Head odours

[Popski]

I've suffered this season with the unusual problem of bad head odour. Tried all sorts of remedies but just can't seem to clear the problem. I noted at first the joker valve needed replacement and decided to replace the elbow at the same time. Now the odour is reduced and only aparent when the loo is flushed. Begins very bad from the pan but lessens as I put more water through the pipe. I am wondering if it's the waste lying in the pipe that's taking the odour from the waste tank and when flushed the jockey valve opens and then the odour appears. Following a couple of flushes the odour has gone. No smells outside the boat. Any advice would be much appreciated especially by the wife.

 

[sarabande]

Sometimes the outflow pipe can be impregnated with pong. Have you tried changing it for a white impermeable one. Lee Sanitation are good on advice.

 

[shan]

Use 'Odourless' from Force 4. Works a treat.

 

[simonfraser]

Assuming you flush all the waste out of the pipes, might well take 20+ flushes
Either impregnated pipes, or sea water sitting in the system, that starts to pong too
I put fresh water in mine at the end of each session of use, no smell

 

[RIN]

its usually the sea water in the input pipe that gets all smelly as the bacteria have a ball when left in there for some time. best get on the boat before wife and run through several flush cycles with windows etc open before she arrives onboard

 

[Freebee]

Splash some white vinegar into the bowl and flush it through!

 

[ashtead]

Would perhaps try to see if you have a filter in the inlet water pipe which you can unscrew and place a toilet block in ? While you can run fresh water down the outlet pipe from the sink or shower hose if you have one ( and of course pore vinegar down or a weak Milton solution) the issue if its in the inlet pipe wont be touched by this. You can buy dispenser or blue wash bottles you put in line to inlet pipe which is another approach. In terms of valve replacement if its a jabsco head then complete pump assembly replacement might assist if joker replacement has not worked so far ? We suffer problems when first opening heads having not used boat for a while and are working through various steps as well. Personally I think its all caused by holding tanks as we never had any issues on our last boat without a black waste tank and we don't seem to have any Y diverter valve to by pass the black tank. You don't say if you have an electric heads so assume its a manual jabsco version.

 

[n.herring]

As RIN above says it's nothing to do with tanks, valves or dodgy pipes, it is simply bacteria in the inlet pipe, only answer is to have fresh water flush or flush every day so bacteria does not have a chance to develop, Neil

 

[Whippersnapper]

At the end of each trip, I close the inlet seacock, poor fresh water from a bucket in the toilet bowl and flush. This puts fresh water through the system and draws most of the seawater from the inlet pipe. Works a treat