Raritan Crown head

C

cmariner32

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I'm hoping Vic can help me. I have a new-to-me boat with a Raritan Crown CL head. When cruising, we get an awful sewage odor in the cabin. I have checked the holding tank and hoses to and from and found nothing wrong. I just looked tonite at the operator manual and discovered that there is a deodorant tank that needs Raritan concentrate. It was empty so I put some water in the tank as the manual suggested. Would the lack of deodorant in the tank cause the nassy smell or is there something else amiss and what else should I check for?
 
Is it a salt water head? If so and there is not a strainer on the raw water intake, the smell may be coming from the rim of the bowl where organic matter and life forms become trapped and rot. Causing a foul odor.
 
sounds like a venting problem and no vented loop at the head for it to hold water...to block any odor from the holding tanks
 
It is a salt water head and there is a strainer on the line feeding the head. I can flush the head and it is fine. I dont think its organisms in the rim of the bowl. I poured some KO into the head one time and it helped for awhile. It seems only after cruising will the head and salon smell rank. There is no water in the bottom of the bowl-it empties completely when I flush.
 
What you didn't mention is where the discharge from the head goes. I suspect it may discharge directly overboard. If so, in additon to being illegal as hell, you're probably getting pressure at the through-hull while the boat is running, forcing some of the water (and the smell) back into the head compartment.

For beginners, replace the joker valve in the discharge fitting of the head. See if that doesn't solve the problem. See part #C253 on the linked exploded parts view for the Crown Head:

http://www.raritaneng.com/pdf_files/crown_head/L193crownheadv0900.pdf

Raritan has (2) joker valves, C253 and C254 - use the #C253 only.

Then, look into getting a holding tank arrangement on the boat. If you're discharging directly overboard, there's a helluva federal fine if you get caught.

If you do have a holding tank, change the routing of the plumbing hoses. Run it up, higher than the holding tank, add a vented loop fitting, then pipe it down, to the holding tank.

If you already have a vented loop, check to be sure it is actually venting - the vent may be plugged up.
 
Vic....I do have a holding tank that the head drains to. There is also a holding tank pump to pump overboard but the thru hull is wired shut. We have free pump out at the marina-I would never pump overboard. I have not investigated the hose system thoroughly yet, but there must be a vent on the starboard side as I get a strong wiff at the helm anytime the head is flushed. The joker valve is my next step. I bought the Raritan concentrate and filled the tank but the issue is still happening albeit not as bad as before. I would think Carver would have run the proper hose and vent loop arrangement but that is certainly something to check. Thanks for the info.
 
I wouldn't count on any boat manufacture to get it right. Also was this head the original? Chances are it may not be OEM and possibly a sub standard installation.
What is your holding tank made of Aluminum? These depending on age will eventually leak. My original 1993 Aluminum tank had pinholes in the bottom. What a digusting job removing the old tank, then scrubbing and disinfecting the forward bilge then after it was dried over a few days I painted the forward bilge with bilge coat. I replaced the original 30 gallon Aluminum tank with a Poly 36 gallon tank. It was at that point I also discovered Mainship had a 360 degree loop in the vent line.
Bill
 
I do believe this is the original head-at least all the similar year Carver Santegos I have seen have the exact same head. The holding tank is poly. I recently discovered the hose to the pump out deck fitting was loose and tightened the clamps but a cruise shortly after resulted in the same smell in the salon. I had flushed out the holding tank shortly after taking ownership and got most of the sludge out per my smelly inspection thru the inspection deck plate. I guess I need to trace how the sanitation hose runs from the head to the tank to rule out a non-vented situation. Thanks to all for your input.
 
Any updates, Rick? Have you been able to figure out what the problem is/was?
 
Vic, I just replaced the joker valve last week but TS Debby did not allow me to take her out this past weekend to see if the problem persists. The old joker valve was bad-was not closing completely. However, something I read in the Raritan documents indicated that there should be water in the bottom of the bowl-which does still not occur. I located the bronze vent loop in the forward bow area right before the diaphram pump for overboard discharge. Would a typical installation have 2 vent loops-one for overboard discharge and one near the head? I do not have a thru-hull vent anywhere near the head-at least that I can find. Is the lack of water sitting in the bottom of the head indicative of a problem?
 
Vic, I took the boat out today, and we still have the pungent odor-not the odor of micro organisms in the rim of the head, but of nasty gas of waste. Replacement of the joker valve did not seem to solve the problem-damn!!
 
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