Toilet still has odor on flush

W

Waterbed

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exMember
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Apr 11, 2005
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16943
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I know this subject has been discussed a lot and I have read all I could find, however my issues seems to be a little different. When my boat sits for a week I can not smell any odor in the toilet bowl, however when I first flush I do. I can flush all the water from the inlet hose that has been sitting there all week and it clears up, however I don't have to wait another week to smell it again. After a short time when I flush I smell the stink again. It is not a real strong smell; however it is enough to get complaints from the wife. I have cleaned the holding tank vent line, cleaned the holding tank with white vinegar for two days and baking soda for two days, and started using Ordorlos, so I think I am ok on the holding tank end. I have installed an inlet treatment system (small blue tablet) in the line close to the raw water inlet in the bilge. I also have two mesh filters in line just before the treatment system. My inlet water hose is a MPI Premium Hardwall Water Hose and appears to be the original inlet hose from Sea Ray in 1995. Any suggestions on cleaning the inside of the toilet or the inlet hose? Should I replace the inlet hose? Can the inlet hose be tested to see if it needs replaced?

Thanks.
 
I don't know how sensitive your nose is, but there may be a number of causes for the smell. If it's an actual sewage smell, it could be odor coming back from downstream, particularly if the bowl doesn't retain water in it between flushes. Also your hose coming out of the toilet, going to the tank may have permeated (smell goes right through the hose). This has been known to happpen in as little as 3 months after changing hoses - depending on the brand of hose used. Once the hose has permeated, there's no cure for the situation, other than replacing the hose. Always use the best quality sanitation hose you can find.

If the smell is other than a sewage smell, or is a rotten egg smell, it is likely coming from the supply water side. That's where my discussion of vegetation being sucked into the toilet bowl comes into play. If you've got vegetation in the hollow rim of the bowl, or if algae, etc. is growing inside the supply water hose, that can be the source of the problem.
 
Does the bowl itself hold fresh water after a flush to maintain the seal ?
Does your boat use fresh water or Sea Water for the head?
 
I have a sea water flush and the boat stays in brackish water on the St Johns River in Jacksonville, FL. When I flush the head, I also dry flush, however a little water still stays in the bottom of the bowl. Today I removed the electric head pump and hoses, filled the bowl with chlorine and water all the way to the top so it would back up in the holes under the rim, and vacuumed the water back through the inlet holes under the rim of the toilet. When I removed the inlet hose I did not smell any odor inside the end of the hose. I also left fresh water in the bowl today instead of the river water. The only time I smell anything is when I flush. There was zero odor when I left today, however I’m going back to the boat tomorrow and see if there is any improvement after it sits over night. Thanks to all for the tips.
 
Waterbed, I hope it works. If all else fails, eat a mint:)
 
I, unfortunately, have no solution for the green, nasty, dank, ill-smelling marina water where you keep your boat. About the only cure for that, is to convert over to a pressurized fresh water-flushing head.
 
Vic, with my Hold-n-Treat (my original 20 gallon holding tank, and your/Raritan's macerator/control/Electro-Scan), the only way I've been able to deal with the vent odor is with a charcoal filter. It's not a big deal as the filter does the job, but I'm worried about the horrid odor in that tank eventually permeating through. If I get a better airflow into the tank, will KO be able to do it's thing eventually and kill the odor?

Note: Before I put the filter in I started using KO, but didn't get the results I needed. Thus, I'm guessing I need more air to the tank. How large should a vent line be for a 20 gallon tank?
 
mixman, the electro scan works by disassociating chlorine from the salt and the chlorine kills bacteria. KO's action is via a live bacterial colony and I would not expect it to co-exist with the electro scan's chlorine.

Frankly, if your HT ( which is holding waste treated by the electro scan ) smells, then it would seem to me that the electro scan in not functioning correctly. But I doubt KO would have any useful effect.
 
Thanks Radioactive, but the HT is before the Electro Scan. So my problems are "typical" of those who just have Type III devices (but I have the advantage of having Type I onboard to keep the HT as empty as possible!).
 
OOps.

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If using KO, then do not use vent filter. Mine worked with a 0.75" vent hose. Make sure it is short and straight as possible. Having two vents on opposite sides of the boat would be excellent.

Another choice is "Odorlos" which is an additive that puts additional oxygen into the tank chemically, promoting aerobic decomposition. This likely works with or without the vent filter. It also can get expensive ( and is why I used KO ).
 
Mixman, you are correct in your assumptions. The vent line should be NO LESS than 3/4" I.D. and as short and straight as possible. I freakin' hate vent line filters as they are expensive, are only good for one year, and are toast if they should get wet inside, by overfilling the tank or by hard heeling.
 
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