear water came out. I then ran bilge cleaner through and then clorox just to kill anything living.It made an unbelievable difference in the smell. All the water eventually finds its way to the bilge unless you have a list or something out of the ordinary.

 

[Steve Dion]

Similar.

I used some bleach and water mixture (about a gallon) at 25% bleach and 75% water. Just poured this down the icebox and let it kill anything that may resemble living matter. It eventually drained into the blige and got pumped overboard.Probably would not be a bad idea to pour some bilge cleaner down the ice box too and let that slope around in the liner.