Holding tank vent(s)

Why does anyone care what it smells like in the holding tank, if the vent filter covers it up?

I 100% understand there is science and the ability to create a low odor condition in a holding tank. It will require modifications to many boats to add vents, and or air pumps. Plus it requires the addition of store bought bacteria. If you get every thing right it doesn't stink.

But I simply add a bottle of blue death to my tank after every pump-out, and change the charcoal in the filter every season. No smell, no science project.

To each his own, this is not a religion.
 
quote:
Originally posted by lark

Why does anyone care what it smells like in the holding tank, if the vent filter covers it up?

Click to expand...


One word: Permeation!

Plus, some of us have Type I MSD treatment systems. We can't just toss in that stuff that you're using or it would ruin our systems. But you're right, what works for some may not work for others.
 
quote:
Originally posted by mixman

quote:
Originally posted by lark

Why does anyone care what it smells like in the holding tank, if the vent filter covers it up?

Click to expand...


One word: Permeation!

Plus, some of us have Type I MSD treatment systems. We can't just toss in that stuff that you're using or it would ruin our systems. But you're right, what works for some may not work for others.

Click to expand...

+1
 
Lark you will care once you have to replace the heads sanitation hoses. Even the highest quality hoses and Poly tanks will start smelling in 2 to 3 years without the proper treatments in the holding tank and periodic treatment of the hoses and the holding tank.
Just review the posts here in this section of the board with people having problems with tanks building up sludge, and eventually losing the ability to hold the volume of waste or not being able to properly pumpout the tank. There are also a considerable amount of posts on sanitation hose replacement due to being the wrong type hoses being used and the correct type getting permiated.
Bill
 
Ok so a couple of you guys are saying it is a religion. Permiation of hoses has nothing to do with it, most of the hoses are before the holding tank, and before any treatment. Only the pump out hose is after the tank. Thousands of boats are built with vent filter and thousands of gallons of blue stuff is sold. Now include the RV industry and it's probably millions. They are all wrong, and your way is the only way?

I'm not saying your way doesn't work, I'm just saying that the standard way works good enough for most people.
 
quote:
Originally posted by mixman

Chris,

Are you sure? You can't smell anything because the filter is doing it's job of absorbing the odors. Do you have an access port to check the tank directly? I'll bet you a dollar if you open that port up you'll regret doing so and you'll realize you're wasting your money on KO.

KO will not work without a supply of O2. A vent filter blocks O2 from getting into the tank. This isn't me coming up with this. Rather I'm repeating what Vic has told me over the years.

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Yep, I can do a sniff test, and have.

Of course I don't have the equipment to actually measure bacteria presence/growth within the effluent, though...

-Chris
 
Most of the hoses enter the holding tank Lark thats my point if the tank smells and the hoses are not periodically cleaned the hoses will stink. Do you have a holding tank with flappers that close off both openings when the head is not in use? If so I have never heard of this type of tank fitting. Since most modern holding tanks are Poly they are just as suseptable to permiation as the hoses entering and leaving the tank. Religion? No more like a dose of common sense. Probably the worst job or maintenence on a boat is working on the sanitation system by using the proper chemical combination you can delay this for years, don't do it and every 2 to 3 years you will have a Mike Rowe job.
Kurt my filter allows free air flow into and out of the holding tank and KO works just fine using it as a once a month head, sanitation hose, holding tank and shower sump and hose cleaner. However Odorless does the majority of the heavy lifting.
When the filter is bad which has only happened once in 6 plus seasons of heavy use it wouldn't allow the free flow of air in or out of the tank. They can't get wet that restricts or destroys the vent filter.
Bill
 
I was always under the impressiong that those PVC charcoal over-priced filters blocked airflow. They require, what, 1/2" hoses? Peggy Hall, Vic Willman, and others have stated that a tank needs a much larger hose than 1/2" in order for enough O2 to get in to allow areobic bacteria to prosper (KO as well). I know this was the case on my boat. KO would not work when I had a filter until I added an aquarium pump. Now I have a much bigger vent line, do not use the pump, and have no odor with the green stuff.

Chris, I'm amazed KO is working that well for you with a vent filter. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Lark, do what works for you. There are different ways to deal with things. As I said, I can't use the blue stuff due to my treatment system.

BTW, what does that "blue stuff" do to the treatment process after it's pumped out and goes to a facility?
 
quote:
Originally posted by mixman

I was always under the impressiong that those PVC charcoal over-priced filters blocked airflow. They require, what, 1/2" hoses? Peggy Hall, Vic Willman, and others have stated that a tank needs a much larger hose than 1/2" in order for enough O2 to get in to allow areobic bacteria to prosper (KO as well). I know this was the case on my boat. KO would not work when I had a filter until I added an aquarium pump. Now I have a much bigger vent line, do not use the pump, and have no odor with the green stuff.

Chris, I'm amazed KO is working that well for you with a vent filter. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Click to expand...


Yep, seems to work, I'm not complaining!

From memory (and not actually looking at 'em right now), I think our hoses are maybe 5/8" -- standard hose fittings anyway -- but not significantly larger than 1/2", though.

The filter has to let enough air out during a flush event to keep from exploding the tank (think of what that would be like!) so I just assume it "vents" equally well in both directions...

-Chris
 
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