Chemical Odor

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bhead56

Member
exMember
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
RO Number
19588
Messages
84
I am trying to track a plaguing odor problem. Have a "chemical type" smell from an area of the bilge that is virtually impossible to access. The boat sat for 2 years at the dealer before sold, and then had one year in which I do not believe the head was ever used before we purchased it. The boat was winterized each winter. The smell is not a sewer type smell. Admiral describes it as more of the chemical type smell that is in new carpets. Does get better when we can keep things open, but as soon as we close up for the week, it is back again.

Is it possible that either the antifreeze or urine would permeate the hoses to create a chemical odor? We have never used the head for anything but urine.

Any thoughts?
 
Problem (1): Use the head for all of it's intended uses. Restricting it's use to "fluids only" serves no useful purpose.

If you cannot access that area of the bilge, why do you smell anything? In any event, you should really try to gain access all areas of the bilge. You may have to, as you may have a leak or permeated MSD lines. Imho.
 
Urine is the more smelly and chemically challenging of the waste products. If you have a holding tank/ine issue it wil present itself as a sort of sharp, cat piss type of a smell. You wont be noticing a sewage type of smell. a poorly designed system or ess than good hoses wil permeate in short order.. Good luck, to me this is the most challenging of all boating issues..

If you canget access to some section of the hose in a low spot.. do the hot rag test for confirmation
 
Have purchased new hose and am going to do a change out. I figure the worse that could happen is I spend $125 for new hose and lose some time installing. Best that could happen is the smell goes away. I have tried the hot rag tip, but can't get to the section of hose that is the lowest spot and where the permeation might be coming from. Will report back.

Thanks for the feedback. Scott
 
Scott,
Please take whatever precaution necessary to avoid spilling the contents of the hose in your bilge when you take the old off. Be very carefull, that stuff is very ugly and once it gets in your bilge... well it aint easy to get rid of.
 
I am looking at the following steps:

1. Flush multiple times with fresh water.

2.Pull hose from head and then use my shop-vac on the blower side to push any remaining water(stuff) into the holding tank. I use this method when closing our inground pool to blow out the lines. It should empty the line.

3. I'll then add a coupler and a few screws to connect the old hose to the new hose to make sure that it doesn't come apart when I pull the old hose out and the new through. I already have a cap on one end of the new hose.

4. Remove the old hose from the tank and pull her through.

5. Remove coupler from the old hose and the new hose, then re-connect to tank.

6. Cut hose the proper length and reconnect to the head.

I suspect the hose will be hard off/on, so from what I have read on the forum, I'll have a hair dryer with me to heat and soften the hose.

Any suggestions on a lubricant to use to help the new hose go on the fittings?

Scott
 
To make the hose go over the fitting more easily try one or both of these:

Use hair dryer to soften the hose with -gentle- heat.

Use a "water soluble personal lubricant" sold in the family planing section of the store.
 
Vic - thanks for the clarification. Almost as bad as the many instant message acronyms!
 
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