05/22/2008 06:01:27 PM
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Amc5512
Junior Member
Posts: 2
Joined: 05/22/2008
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Hello all,
We are new to the houseboat world and are having some serious odor
problems on our Gibson houseboat- It seems like after the
toilet is flushed, an odor "seems" to come from the vent on the
outside of the boat- causing disturbingly bad smells- not to
pleasant for our guests or us- We have added a de-odorizer to
the holding tank- but the smell seems to come from the outside
vents still- another person told us to add "bleach" to the
tank- is this appropriate? Any help with this
problem would be great!!
thanks in advance
Amy
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05/22/2008 06:37:28 PM
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OLD HOUSEBOATER
Super moderator
Posts: 1520
Joined: 10/18/2002
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Read past posts in this forum dealing with this problem. You need to flush the tank and start out clean. Peg Halls book is a bible on this subject and is worth twice the price.
-------------------------
OLD HOUSEBOATER
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05/22/2008 07:01:12 PM
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Iman
Member
Posts: 76
Joined: 04/05/2006
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Yup, this has been discussed many times. In this case also be sure you have a good charcoal filter on your vent line, that could be one of your main problems.
-------------------------
1973 Chris Craft Aquahome, 34'
Lake Lanier, GA
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05/22/2008 07:40:30 PM
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peghall
Admiral
Posts: 404
Joined: 10/20/2002
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Don't even THINK of adding bleach to your tank...it won't solve
your problem, but it will damage the rubber parts in your toilet
and the hoses.
A vent line filter should be used only as a last resort when the
tank location makes it impossible to route a vent line to keep the
tank aerobic..and actually, not even then, 'cuz there is a much
better solution that costs a bit more to purchase and install, but
costs a lot less in the long run than filters.
What are you now using in the tank? How often do you add it?
Where is the tank located in your boat, and how long is the vent
line? Are there any bends in it?
Depending on your answers, solving your problem may be a simple as
switching to a different tank product...or it may require a little
vent line "surgery."And since someone has already mentioned my
book, you might consider it getting a copy (see link in my
signature below)...'cuz entire chapters are devoted to the causes
of odor out the vent line and how to cure it.
-------------------------
Peggie Hall, Moderator
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."
[L=http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books/detail-books.htm?sku=66438&cat=1304[/L]
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05/23/2008 07:32:39 AM
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Amc5512
Junior Member
Posts: 2
Joined: 05/22/2008
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thank you all so much!! My husband is heading up to the lake
to find out what we are adding to the tank and what type of system
we have. The boat is an 87 gibson- 36Ft- and has had
some work done to upgrade certain things so not to sure about the
tank system- We are also going to head to bookstore to hunt
down the book- (hopefully it is there, if not we will order from
online) We thought the bleach idea seemed extreme, so glad we
asked and found this site- I will let you know what we find
out- thanks again!!
Amy
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05/27/2008 12:31:40 PM
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CaptMark
Member
Posts: 174
Joined: 07/23/2007
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When I went to redo the plumbing on our boat, I found out that the
bathroom sink drained into the holding tank vent line with no trap.
So sewer gases were rising right up and out the sink drain! You
never know what you'll find on an old boat
-------------------------
Mark
1979 Crest
Brookville Lake, IN
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05/27/2008 03:23:14 PM
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peghall
Admiral
Posts: 404
Joined: 10/20/2002
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The sink drains into the holding tank VENT line??? That's one I've
NEVER seen/heard of before! Also one of the worst ideas anyone can
come up with, and needs to be corrected immediately because methane
and the sulfur gasses coming back up your drains are highly toxic
and dangerous to your health.
Do not correct it by simply installing a trap in the line. It's
against USCG regs for gray water and black water (toilet waste) to
share ANY plumbing...they cannot go into the same holding tank, nor
can even the vent lines be manifolded to go out a single thru-hull.
The reason: in the event of a backup, the sinks can become
contaminated by e-coli. So your sink drains MUST be completely
separate from the holding tank or related plumbing.
The good news is, it's not necessary to hold "gray water" (galley,
bath and shower water)..sinks and showers can drain directly
overboard. No traps needed...just route each drain to a thru-hull
about a foot above the waterline.
-------------------------
Peggie Hall, Moderator
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."
[L=http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books/detail-books.htm?sku=66438&cat=1304[/L]
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