Bad Smell in the Heads

[Andrew38]

Just polling for any expertise out there please...........

We've got a persistent bad smell in the en-suite heads (i.e. not the usual dead organisms which goes after the first few flushes). We've cleaned thoroughly with bleach and can't see any obvious leaks from toilet itself though after it has been flushed the water level does seem to rise by itself, slowly, over the next few minutes. It's an electric flush Jabsco (I think) unit and is the factory fit unit which means that it is just 6 months old. The black water tank is located nearby but there'e no apparent smell in it's direct vicinity so I don't currently suspect that.

Any thoughts?

 

[SpottyDog5]

Check the vent on the holding tank

 

[Firefly625]

Check shower drain. Ours sometimes gets smelly on the basis the drain pipe drops down low and then back up to the the catch tank so sits constantly with water in it. May require flushing with a lot of hot water and some disinfectant to get rid of the smell.

 

[volvopaul]

A fresh water flush toilet shouldnt smell, unless of course the smell gets there from the user, id be checking all relative hoses on the system, maybe human waste water is seeping into a moulding joint and lying in the bilge area.

 

[Firefly625]

A fresh water flush toilet shouldnt smell, unless of course the smell gets there from the user, id be checking all relative hoses on the system, maybe human waste water is seeping into a moulding joint and lying in the bilge area.

nice

 

[Thepipdoc]

I spoke to Lee Sanitation about this very problem while at the boat show and they were adamant that the problem has nothing to do with what happens AFTER the toilet bowl but it was ALL to do with what happens before the bowl. i.e. the inlet pipe from the seacock.
Apparently the water thats in this pipe is the perfect environment for the bacteria to multiply and it's this that causes the smell.
There are a couple of products that they have that can eradicate it (apparently) - neither of which I can remember the name of, but a quick call to Lee San should sort this out.

 

[SpottyDog5]

Lots of information here
http://www.auroramarine.com/aurora/AMI_Forum/viewtopic.php?t=1074

 

[Ripster]

I spoke to Lee Sanitation about this very problem while at the boat show and they were adamant that the problem has nothing to do with what happens AFTER the toilet bowl but it was ALL to do with what happens before the bowl. i.e. the inlet pipe from the seacock.
Apparently the water thats in this pipe is the perfect environment for the bacteria to multiply and it's this that causes the smell.
There are a couple of products that they have that can eradicate it (apparently) - neither of which I can remember the name of, but a quick call to Lee San should sort this out.

Yep that is exactly what we had. Its the rotting Seawater in the pipe before the bowl. so I converted over to Fresh Water Flush and no more niff. There is a simple kit to do it. Its a relatively easy job depending on access to your pipes etc.

 

[tamarind]

I spoke to Lee Sanitation about this very problem while at the boat show and they were adamant that the problem has nothing to do with what happens AFTER the toilet bowl but it was ALL to do with what happens before the bowl. i.e. the inlet pipe from the seacock.
Apparently the water thats in this pipe is the perfect environment for the bacteria to multiply and it's this that causes the smell.
There are a couple of products that they have that can eradicate it (apparently) - neither of which I can remember the name of, but a quick call to Lee San should sort this out.

It will be interesting to see what Lee sanitation says to irradiate the smell as most sea water flush bowls suffer from that eggy smell. It is the micro organisms that build up in the inlet pipe

 

[PRH]

Yep that is exactly what we had. Its the rotting Seawater in the pipe before the bowl. so I converted over to Fresh Water Flush and no more niff. There is a simple kit to do it. Its a relatively easy job depending on access to your pipes etc.

Would be interested in any info on the kit or what it involves......

 

[Thepipdoc]

I spoke to Lee Sanitation about this very problem while at the boat show and they were adamant that the problem has nothing to do with what happens AFTER the toilet bowl but it was ALL to do with what happens before the bowl. i.e. the inlet pipe from the seacock.
Apparently the water thats in this pipe is the perfect environment for the bacteria to multiply and it's this that causes the smell.
There are a couple of products that they have that can eradicate it (apparently) - neither of which I can remember the name of, but a quick call to Lee San should sort this out.

This is one of the products from Lee San

http://www.leesan.com/index.asp?m=3&cat1=48&cat2=49&p=179&t=LeeSan Head Treatment System

The other is:
http://www.leesan.com/index.asp?m=3...eeSan Flush-It Kit with LeeSan Adjustable HTS

Apparently either of these will solve the eggy smell, though the second one is more likely to be sucessful.

 

[PRH]

This is one of the products from Lee San

http://www.leesan.com/index.asp?m=3&cat1=48&cat2=49&p=179&t=LeeSan Head Treatment System

The other is:
http://www.leesan.com/index.asp?m=3...eeSan Flush-It Kit with LeeSan Adjustable HTS

Apparently either of these will solve the eggy smell, though the second one is more likely to be sucessful.

I had both the small and large treatment already fitted in forward heads when I bought the boat (should have told me something) and it still had the bad smell after being left for a while. Strangely the aft heads never smell. I would guess that the inlet pipe to the aft heads is about 1m where as the forward heads is about 1.5m!

I have retrofitted a three way valve and use a large bottle of fresh water to flush through the forward heads when we leave and that seems to work OK, so long as you remember.

I would like to get a permanent connection to a fresh water tank but concerned over back flush and germs etc though I know that the newer heads have a fresh water supply with a non return valve, I just don't know the details - yet. Any help would be appreciated....

 

[Andrew38]

Thanks guys - some good ideas of how to sort this out