Odor...from the lines

P

Peleka7

Member
exMember
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
RO Number
691
Messages
199
The discharge (dock) line, and vent line, is routed through a hanging closet. Makes the closet stink. The lines can not be re-routed. They are the typical white marine sewage lines.

How do I fix this? The lines are probably 14 years old. Is this the problem? Can I just run some mriatic acid through?
 
I'm gonna guess and say the only way to resolve this is to replace the lines. Odor has permeated them.
 
If you're 100% sure that's where the odor is coming from then Eric hit it on the head. Replace with best sanitation hose you can buy. If you're not 100% sure that the odor is coming from the hose.....take a damp rag and rub over surface of hose & then give it the sniff test. That should pretty well confirm source of odor if from hose.
 
Certain it's from the hose. The closet is away from the holding tank.
 
As others have said, the hose needs to be replaced.
 
When you replace the hose, liberally spray the closet bulkheads, ceiling and floor/sole with Fabreze. That will neutralize any odor which has permeated those surfaces as well.
 
"The lines are probably 14 years old. Is this the problem?"

At 14 yrs old they are not just old, they are archaeological relics! Replace them. Use the very best hose you can find. Expect 5 yrs or less...
 
5 years...I'm a little over. Crap...literally. I'll let you know how this works out.
 
It also could be coming from the bilge or the compartment below/behind/next-to the hanging closet. I doubt that the holes where the hoses penetrate is airtight. The hoses are still suspect but you might get "lucky" and find a leaking fitting or clamp.
 
At 14 years, the hoses have long outlived their usefulness. Replace ALL of your sanitation hoses - the smell will disappear.
 
This might seem obvious, but the lifespan of hoses doesn't HAVE to be limited to 5, 10 or even 14 years. Hoses of even mediocre quality won't get permeated if they're not used as long-term storage for human waste.

If you have the luxuries of a decently-sized holding tank and the ability to pump-out frequently, then just send a LOT of water through the system after each flush. The benefits are great: the tank stays cleaner, the hoses stay fresher and there's much less need for chemicals, treatments and filters.

My system is 11 years old. I'm still using the factory filter, the tank is "clean" and the hoses are like-new. I only use treatments as a preventive measure, and even then it's more often than not a half-gallon of the cheapest vinegar I can find, instead of the very-pricey marine products.
 
SLW...I'm a live aboard. Small tanks also. Often I'm in a harbor and need to wait until I'm out at sea to discharge. Most South Pacific countries don't have pump outs. Even in Hawai'i at most harbors. I've noted your recommendations and will attempt to improve the way the heads are used, but there's little I can do.
 
Understood. That's why I qualified it with "if you have the luxury" - if you can't easily empty the tank, then it doesn't make much sense to fill it rapidly.
 
Pel, as a temporary solution, try sending the Admiral to the grocery store and picking up a roll of "Saran Wrap." Then wrap the outside of the hose liberally with it, all the way from the head to the holding tank. It's supposed to seal the outside of the hose and stop the odor from coming through. I've never done it myself, but I've heard it works. For a couple bucks and an hour or so of work, it may well be worth trying - can't hurt, and it may help!.

Another thing I've heard will work is to wrap the outside of the hose with the aluminized tape that is used to seal the joints in heating and air conditioning metallic-faced fiber ducting. Not the gray duct tape that everybody uses for all sorts of repairs, but the tape that actually has a metal outer surface. It's a lot harder to apply than Saran Wrap, however, and will take a lot longer to wrap it around the hose than the Saran Wrap will. Most heating and air conditioning service guys will have it on their truck, and may sell you a roll fairly cheap.
 
Pel, anything to report? Sorry, I missed the fact that you are currently out of the U.S. Saran Wrap and the tape that I mentioned may not be available there.
 
The good hose is so expensive we've gone to using 1 1/2 PVC, still have to use some hose sometimes for couplings. Works great NO SMELL EVER.
 
I replaced the hose and that fixed the odor problem. Good hose is not available here, just one vinyl hose made in China. It's not cheap..$30 NZD a meter or about $7 USD a foot. The clerk warned me that I would need to replace it in 2 years, the good stuff was no longer imported.

I also hung a vanilla bean in the closet and relocated the macerator pump to right at the tank output...having had a "dry run" problem with it's old location, a foot or so above the tank. Everything is working well, no odor...Mahalo for the help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top