Smelly heads CURE!!!!

[dickh]

No More Smelly Heads!!
As I posted a week ago, I have a fresh water container near the inlet sea cock. When packing up after the weekend, turned off the inlet sea cock, put the tee'd inlet into the container, opened its ball valve and pumped fresh water through the inlet pipe into the toilet and then flushed in the normal way, then closed the ball valve and the outlet sea cock. Went on board this sunday morning, flushed the heads and NO SMELL!!
This really works, forget your inline deodorant as sold in chandleries which never worked.
Any one else tried this method? When I fitted the new head 4 years ago I also fitted the "no smell" hoses as well - but it has always smelt until now.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[Gunfleet]

Also put some olive oil down it and it will all pump beautifully and soundlessly. I'm not kidding.

 

[dickh]

Yes, also tried that and it works.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[JeremyF]

dickh

Can you give us a little more info please. Did you just fit a T switch between the inlet seacock and the heads, with a short length of hose, which you can dunk in a bucket of fresh water? Where did you get the T unit? Did you change the clear intake hose into a 'no smell' version at the same time?

Thanks

Jeremy Flynn
Dawn Chorus

 

[ccscott49]

I've always found that the smelly heads symdome goes away, after the first ten pumps or so, as the smell is coming from decompossing bugs in the seawater left in the pipe, which is why with fresh water, it doesn't happen. Rather than extra tee pieces, cocks and pipes etc. I have enough pipework on my toilets as it is. I just pump the thing with my nose closed, breathing through my mouth for ten-twenty pumps and ventilate the area. Depends how much you can take I guess. No smell hoses are to stop the smell getting THROUGH the hose, not to stop the smell forming inside.

 

[dickh]

Jeremy,
I fitted a plastic '¾" Tee' into the inlet hose as close to the inlet seacock as practical, then a ball valve with barb hose connectors to the 'leg' of the Tee and a length of ¾" hose for putting into the water container. The water container is a fairly standard 20litre type with a screw cap. Also fitted stainless hose clips on each leg. I hope this is clear.

The ball valve is closed during normal operation of the head. At the end of the trip, the inlet sea cock is closed, the hose end is placed in the water container, the ball valve opened and the head operated to allow fresh water through which is then pumped out in the normal way. The ball valve & outlet seacock are then closed.
The plastic Tee I got from my local chandlery(Fox's in Ipswich) and this is the only part I am not happy with - it is only a cheap plastic Tee which would be OK for a water supply from a tank but I don't want it as a permanent fixture which is connected to a seacock...
I will replace this plastic Tee with a bronze/brass one as soon as I find one - no luck yet. (perhaps a "Y" Marelon fitting if available?)

Both the the inlet (¾" Ø) and the outlet(1½"Ø) are "no smell" white hose which I fitted 4 years ago with the new head. Wether you will now be able to use standard clear hose for inlet and outlet I'm not sure, for the small extra outlay I think it's best to play safe and use the "no smell" variety especially for the outlet hose.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[dickh]

Yes, the smell does go away but does tend to linger. For my boat which is usually only used at weekends it is quite nice not to get the smell the first time you pump the head. It's also offputting for guests when they get greeted with a hydrogen sulphide smell as soon as the go below(after you've gone first and furiously pumped) I also noticed you didn't get the debris (dead bugs?) that always accompanied the first pump.
All in all I'm pleased with results so far and will make it safer at at layup time regarding the plastic Tee piece.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[salamicollie]

Another simpler way of avoiding smelly heads that we use is to put the water from washing hands and teeth down the heads after flushing normally. This is easy on our boat as the wash basin wont drain fully anyway and we have to use a washing up bowl to catch the water.

Also Glade Loo Fresh (hangs from the side of the bowl) seems to do wonders

 

[JeremyF]

I too put fresh water into the bowl to flush out before shutting the seacock. Its easy on mine as I just extend the shower head. Ive taken the advice of other posters and add a drop of cooking oil to keep the pump and seacock lubricated.

However, most smells apparently come from the inlet hose, hence the idea for letting fresh water into the inlet hose.

Jeremy Flynn
Dawn Chorus

 

[ccscott49]

I'm afraid that wont stop the inlet hose smellilng, which is the problem in this case, it is always full of sea water, which stagnates and smells, unless you do as has been said, It just doesn't bother me unduly, but living aboard, the heads get pumped regular, so they don't smell anyway.

 

[gtmoore]

ASAP have some by the looks of things. Bit confusing from the catalogue but they do something called a 'port' which looks about right but not sure if it turns each port on in turn (part no 405404). They also do a two levered "double outlet Y ball valve" but the sizes of the three ports aren't the same!

Anyway - if you have a catalogue they are on page 48 or I can email you the page if you like to make sure they are what you need if you want to order.

HTH

Gavin

 

[JeremyF]

Do you have a web site for ASAP, Gavin?

Jeremy Flynn
Dawn Chorus

 

[dickh]

www.asapsupplies.com

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[dickh]

Thanks, I have a catalogue at home & will look tonight.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[gtmoore]

Can you let me know which one you think would be best as I would like to have a go at this myself.

Out of interest, could the heads inlet be linked using a Y valve (via a one-way valve perhaps?) to my fresh water tanks? I have no easy way of draining mine and using it for the heads may help me to get through the 200 litres that gets carried everywhere but has little use apart from washing. I haven't had a good chance to use the boat this season but I know it's going to go off before I can use it all up with the sort of sailing I have planned.

Or is this not a good idea (if things started going the wrong way I could end up washing in sea water or worse!)

 

[JeremyF]

Thanks. The web site does not really show much detail on this part. Dick, perhaps once you have worked out a permanent safe way, you could let us all know which part you used. I sail with the seacocks open, so I'd prefer a heavy-duty solution just in case!

Jeremy Flynn
Dawn Chorus

 

[dickh]

gtmoore and jeremy,
Once I source a h/duty Tee/Y valve I will post back.
I'm sure you could link the water pipe from your main tank, on my boat it would be impractical due to routing etc so will stick to the 20l container near the inlet sea cock. I suppose there could be small chance of salt water contamination back to your main tank... I don't think you will get worse contamination... - unless someone knows better!

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by dickh on 02/09/2002 15:13 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[dickh]

Looked at the ASAP catalogue last night and decided on the following parts for a permanent solution:-
1 x 407103 Equal FFF Tee at £1.20
3 x 404638 ½"BSP x ¾" Hose Straight Hosetail at £1.53 ea
1 x 405103 MF ½"BSP Ball Valve at £2.34
plus SS hose clips and possible another short length of ¾" hose

I will also probably clamp the ball valve to a bulkhead so it is not waving about and position it so it cannot be inadvertantly opened in error. all this over the winter layup.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[JamesS]

It isn't just the inlet pipe that causes the pong - don't forget the pump.

I changed mine a year ago (for a totally unconnected reason) and since then no smell!!!!

Cheers

 

[gtmoore]

Thanks!