Holding Tank odor control products

[Roc]

Message for Peggie....In the recent Practical Sailor, two individuals wrote in about some products they use and would like PS to evaluate.  One is called BacTankT3 and the other is called Happy Campers (this one advertised as an RV product).  Do you have any experience with these two products?

Thanks!!

[Albreen]

Good question Roc. I read the latest PS issue and wondered the same. There was also a PS review of waste tank vent filters. I recall Peggy was not an advocate but the article suggests there is some good application for a vent filter. Perhaps Peggy can comment as well?

[Peggie Hall]

BacTank is a Raritan K.O. wannabe...Barbara Nolan (whom I've known for years) first introduced it several years before I sold my product line that includes K.O. to Raritan and has been trying to get it into national distribution ever since.
I've never heard of Happy Camper. 

And as for vent line filters, the contractor who did the testing for PS makes and sells 'em.

[Albreen]

Thanks Peggy.  I'll stay the course with Odorless and KO and continue planning my vent line upgrade for this spring. Your input is invaluable.

[Rick Johnson]

Paul,

I've been trying to decide how to run a new holding tank vent line on my 1990, have you decided how to install yours?  Any advice is welcome.

Thanks,

Rick

[Albreen]

Rick,

Reading the forum information has been as far as I've gotten with a new vent hose installation to date. Unfortunately, I have another month of winter before getting back to the boat for spring work.... then, I plan to review all the material again here and begin to install a new vent hose without routing it to the stanchion. There is good information here about best approaches and some limitations to the size of the hose in prior forum threads. Also, removing an older macerator and very foul smelling hose this past fall, thoroughly cleaning the waste tank, anticipating installing new waste hose and changing the vent hose/location this spring, I'm fairly certain I'll solve the foul odor issue that has plagued us whenever someone used the head. Odorless and KO have been a huge help so far.

Paul

[Peggie Hall]

Any of y'all who'd like to brainstorm reventing a tank are welcome to email me. I'll be glad to help.

[Roc]

I drilled a hole in the inspection port cover (figured if something went wrong, worst case is I buy a new cover).  Put in an elbow and routed the line into the cubby hole areas in the port side behind the cushions.  When I did this, Peggie suggested a gradual slope, so the line runs forward, into the cabinet, port side in the V-berth and loops around and out the side of the boat.  The outlet is far enough forward so if the rail is in the water, any water won't siphon in.  The hose diameter I used was what Peggie suggested.

[Albreen]

Roc,
Perfect - nice installation - one of the first to do's on this year's spring list. Looks like it all fits well under the settee too. I hope that's the case for me. Assuming you did not keep the older vent hose, what did you use to seal the hole thru the deck beneath the stanchion?

[Roc]

Paul,
I did keep the original vent that leads to the stanchion (that's the little white hose in the background).  Leaving it just adds to the air circulation.  Don't bother to get rid of it, just change the type of hose.  The factory used reinforced PVC hose (same as what's used for your water system), which is not supposed to be used for sanitation.  The elbow attached to the inspection port cover does not impede the board that fits over to hold the cushion.

[Fred Koehlmann]

Roc,

Doesn't the original vent then allow water to leak down? How do you have the interior end of the hose set up?

[Albreen]

Frederick,
In my limited experience to date with the C34, the only time I had a large amount of water come down into the waste tank happened after an overzealous crewmember winched down the plastic waste cap after a pumpout cracking it at the top of the threaded section. Rain running aft and down the deck went into the discharge line until the tank expanded and pushed the settee board noticeably up a few inches. Of course, I only noticed this when the tank was frozen solid in the middle of winter. Thankfully, all was intact come spring! 

Roc was wise to leave the older vent line. I hope to be able to do the same. I'm sure Peggy will tell us more air means less odor.

[Fred Koehlmann]

I quess what I asked wasn't clear. I'm wondering if the original vent line is acting as a second vent line to the tank (i.e. two vent to the tank), or is Roc saying that the original vent that he kept is open to the locker and venting the locker space (which is what I understood) and not the tank. Ergo, my concern about water getting in the boat.

[Roc]

Frederick,
I left the original vent line intact.....so now I have 2 vents.  The original leading from the tank to the stanchion....and the new vent that I added to the opening port cover, leading out the side of the boat, below rub rail.  I attached a picture showing the original vent still attached to the tank.  Note, I since changed the factory reinforced PVC hose to white sanitation for the original vent.  I also attached a picture showing the new vent led forward on it's way into the v-berth, via the cubby holes in the port side.

Hope this helps clarify things.
Roc-

[Peggie Hall]

A couple of things...

I'm a little confused by your first photo (image 2288), it appears that the white hose is somehow connected--without hose clamps--to clear hose...or something?  What IS that?  Also, it seems to me that you might have been able to route that hose to C-clamp it along the top of the cubby instead of running it up in plain view.

You really should put a second clamp on everything that doesn't have one...screws 180 apart.

Incredible that Catalina would not only have used nylon water hose for the vent line, but also PIECED it! Surely that was done by a PO?