Lavac Marine heads - Ammonia-like pong

[Prologica1]

Hi All,

Our Lavac heads c 1977 was previously odour free. Now a bit of an ammonia like pong. Usually practise is to leave with some washing up liquid in the pan.
Any thoughts on cause or seal-safe cleaning/deodorising products?

Thanks
D

 

[LittleSister]

How are your batteries?

May seem daft, and a long shot I know, but some years ago I spent several weeks trying to work out why our Lavac had suddenly started smelling. Eventually - but in the nick of time - I discovered that one of the batteries, which lived in a locker behind the toilet, had been overheating from a short in one cell, giving off fumes I'd mistaken for the toilet and partiality melting the battery's case.

 

[srm]

Sound as if someone did not pump the waste out of the system and let it mature in the pipe.
Try flushing through with a solution of fresh water and washing up liquid or white vinegar. If that does not work you may have some rotting marine growth in the inlet pipe, which is probably a dismantling job unless you want to risk flushing with a fresh water hose in the skin fitting.

The cure is to always flush everything, even a small amount of urine, right out of the system.

This thread includes a discussion on Lavac use.
Heads filling with brown water?

 

[VicS]

Hi All,

Our Lavac heads c 1977 was previously odour free. Now a bit of an ammonia like pong. Usually practise is to leave with some washing up liquid in the pan.
Any thoughts on cause or seal-safe cleaning/deodorising products?

Thanks
D

Ammonia is produced by bacterial urease action on urea, and other nitrogen compounds, in urine. Make sure you flush away the pee thoroughly.

.

 

[LittleSister]

The other thing is that the flexible pipes eventually become odorous, in which case the solution is simply to replace the pipework. The higher quality (more expensive?) sanitation hoses are supposed to resist this for longest.

 

[Daydream believer]

During the day , if being used regularly a small quantity of the Thetford pink aquarinse in the bowl keeps it smelling OK. Then if leaving for a while a decent quantity of the blue one helps break down the efluent ( especially if you have a holding tank) . I usually pump some into the pipe when leaving the boat with some fresh water . Some will drain back into the bowl & the odour is OK. I actually have a 5 gallon drum of Elsan fluid left from my building days which has lasted some years & is very effective.

For cleaning the bowl bottom, 3 steradent tablets in fresh water left in overnight before cleaning with a round loo brush keeps mine from getting the brown stain.
The other source of smell is from the bacteria built up in the inlet pipe. If the loo is used daily this should not be an issue. If left for a while it can be for the first few flushes.
There are filter systems that can be inserted into the inlet side but I have no experience of these & I have been told that the refills can become expensive.

 

[VicS]

For cleaning the bowl bottom, 3 steradent tablets in fresh water left in overnight before cleaning with a round loo brush keeps mine from getting the brown stain.
The other source of smell is from the bacteria built up in the inlet pipe. If the loo is used daily this should not be an issue. If left for a while it can be for the first few flushes.
There are filter systems that can be inserted into the inlet side but I have no experience of these & I have been told that the refills can become expensive.

Bacteria attacking sulfate in the water under anaerobic conditions to produce hydrogen sulfide but it should not be so much of a problem with a Lavac because most of the water drains out of the inlet loop. All of it on a drying mooring if the sea cock is open!

 

[AndrewB]

How are your batteries?

May seem daft, and a long shot I know, but some years ago I spent several weeks trying to work out why our Lavac had suddenly started smelling. Eventually - but in the nick of time - I discovered that one of the batteries, which lived in a locker behind the toilet, had been overheating from a short in one cell, giving off fumes I'd mistaken for the toilet and partiality melting the battery's case.

That's exactly what happened to me some years ago. I was blaming the heads for some days, before fortunately I opened the battery compartment. A badly swollen hot lead-acid battery, which must have been on the verge of exploding.

Heads smell of hydrogen sulphide, rotten cabbage, not ammonia. If it gets bad, usually it's a sign that the outlet pipes need taking off and bashing to clear limescale - about once every five years.

 

[geem]

Sound as if someone did not pump the waste out of the system and let it mature in the pipe.
Try flushing through with a solution of fresh water and washing up liquid or white vinegar. If that does not work you may have some rotting marine growth in the inlet pipe, which is probably a dismantling job unless you want to risk flushing with a fresh water hose in the skin fitting.

The cure is to always flush everything, even a small amount of urine, right out of the system.

This thread includes a discussion on Lavac use.
Heads filling with brown water?

It's surprising how often inlet pipes are a source of smell.

 

[rotrax]

True. Our previous boat had a 4.5 metre inlet pipe, tee from the engine seacock. Often a smell due to dead marine organisms in the inlet pipe. Open heads window, pump through, shut door, wait for smell to go.

Current boat has a very short inlet pipe, just 1 metre. Same smell upon pumping the heads, but nowhere near for so long.

 

[Sandy]

I always empty any unused fresh water down the head, I usually bring a 10 ltr jerry can onboard, and pump it through before I leave the boat.

 

[geem]

Our boat has a combined toilet seawater inlet and wash hand basin waste. Close the seacock and you can fresh water flush the toilets by running the tap. Been like that since the boat was built. It also means you can run white vinegar into the toilet inlet pipe for cleaning

 

[Prologica1]

How are your batteries?

May seem daft, and a long shot I know, but some years ago I spent several weeks trying to work out why our Lavac had suddenly started smelling. Eventually - but in the nick of time - I discovered that one of the batteries, which lived in a locker behind the toilet, had been overheating from a short in one cell, giving off fumes I'd mistaken for the toilet and partiality melting the battery's case.

Thanks Little Sister. Batteries are at other end of the boat so unlikely to be the issue I think.

 

[Prologica1]

Sound as if someone did not pump the waste out of the system and let it mature in the pipe.
Try flushing through with a solution of fresh water and washing up liquid or white vinegar. If that does not work you may have some rotting marine growth in the inlet pipe, which is probably a dismantling job unless you want to risk flushing with a fresh water hose in the skin fitting.

The cure is to always flush everything, even a small amount of urine, right out of the system.

This thread includes a discussion on Lavac use.
Heads filling with brown water?

Thanks. Is white vinegar ok for the pipework and seals? How much do you put down and do you flush it straight through? If so, how does it have time to work?

 

[Prologica1]

During the day , if being used regularly a small quantity of the Thetford pink aquarinse in the bowl keeps it smelling OK. Then if leaving for a while a decent quantity of the blue one helps break down the efluent ( especially if you have a holding tank) . I usually pump some into the pipe when leaving the boat with some fresh water . Some will drain back into the bowl & the odour is OK. I actually have a 5 gallon drum of Elsan fluid left from my building days which has lasted some years & is very effective.

For cleaning the bowl bottom, 3 steradent tablets in fresh water left in overnight before cleaning with a round loo brush keeps mine from getting the brown stain.
The other source of smell is from the bacteria built up in the inlet pipe. If the loo is used daily this should not be an issue. If left for a while it can be for the first few flushes.
There are filter systems that can be inserted into the inlet side but I have no experience of these & I have been told that the refills can become expensive.

Thanks DB Thats helpful. When you say "flush into the pipe" what does that exactly mean? Our Lavac says 8-10 strokes, then wait 5 secs then 5-6 more. So do you mean add solution then the 8-10? By the way, confession time, I've never been sure if you count a stroke as a single movement of the handle left or right, or a movement and return, left and right if you follow me?

 

[Prologica1]

I always empty any unused fresh water down the head, I usually bring a 10 ltr jerry can onboard, and pump it through before I leave the boat.

We usually leave the boat after doing the usual seawater flush, 8-10 plus 5-6 as directed then leave some washing up liquid in the bowl.

 

[geem]

If you really want to ensure there is nothing in the pipes do 20 pumps, clean he skids then 20 more. If you are leaving the boat a bucket of fresh water pumped through will help.

 

[Daydream believer]

Thanks DB Thats helpful. When you say "flush into the pipe" what does that exactly mean? Our Lavac says 8-10 strokes, then wait 5 secs then 5-6 more. So do you mean add solution then the 8-10? By the way, confession time, I've never been sure if you count a stroke as a single movement of the handle left or right, or a movement and return, left and right if you follow me?

I did not say, " flush into the pipe". I wrote, "pump some into the pipe when leaving the boat with some fresh water". In other words. Put a quantity in the water in the bowl & pump, such that it goes into the pipe & leave it laying in the pipe. About 1/2 of a cupful, or more, depending on the length of pipe & how experience tells you what works best. This will help prevent bacteria developing therein. If you have a holding tank you may be able to hear the water splash into the tank as you pump . This gives an idea of how many pumps you need.
If not, then next time you use the heads get some one to watch for effluent floating free of the hull & count the number of pumps it takes to eject that effluent once it has left the bowl. (Dump & pump) Not a very scientific process but you get the idea. You could pour some dye, in the bowl & watch for that floating out, but it is expensive & an unnecessary contamination of the water. ( Not that effluent is any better!!)
Sorry I do not know how to explain better.

 

[Prologica1]

I did not say, " flush into the pipe". I wrote, "pump some into the pipe when leaving the boat with some fresh water". In other words. Put a quantity in the water in the bowl & pump, such that it goes into the pipe & leave it laying in the pipe. About 1/2 of a cupful, or more, depending on the length of pipe & how experience tells you what works best. This will help prevent bacteria developing therein.
Sorry I do not know how to explain better.

Thanks DB, that's clear now. Sorry for the misquote!

 

[srm]

Thanks. Is white vinegar ok for the pipework and seals? How much do you put down and do you flush it straight through? If so, how does it have time to work?

White vinegar is a mild acid and is used as a domestic cleaner to get rid of mould and bacteria. (Its stocked in the cleaning section at our local supermarket). The pump valves etc should be OK for a short exposure. I suggest pump the bowl empty, add a litre bottle of white vinegar and one or two litres fresh water. Pump with lid open until bowl is empty. Leave for an hour or so as the solution will be in the pump housing and pipe above it to the bend, then flush through with the lid closed.
If concerned about using vinegar try a strong solution of (hot) fresh water and washing up liquid first, as described above but leave for longer - overnight if possible, as the detergent should not have any effect on the pump components. If the smell remains with normal use afterwards try the vinegar solution.

By the way, confession time, I've never been sure if you count a stroke as a single movement of the handle left or right, or a movement and return, left and right if you follow me?

Regarding counting strokes of the pump, there and back is one stroke as the first movement fills the pump chamber and the second empties it.