Stinky Loo

[Switch]

I remember reading on an old post that a possible cause of a stinky loo that only pongs for the first few flushes then is ok could be the raw water inlet rather than the holding tank.
Has anyone had this problem with the raw water inlet? If so how did you cure it?
Thanks for any advice..

 

[Petrolia]

My old Nimbus had this problem. I believe it's caused by bacteria getting into the pipe between the sea and your loo. They turn into H2s, hydrogen sulphide.

Our current Nimbus has fresh water flushing which completely eliminates it.

 

[Garryt]

Yep....know what you mean!

If you flush through with fresh water before you leave the boat, and leave some fresh in the pan, it usually reduces the pong. It seems pretty impossible to totally eliminate it, but you can certainly reduce it considerably!

 

[longjohnsilver]

Or you can convert to a fresh water flush and completely eliminate the pong!

 

[Wiggo]

You can only really eliminate it by switching to fresh water flushing, but you can put a changeover valve as close to the inlet seacock as you can to allow you to have a run of pipe that you could fill from the sink. You then change over the valve before you leave, fill the pipe with fresh water and flush that through so no seawater stands in the plumbing.

 

[ebbtide]

They don't exist!
Seriously, after forty years of boat ownership and scores of charters I expect some residual pong when first stepping on board but if everything is clean and/or new (fit a Spares Kit) that soon goes away. And after that?
The main 'crime' is insufficient pumping, so count the number of pumps it takes to pass a piece of tissue from the bowl to outside; you will be amazed at how many are required - 40 pumps is not unusual.
Nearby I've a sign saying "25 pumps please".That for a Jabsco, often slated for poor performance. Yet I' haven't used a drop of disinfectant or any other additive for years.
No I don't rush ashore holding myself either!
Worth a try IMHO.

PS no experience with holding tanks tho'.

 

[wp1234]

[ QUOTE ]

If you flush through with fresh water before you leave the boat, and leave some fresh in the pan

[/ QUOTE ]

Had the same problem last year so I bought a service kit ( about £25 ) changed all the bits I could and it reduced the pong dramatically.
Now I put a bucket of fresh in the pan before I leave the boat and spray the exposed pipe work with pet odour spray once month or so – works for me !

 

[Tranona]

Additional pumping is not the solution except in clearing the bacteria in the inlet when seawater has been standing for some time. The smell does not come from anything downstream of the bowl provided it is pumped clear and it should not need that maany pumps unless it is a very long pipe run. As others have said a freshwater system is the complete answer.

 

[alt]

I get this even on fresh water! - I'm on a totally fresh water lake (not brackish)

I empty the bowl when I leave the boat, but of course there's going to be stagnent fresh water in the inlet pipe. After about a week of not using it, when I first fill the bowl again, there's an almighty pong - very sulphery, but after about 10 flushes its totally gone.

However, after I come back to the boat after a week (ie. I know there will be a smell when I flush) there is no nasty smell in the cabin at all, so the pipework is OK methinks. I just make sure to flush the boat before I depart anywhere if I have guests onboard as it could be embarassing if they used the toilet and got that pong!

 

[Petrolia]

Even though your boat is on 'fresh' water it will still contain organic material and bacteria and the sulphides will still form. AS you have witnessed. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

By flushing with fresh water we mean drinking water out of your water tank.

My boat uses water from the fresh water tank to flush and the toilet NEVER smells when first flushing after the boat has been left for a while. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ebbtide]

[ QUOTE ]
Additional pumping is not the solution[ QUOTE ]


Oh well, chacun a son pee . . .
TG it's not in the YM syllabus!!

 

[DavidJ]

We used to get this problem and being in the Med the problem is worse. The problem as already mention is gas build up on the INLET side.
We bought the Lee Sanitation Kit which allows you to leave the boat with fresh water sucked into the inlet......instant cure!!
see
http://www.leesan.co.uk/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=88

 

[SolentPhill]

Once a week I put a hose through the window and fill up the holding tank, put some cleaner in and do that a couple of times and I dont have any problems.

 

[KevB]

Where is the smell coming from, the loo itself or the breather pipe for the holding tank? My loo used to smell but from the breather. I now add a Product before we leave the boat and no more smell.

 

[Switch]

Thanks for all the tip's guy's. Much appreciated.
Terry