Holding tank odors

[Joe Fults]

We have recently purchased a new Beneteau 46.  We had our previous boat 6 years and tried various methods to hold down the holding tank odors.  We learned very quickly to use fresh water to flush the head instead of the Chesapeake Bay water.  We tried various additives to try to reduce the odors and overall we were happy with the results, but were never confident about what worked and what did not work, because we tried so many different products.  The past few years the odor increased and the hoses probably needed replacing, but it could have been that we made some mistakes that accentuated the problem.

 

Now with the new boat we would like to figure out the best overall routine to reduce the odors as much as possible.  We have electric heads which will use fresh water to flush.  My question is; should we use any additive at all; if so what, or should we just try to pump frequently and flush the tanks with water frequently?

 

Joe Fults

[Larry Cohan]

Joe Fults wrote:

My question is; should we use any additive at all; if so what, or should we just try to pump frequently and flush the tanks with water frequently?

Joe,

Study as much as you can from Peggy Hall, the Head Mistress.  You can read one of her articles at http://boatbuilding.com/article.php/MarineSanitationFactvsFolklore#marine.  There are many others.

Larry

[Surfer Gil]

We installed a tank vent filter and it did the trick. Defender has
them. Our 1993 B440 had a very stink tank and I tried many things
including a flush out. Anytime the potty was flushed, the tank vent
spewed yukky odor. Now with the vent filter, no odor.

> read one of her articles athttp://boatbuilding.com/article.php/MarineSanitationFactvsFolklore#ma....

[Noble, Milner E.]

More info on Peggie Hall -- she was very helpful to me.

--Milner

 

Marine Sanitation Expert

Marine Sanitation: The Head Mistress By Peggie Hall

Get Rid of Boat Odors: A Boat Owners Guide to Marine Sanitation Systems and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor (Paperback)

 

Her e-mail address

peg...@sbcglobal.net

---

From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Larry Cohan
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:06 PM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Holding tank odors

[Daryl Davies]

Hi Joe,

With Fresh water you shouldn't have any real issues.  A good portion of the smell is salt water ++++ whatever.

On my Ben 46 the vent of the main cabin head sealed off -- not sure how.  Anyway, it was a bear to clear it out and took some taking apart of the cabinetry around the holding tank.  The head is a salt water head and I do have to keep chemicals in it to keep the smell down. 

Daryl

[Ivars]

Peggy is not full of shit…:=)  …. that is why she is good at what she does and a good resource for curing various head problems…No, she is not a “shrink”   :=)

 

---

From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Noble, Milner E.
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 9:04 AM
To: 'Benetea...@googlegroups.com'
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Holding tank odors

 

More info on Peggie Hall -- she was very helpful to me.

--Milner

 

Marine Sanitation Expert

Marine Sanitation: The Head Mistress By Peggie Hall

Get Rid of Boat Odors: A Boat Owners Guide to Marine Sanitation Systems and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor (Paperback)

 

Her e-mail address

peg...@sbcglobal.net

 

---

From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Larry Cohan
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:06 PM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Holding tank odors

Joe Fults wrote:

My question is; should we use any additive at all; if so what, or should we just try to pump frequently and flush the tanks with water frequently?

Joe,

Study as much as you can from Peggy Hall, the Head Mistress.  You can read one of her articles at http://boatbuilding.com/article.php/MarineSanitationFactvsFolklore#marine.  There are many others.

Larry

<BR

[jwshukis]

I have a new B40. One of the modifications that I completed - and it
was extremely easy - was to switch the head to freshwater flush. This
should keep the odors way down. I am hoping that the fresh water and a
water/vinegar rinse every few months will be sufficient. On my two-
cabin, one head B40 I was able to utilize the fresh water feed from
the (non existent) forward head. All that was required were two small
adapters and a length of hose from Beneteau Syselios parts and hose
clamps from the local marine supply. I can switch back to raw water
supply in about five minutes.

Jeff

[Joe Fults]

Thank you Larry, that is exactly the type of info I was looking for and the article is very informative.

 

Joe

----- Original Message -----

From: Larry Cohan

To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:05 PM

Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Holding tank odors

[Joe Fults]

We will definitely use a fresh water flush, but I just want to prevent
problems like destroying beneficial bacteria from the beginning.

Joe Fults

----- Original Message -----
From: "jwshukis" <jwsh...@yahoo.com>
To: "Beneteau Owners" <Benetea...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 7:41 PM
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Holding tank odors

[Dan....@carrier.utc.com]

I have a 440 as well. Can you please tell me how many holding tanks have you
got on board, what is their capacity and where are they installed?

Thanks,
Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Surfer Gil
Sent: Thursday, 1 May 2008 18:17
To: Beneteau Owners
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Holding tank odors

We installed a tank vent filter and it did the trick. Defender has them. Our
1993 B440 had a very stink tank and I tried many things including a flush
out. Anytime the potty was flushed, the tank vent spewed yukky odor. Now
with the vent filter, no odor.

On Apr 30, 10:05 pm, Larry Cohan <la...@cohan.org> wrote:
> Joe Fults wrote:

> > My question is; should we use any additive at all; if so what, or
> > should we just try to pump frequently and flush the tanks with water
> > frequently?
>

> Joe,
>
> Study as much as you can from Peggy Hall, the Head Mistress. You can
> read one of her articles

athttp://boatbuilding.com/article.php/MarineSanitationFactvsFolklore#ma....

[Surfer Gil]

Our B440 (3 cabin) holding tank (1) is in the stdb side below the
berth 14 gal poly tank to a macerator in the locker below the hanging
locker. Tank vent filter in hanging locker. I can send images if
needed. Even with vent filter and sanitation hose on vent lines (black
hose on intake and discharge), the hanging locker still has a faint
odor... enough we do not store clothes there.

14 gal is only enough to get a family of 4 through an overnight (kids
use for all, parents for #2 only) and then an overboard pump when away
from the anchorage. In the VI, not many use holding tanks.

Gil

[Jacques Ouimet]

Jeff,
I intend to do the same thing on my new B40, whenever the darn thing arrives
from the factory.

I have not seen the configuration first hand, so this may not be an issue,
but is there any potential of backflow from the head to the fresh water tank
should some of the valves in the head fail to operate correctly?

Jacques Ouimet
Toronto

----- Original Message -----
From: "jwshukis" <jwsh...@yahoo.com>
To: "Beneteau Owners" <Benetea...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 7:41 PM

Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Holding tank odors

[jwshukis]

I don't think so. The fill pump and the empty pump on our electric
head are separate and there is no path for any siphoning. If water did
somehow want to flow backward from the toilet tank back toward the
freshwater tank, it would have to get back up to the fill holes on the
top of the tank, back through the electric pump, past a backflow
valve, and through five feet of supply line back to the manifold.

Jeff

[Brian Smith]

I just installed a Raritan SeaEra electric flush toilet. I chose the
pressurized water version, and it came with an anti-siphon valve,
which is installed between the supply and the toilet. I think it's a
good idea to have one.

JMHO,
______________________
Brian
S/V Li Wei
OC 381
Bert Jabin Annapolis

[Sailor]

We like to use a product called "Odorlos". An enzyme that works
great, never had head problems and we use the Bay water.