Wow that stinks!!-gctid380867

[Guest]

I am the proud owner of a stinky 3288.

I know the holding tank hasn't been pumped out for a bit. Each time the toilet is flushed the smell INSIDE the cabin is unbearable. Think a pump out will fix this?

[mmichellich]

Rick O wrote:
I am the proud owner of a stinky 3288.

I know the holding tank hasn't been pumped out for a bit. Each time the toilet is flushed the smell INSIDE the cabin is unbearable. Think a pump out will fix this?

Flush out of the tank and all hoses might. Use a product containing formaldhyde(sp?) to lay in hoses and tank for a couple of dsys. Make sure tank vent works. How long since all sewer hoses were replaced, may be time for it. Is there a leak somewhere.

[SomeSailor]

You could have a bad vent line or a bad joker valve as well. If it's only partially sealing, it'll still work, but gases will perk back through. If the vent is stopped up... It'll gurgle the stench of he'll back every time. Remove the pump out cap (slowly) and then flush and see if the smell is better.

[Guest]

To hold me over until I did a hose change. I purchased a tin of try zyme. If anyone has used this stuff I'd like your thoughts - like what is it ?

After a year of warm weather pee smells- this stuff eradicated the smell in a couple of hrs. Amazing. And YES you need to pump out your tank!!!

[Nikko]

yep - pump the tank, and use an enzyme starter in it when you're not on the boat. Mine stunk pretty bad - was preparing to do the hoses but then started to use more water when flushing, and using the starter when it's docked for the week. Also helps to put a 1/2 gallon for fresh water through, and then fill the bowl (2" or so) with fresh water vs sea water.

Smell's not totally gone, but it's totally "ok" now - and we'll make it to fall before we really have to get stinky.

[RinnyBeth]

yeah when we bought our 3888, we inherited 80 gallons on someone elses :thumbcrap.. it had been in there for over 6 months before it was sold to us. we had to take our boat out and drive it crazy from side to side to break it up since the holding tank was full and solidified somewhat.. we dumped an entire jug of the orange toilet tank stuff in, then cruised like mad shaking things up, then pumped, we had to do this like 3 times before it was empty.. I used 2 cans of Lysol in the boat, and sprayed orange clean 409 in the holding tank hatch in the galley.. use a suction tank pump to get it, then replace the hoses.. in the meantime, invest in clothes pins and fabreeze and lysol to hose inside the boat down

[Guest]

... a buddy was contemplating replacing all the hoses, maybe even the toilet (wasn't flushing well at all - electric w/ macerator), because of smell and performance.

At wits end, and before biting the bullet to replace everything (and yes, he tried many other things to "clean" up the situation), he flushed a small amount of muriatic acid down the toilet, sloshed things around as best he could traveling to pump-out, filled 'er up with water and emptied holding tank (3 or 4 times, till no more solids were turning loose).

Toilet flushes like a dream and "enjoys" a healthy dose of toilet paper now (instead of groaning about it) op , system doesn't smell, and he swears by it...

Try it if you are adventurous (disclaimer: do not attempt this home; trained drivers on a closed track!)...

On another note :surr - I am considering a teaspoon or two on my shower drain/pump before ripping into hoses, pumps, etc...

[Guest]

There is a nice little holding tank vent coming out of the starboard side of the boat just under the windows located at just about the same area as the holding tank. That vent is made of zinc covered with chrome. If anyone has ever flushed the toilet and overfilled the holding tank it will corrode the inside of that vent then finally swell it shut or make it so small that it won't vent properly. If you flush toilets and they don't seem to empty the dirty water or it flushes back a bit it is either the duckbills or the vent. Basically, if the smell is coming back in the boat it ain't going out the vent for the rest of our slip/rafting buddies to enjoy.

I put a holding tank overfill shutoff on my electric toilets so I don't have to endure the leakage or smell that comes from overflow and a tank monitor so I don't get surprised by a full tank when I need an empty one the most. Also going to put on an activated carbon canister to refine the odors to something more palatable.

[Papa_Charlie]

When we purchased our 3218 we kept finding these stick ups all over the boat. You know those small air fresheners. About three months after we took her home the boat started to smell really bad. We ended up having to replace every inch of hose and the tank. Even after that the boat smelled because the odor had come through the hoses and embedded itself into the fiberglass. It took some time and a lot of scrubbing but the odor finally went away.

As for trying to clean your system I highly suggest that you save your money because all the chemicals will not do a thing for you. The only thing that will work is plane old fashion distilled vinegar. Yes, good old white vinegar. We buy it by the gallon. It will clear the worst plugged line and will dissolve the worst in the tank. Just dump it in straight, if your system is as bad as you suggest dump the entire gallon in and let it sit for several days. Then flush it out. You want to make sure that the tank is about 1/3 to 1/2 full.

We lived on our 32 for 1.5 years and I can tell you that all those chemicals are basically useless. Nothing will keep your system running cleaner and fresher than simple vinegar. It also will clear clocked drain lines and plugged up toilets. The only other thing we used was the orange oxigon dissolving bags and those only one per week. The other problem and I have learned this with our new boat is the water that you use to flush the toilet. I use to believe that our waste was the biggest stinker in the tank. Well since changing to fresh water flush from outside water the tank has very little odor.

Good luck

[Guest]

When we got our 32 5 years ago, the holding tank was packing a load, and a smell for that matter. I am pretty sure it had not been emptied in quite some time. Anyhow, after getting the tank cleaned and operable again, I built a vent filter and have not had ANY smell since. For those worried about tank damage due to a plugged filter, this filter has safety by-passes for both vent pressure and vacuum releif. This means that if the filter media becomes clogged, the vent line still works. Havn't had any problems and have built many for people. I am in the water and vapour filtration business so none of this was new to me. Filter media lasts 2-3 seasons depending on use, and literally takes 5 minutes to replace the media. It not the cheap carbon some filters use that you can get at the aquarium supply store, but rather pelletized carbon designed for vapor contaminant removal.

Attached files [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/697416=29006-Vent Filter 3.jpg[/img]

[Guest]

Papa Charlie + 1

[Guest]

+2 on the vinegar. I put a cup or so down the head every 3 days or so when we are away, and do a more thorough clean prior to reduced winter use.

[Guest]

Intriguing idea on the vinegar--I'll try it this weekend. After we bought our 45 we used to get a FOUL odor--really, really foul. as in 'clearing the dock' foul--smell every time we flushed but then we followed the advice in Peggy Hall's book and replaced the vent hose which had developed a kink over time. Miracle cure. Now we get only the faintest bit of bad smell every now and again, but I'm thinking this vinegar idea might take care of it. Will experiment this weekend and report back.

[WhiteRockMike]

milo wrote:
Filter media lasts 2-3 seasons depending on use, and literally takes 5 minutes to replace the media. It not the cheap carbon some filters use that you can get at the aquarium supply store, but rather pelletized carbon designed for vapor contaminant removal.

Wow - nice looking vent filter! Milo, where can one get the good pelletized carbon designed for vapor contaminant removal?

[cosmo777]

Pet stores have the activated carbon

Not sure if you've seen this tread...a simpler version of the same thing

http://www.baylinerownersclub.org/forum/showthread.php?42299-DIY-HTVF-for-14-45&highlight=htvf