head odors

[terraplane]

Though i religiously pump out (every week) and use the holding tank very little...almost entirely urine.....there is a decided odor which occurs when i flush the head...a gassy odor.

I also fill the holding tank sometimes with fresh water and let it swish around for a day to clean sides of tank.

I use the standard West Marine holding tank stuff.

Suggestions?

terraplane

[matt_unique]

[lloyds]

If you are flushing with salt water it is almost always the flush water line. Stuff grows in the salt water intake line and as you flush you pump it into the head. Sulfur smell. If you go to boat brokers and look at the boats on the water and smell that smell in the head, that is usually what it is. West Marine, and others, used to sell a little kit that put a "T" in the intake line with a small bottle of treatment screwed to it that metered out as you flushed. I found that the best solution was just to flush a lot and keep the critters from taking up residence in the seawater line. Only exception was the one time a candlefish got sucked into the incoming line. Could not figure out why the flush was locked up.

[matt_unique]

The salt water would definitely make stinky! I'm not aware of any C-Dory's that have a raw water intake for the flush. Unless they accidentally pour salt water into the fresh water holding tank or something.

[Grumpy]

lloyds,

Never thought of that. I don't have the problem (yet) and I wonder if it is due to the fact that the thru-hull valve for the raw water intake is always open when I haul the boat and therefore the salt water drains out of it which I assume will kill any critters. Can't speak for other boat configurations but this might be a point for those who trailer to open the sea cock and drain the intake. (Don't try it with the drain )

Merv

[Alasgun]

That's odd Matt as I don't know of a C-dory that does NOT use a raw water flush! Our 25 comes in the sea cock and either goes to the wash down or the head.
On to this stink thing, we boat exclusively in the salt, use the head for a lot more than urine and are very happy with the system. We learned early on how to stay happy with the system.
The only additive we like is the West Marine Mint version, the others contribute to their own funky smell.
As a trip comes to a close we will dump the tank (yep - in the ocean) and travel a ways with the sea cock handle open and the toilet valve in the wet bowl position. This will fill your holding tank with little or no effort and with a little practice you will figure it out. Pay attention to how full the bowl is and shut the sea cock if it gets close to the rim, only takes a second and the water is gone and you can open er up again. It's more a function of speed and we find that at 18 knts everything works fine.
Fill that holding tank and slosh er a bit before dumping it again (in the ocean). We do this twice before taking the boat out and once home I do the same thing twice with fresh water. The last time I leave the tank full and add 2 oz of the mint stuff and just leave the thing sit full till the next trip. Lack of oxygen prevents funny growth!. Ive been using this method for the last 3 years and I would chalange anyone to smell my head!
It's a lot simpler than most folks make it.
Mike

[lloyds]

Probably not a problem on trailered boats because all the water in the line does drain out. But a definite problem for any boat left in the water for more than a few weeks that flushes with raw water, and doesn't get flushed often. If I left one of my boats for a couple weeks, when I got back and flushed it smelled. I had to flush a lot to get rid of it.

[matt_unique]

[GxK]

[matt_unique]

[Pat Anderson]

Tom, my friend, that question is what is known in boxing circles as "leading with your jaw"! There is a one word answer: AIRHEAD!!!!