I recently bought a used boat. The head stinks. I've pumped the holding tank
a number of times and I've tried cleaning out the system with a variety of
off-the-shelf head cleaners. This has helped, but I still have more odor than
I would like.

Would it help to clean out this system with a diluted bleach solution similar
to what you suggest for the water tank? Any suggestions would be helpful (I'm
resisting replacing all the plumbing hoses unless I absolutely must do that,
but I something short of that will work).

IamAeolus wrote:
I recently bought a used boat. The head stinks.

What do you mean, "the head stinks?" That you have odor only IN the
head? All the time? Only when you flush? The whole boat smells like
waste?

Do NOT put bleach down the toilet...it's highly destructive to the
rubber parts in the toilet and to hoses. When I have enough information,
I can give you the cure.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

What do you mean, "the head stinks?" That you have odor only IN the
head? All the time? Only when you flush? The whole boat smells like
waste? BRBR

The odor is primarily in the head and it is there regardless of whether the
head is flushed or not. The odor seems to permeate the rest of the boat, with
the head as the epicenter. Again, I have cleaned the head (numberous times,
and with numerous commercial products). I have pumped out the holding tank a
number of times, flushed it, and pumped it again. I have been using "Sea Land
Liquid Holding Tank Deodorant and Cleaner," pumped thru the system from the
head to the holding tank. As mentioned, all this has helped somewhat, but not
enough to suit me.

Over to you again, and thanks....

IamAeolus wrote:

The odor is primarily in the head and it is there regardless of
whether the head is flushed or not. The odor seems to permeate the
rest of the boat, with the head as the epicenter.

Is there a shower sump? If so, when was the last time it was cleaned? A
wet dirty sump can smell like sewer.

The other most likely possibility is dead and decaying sealife trapped
in the head intake hose and/or channel in the rim of the bowl.

Again, I have
cleaned the head (numberous times, and with numerous commercial
products). I have pumped out the holding tank a number of times,
flushed it, and pumped it again. I have been using "Sea Land Liquid
Holding Tank Deodorant and Cleaner," pumped thru the system from the
head to the holding tank.

Nothing poured down the toilet will clean it out because nothing poured
down the recirculates (thank God!) through the intake...it's just goes
out the discharge. Nothing you can put in the holding tank, nor any
amount of cleaning the tank is likely to have any effect on odor inside
the boat...'cuz unless the tank is leaking, any odor inside the tank has
nowhere to go except out the tank vent.

So continuing to pour anything down the head and flushing out the tank
is just a waste of your time and cleaning cleaning products.

To clean out the head intake, disconnect the intake hose from the
thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and stick it in a bucket of clean
fresh water that's liberally laced with Raritan C.P. Cleans Potties.
Pump that through the head...repeat. Reconnect the intake hose, but do
not use the toilet for at least 24 hours.

Use C.P. to clean the sump too. Although it's marketed only as a bowl
cleaner, it's a bio-enzymatic cleaner that not only destroys odors on
contact, but also "eats" hair, soap scum, body oils etc--all the things
that sit and "ferment" in a sump. It does need time to work, though...so
it needs to sit in the sump--with an inch or so of water--at least
overnight.

I get a lot of calls and email from people who've replaced their whole
sanitation systems trying to get rid of what they thought was "head"
odor, when all they really needed to do was clean their bilges...I don't
mean just pour in some more bilge cleaner, but really CLEAN 'em--lots of
detergent and water, followed by thoroughly rinsing out ALL the dirty
water. Also look for trapped water-- plugged or missing limber holes. A
wet dirty bilge is a dark stagnant swamp...and it can smell like swamp
if it's not that dirty..like a sewer if ignored long enough.

If the source of the odor isn't the head intake, sump or bilges, it's
time to check the hoses for odor permeation: wet a rag in hot
water...wring it out and wrap it around a section of every hose in the
system--intake, head discharge, tank pumpout, tank vent. Use a clean rag
for each test...remove it from the hose after it cools...smell it. If
you cannot smell anything on the rag, the hose is fine...if you smell
waste, that hose has permeated. The only cure is replacement.

Bottom line: you have to eliminate the source of any odor to eliminate
the odor. You may have more than one source...the only thing to do is
eliminate the possibilities one by one till you've found all the sources
and eliminated those.

Fwiw, you might consider clicking on the link in my signature too.

Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

Hi Peggie: Where can I buy your book, in Ontario, Canada?

Jim Carter
"The Boat"
Bayfield

Jim Carter wrote:
Hi Peggie: Where can I buy your book, in Ontario, Canada?

It's been out such a short time that it's not in any boat stores
yet...but you can order it directly from the publisher (see the link in
my sig below) or, if you'd like a signed copy, from
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

Postage to Canada isn't that bad...only about double the US rate and
books don't have to have a customs declaration.

Thanks for asking!

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

Do NOT put bleach down the toilet...it's highly destructive to the
rubber parts in the toilet and to hoses.
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie:

Why is bleach destructive to the rubber part of the toilet system and not to
the water tank hoses?

Baybyter wrote:
Do NOT put bleach down the toilet...it's highly destructive to the
rubber parts in the toilet and to hoses.

Why is bleach destructive to the rubber part of the toilet system and
not to the water tank hoses?

Chlorine breaks down hose resistance to odor permeation, which is not a
factor in fresh water. However, it is also destructive to the rubber
parts in fresh water pumps, which is what makes it a bad idea to add a
little bleach to each fill. The cumulative effect of small doses is far
more destructive over time to rubber than a single annual megadose
"shock treatment. Plus, it's a waste of bleach...'cuz any purifying
properties evaporate within 24 hours, leaving behind only the corrosive
properties.

Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html