Holding Tank odor control products

Ralph Masters · March 12, 2012, 09:54:22 AM

Peggy,
Our 1987 has "water" hose on the vent fitting, secured with only one clamp. It's on my to do list to change it to white 148 hose in the coming weeks. Just replaced all of the 1 1/12 inch hose in the system. All double clamped 180 degree apart where I could get them 180, other wise there is one that I could only do about 45 degrees apart, the one going into the macerator. It is kind of amazing that the factory would put water hose in that system. Just one of those things that make you go, hmmmmm.

Ralph

cmainprize · March 12, 2012, 02:29:12 PM

Looks like the extra hose is for chafing protection.

Indian Falls · March 12, 2012, 07:55:52 PM

No mistake about the pic, it's only chafe protection. Please let us know if this dual vent has any affect on the emitted odor from pumping the head. After replacing all hose and vent lines,then,for an entire season, only putting water from fresh water holding tanks, urine and Odorloss in the holding tank, with the occasional minimal amount of hand soap in my sanitation system, result: STINKS! According to input from this forum, Odorloss will not work if ANY soap chemical is added. Since I have my head intake connected to my head sink, as suggested by many on this forum, No lake or sea water enters the system only the water used in the head sink. Under these conditions, with the tank vent as factory, the tank smell is no different than when I got the boat from the previous owner. I'm not convinced that better venting is going to make any difference. If anyone is using Odorloss with great results please detail the conditions under which this is happening. I would love to experience this Loss of Odor !!

Peggie Hall · March 12, 2012, 09:33:17 PM

Odor is always a result of insufficient oxygen...and if Odorlos--which helps to promote oxygen release from the waste itself--isn't working, NOTHING will...which means your tank vents are only allowing gasses to be forced OUT, they're not allowing any exchange of air with those gasses. It's fixable...email me and we'll figure out what you need to do.

Roc · March 13, 2012, 04:16:47 AM

What you see is chafe protection. When I put in the dual vents, I was using KO. But towards the time when pump out was needed, I would smell the tank fumes in the cockpit, on a port tack (that's because air was entering my new vent on the port side and exiting out of the stanchion hole from the original vent). I followed KO directions and only used it at the first flush after pump-out, then I didn't add anymore until the tank was pumped again. That would be 2-3 weeks time (more or less depending on how the boat was used over those weeks). I then switched to Odorloss, which I believe says to use once a week or so. For Odorloss, I use it at the end of the weekend, or the first flush after pump-out, whichever comes first. I also seem to remember I figured Odorloss was more cost effective, even if you use it more often. Since using Odorloss, there is absolutely no smell whatsoever.

Albreen · March 13, 2012, 06:08:25 AM

My experience for a season and a half mimics what Roc is saying. The vent was the source of the foulest odor imaginable until changing over chemistry and doing what Roc describes. And, it should improve again with another vent line if I can do it this spring. A suggestion for a fresh water flush - when I bought the C34 the rear water tank fed the head intake only. The PO must have felt it was better to sacrifice water tankage for a fresh water head flush. I changed it back because we're on a fresh water lake. However, I still grab the shower hose from the sink and spray down the toilet for a final rinse with boat water followed by KO at the end of a day or when leaving the boat. All smells much better.

Jim Hardesty · March 13, 2012, 07:30:43 AM

Indian Falls,
I don't think you are getting much good from using the sink water to flush. Unless you dock in a real stagnet area Great Lakes water isn't that bad. I'm not to sure about all the chemicals in "City Water" in a holding tank. That is unless the boat is unused for weeks at a time.
Just my 2 cents.
Jim

Indian Falls · March 13, 2012, 08:09:59 PM

I seem to always have the exception to the rule...

The harbor water is usually pretty muddy, a lot of silt comes down the creek fouling the water where we were the last 3 seasons. This season will be different since we've moved. This and the sink connection info on this forum are why it is hooked up this way. I flush with municipal water that occasionally has some soap from hand washing in it.

Many of our boats still have the factory setup for venting and someone is enjoying odorless operation. Is that a true statement? And how is that possible? I've even tried pumping the head 4 or 5 times per day just to add fresh air to the tank. However it may be possible that the municipal water at the marina has too much chlorine in it for Odorloss to work. Is that a possibility?

This season we're going to use Lake Ontario water in the head and see what we get. I can't add a better vent so I'm stuck with what I've got. Other research points out that powered tank ventilators don't work either.

Maybe ROC can confirm that no chlorine or soap residue enters his tank and whether or not he achieved this goal after putting in the second vent? I agree with Peggy that the factory setup does not allow the tank to experience a draft.

Peggie Hall · March 13, 2012, 08:15:52 PM

I've even tried pumping the head 4 or 5 times per day just to add fresh air to the tank.

That doesn't accomplish anything.

However it may be possible that the municipal water at the marina has too much chlorine in it for Odorloss to work. Is that a possibility?

Nope...

I can't add a better vent so I'm stuck with what I've got.

Yes, you can!

Other research points out that powered tank ventilators don't work either.

Do you want to solve this problem or just whine about it? If you want to solve it, email me!

Indian Falls · March 13, 2012, 08:27:36 PM

Finding scads of info about failed powered tank ventilators is not quite whining, nor would I be here at all if I didn't want to solve this problem. I'm wondering why it seems I'm doing nothing different than a majority of folks out there and my story of using Odorloss is different. I've been reading this forum from top to bottom for nearly 3 years, and somehow people with similar setup claim no smells, maybe they're full of it. I emailed Peggy on this before her taunting, now lets see what she's got.

Roc · March 14, 2012, 04:22:10 AM

I have the sink drain "tee-d' to the head intake. I flush with fresh water all the time. Never flush using gray water with soap from hand washing. I let that go down the drain and out the seacock. Also, only clean the toilet with CP.

Jim Hardesty · March 14, 2012, 06:04:58 AM

Indian Falls,
your question
Many of our boats still have the factory setup for venting and someone is enjoying odorless operation. Is that a true statement? And how is that possible?

I have the factory setup, use odorless, and have no odor (well 95% and only outside the boat). The head gets used often..#1 & #2.. So yes, it is possible.
Our situations should be similar, you in Lake Ontario, me in Lake Erie. May be it's the pump outs. My yacht club is DIY pumpout, that I use often (rarely less than every 2 weeks) and flush the tank well every time. When traveling I pump out about every 5 days at the first handy place.

On my todo list is to add a second vent, as shown. It makes sense to me. I don't see the factory vent exchanging much air, only equalizing pressure.

I recommend that you read Peggie's book "Get Rid Of Boat Odors" wish the designers at Catalina would have.

Jim

Peggie Hall · March 14, 2012, 07:14:49 AM

I didn't get any email till last night...and I've replied. We CAN fix this!

Albreen · March 14, 2012, 11:44:23 AM

As a point of clarification, I mispoke earlier........it's CP and not KO at the end of the day to clean the toilet. Sorry if this added to any confusion. Being away from the boat for months does fog the memory.

Bobg · March 20, 2012, 06:58:08 PM

Indian Falls quotes (I can't add a better vent so I'm stuck with what I've got.)

Probably has the same problem I have with my "88", we don't have room under the settee to install a upgrade like Roc has, however, Peggy did suggest a vent outlet from the upper end of the holding tank. It would have to be on the aft end, which I am going to investigate this spring.