Holding tank odor

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bone354

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27559
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I flushed my tank out three times at the pumpout station before I hauled out back in October. I finally went to winterize the water systems this weekend and there was a bad sewage smell coming from boat. Right away I thought maybe the odor was from the toilet being totally empty like there was no water in the trap.I filled the toilet with the pink anti freeze and pumped a couple of gallons of it in.The smell is still bad if not worst. I replaced the charcoal filter over the summer do to the holding tank was overflowing. The boat is a 1990 and I have owned it for the last 8 years and the hoses where never changed.Iam guessing the hoses are permeating. It smells pretty bad I have 2 big fans blowing and you can smell it 5 ft from the boat. What do you guys think before I tear all the hoses out. Thanks Rich
 
"I have owned it for the last 8 years and the hoses where never changed.Iam guessing the hoses are permeating." -- bone354

That is my guess as well.

Take a ( old, disposable ) towel, wet it w/ warm water, wring it out till very damp, place towel on hose, let it sit for a few minutes then remove with a wiping motion. It the towel smells, the hose is permeated.
 
Can the smell be that strong just from the hoses premeating. The boat has never smelled before. I will try that test in the morning Rich
 
Careful if you have an aluminum tank it could be leaking in addition to your hose problem. I replaced all my sanitation hoses and the aluminum tank with a poly tank and no more smells. Make sure you check your tank. My bilge was so gross it took gallons of bleach and then after it was cleaned and dry I repainted the entire area. Now you can't ever detect any head odors nor do I expect to for years.
Bill
 
I have a poly tank. I will try that test. Then I guess i will pull the system out.It looks like I can reach everything.
 
Update, I pulled all the hoses out except for the output of the charcoal filter. I probably could have gotten it but it got late. I plugged all the holes in holding tank over night. This morning I pulled the cover off to let it air out and it didn't smell to bad. I went to go back in the head to spray so bleach in the toilet and I smelt the strong odor again. after some sniffing around. I stuck my head in the battery area and sure enough it smelled bad. I felt the batteries and one of them was warm I pulled them all out. I popped the fill covers and the one that was warm had very little water in it and it smelt really bad. I never had a problem before leaving the batteries in the boat with the charger. I hooked them up in the garage on constant volt charger, I guess that answers all the other post on the other topic. Can I leave my batteries in the boat? I guess you can as long they don't go bad. I have smelt batteries before but this one smelt like a pump out. All in All at least all my hoses will be changed and my bilge is spotless. I wont have to worry about them smelling anymore. Thanks guys for your post above. Rich
 
When a battery develops a short ( which is what it sounds like happened ) the electrolyte boils and produces hydrogen sulphide ( I think ) aka: sewer gas.

Glad you found the issue, esp considering that there are worse possibilities than just a bad smell, when a battery fails.

While a battery can fail when being charged, the charger is not necessary for failure...

And it will be nice having both a new, reliable battery as well as nice odor-free hoses next season.

Tks for letting us hear the result.
 
Get that battery out of the boat. If it is shorted, it could explode!
 
Sounds like your battery "went to sh!t"
[:-bonc01]
glad everything worked out well!
 
Look if you have the money purchase the best, Lifeline AGM's, I have 8 on my boat and they are fantastic. Bill
 
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