really bad smell!

V

vic33004

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i'm looking for some ideas on how to track down a problem with my vacuflush system. there are two heads and two vacuflush pumps with a single 40 gallon holding tank. the smell has appeared without any work being done on the system and appears to be coming from the engine room where the vacuum pumps are. the holding tank is under the aft cabin floor but does not appear to be the source of the smell. there is an inline filter that was changed this past season and seems to be working correctly. i emptied the holding tank this w/e just to be sure the tank gauge was not faulty. the tank gauge seems to be working fine and i do not think that i've ever overfilled the tank to block up the filter. both vacuum generators were rebuilt a couple seasons ago with new bellows as well as duck bills. the whole system is 7 years old. i inspected the pumps to verify there is no water on the bellows or fittings that would indicate a fluid leak. yet the smell is pretty intense and seems to get worse as the system is used, it does not go away when the hatch is open and the system is shut down. this whole thing appeared from nothing a week ago so i'm thinking it is not a permeated line as that would have come on more slowly. i'm stumped, any ideas?
 
If you're 100% sure you don't have a leak of some kind somewhere, take some rags and soak them in hot water. Wrap the rags around the different hoses going to the holding tank and vac. pumps. If after the rags cool they smell bad, your hoses need to be replaced.

If the hoses test OK, then you have a leak somewhere.
 
how many seasons in a really warm enviornment would you reasonably expect from vacuum hoses? i'm dreading the idea of fishing new lines from the heads to the pumps.
 
I think 5 years is about all your going to get from premium sanitation hose. However it depends if you run water through the system before leaving the boat for extended times, also if you have low spots where stuff can collect it will. I ran vinegar through my VacuFlush every 3 months I would fill the head then dump an entire quart in it and flush. I redid my entire system 2.5 seasons ago but we are in a colder area than you. I had an old 30 gallon aluminum tank and it had a slow leak well the boat would smell horrible when it was closed up. In my case I had to replace everything and installed a Poly thick plastic larger holding tank. I am in the process of changing everything but the holding tank again only because I am switching to the Raritan Elegance freshwater head and a Type 1 Hold N Treat PuraSan. So I figured with making all those changes that we would change the hoses again. Vic hopefully will comment on hose permeation. Vic I am going down to the boat tomorrow 3/20/09 seems the marina can't read a wiring schematic I will only call you if absolutely needed. Bill
 
If the smell is inside the boat, it's the hoses. If the smell is outside the boat, it's the vent line filter.

Boat builders are notorious for using cheaper grade hoses that don't last very long before they permeate.
 
I'm rebuilding my vacuflush system this spring as well, the hoses are ancient and smell. Any recommendations on the hoses? I'm considering going with the Sealand hose.

I have a single headpump setup, and will be replacing the exisitng small holding tank (12 gal) with a 39 gallon tank.
 
Vic

I don't yet have an odor issue but would like to proactively start replacing sections with PVC pipe where I can. Is this a smart move? What's the best way to join the flexible and rigid sections together? Rubber NOHUB fittings?
 
Rommer, sounds like a good idea to me. The NOHUB connectors are what I'd suggest you use. They're commonly called FERNCO connections (a generic term using the name of the best-known manufacturer, kinda like "Kleenex" or "Scotch" tape); they are used to repair plastic waste, drain and vent lines in residential applications. You can get them at any Home Depot or Lowe's. Just be sure to swap out the hose clamps that come with them, because with them being intended for residential applications, their clamps have galvanized steel screws on them, and they'll begin rusting in short order. Swap the clamps out to all-stainless clamps (screw, too). The actual fittings are black rubber and they're relatively cheap, only a couple bucks per fitting.
 
Scott, SeaLand hose is pretty good, and I'd also consider Trident 101/102 (same hose, just different colors).
 
ok, did the check with the hot rag on the hoses not the hoses. ran bleach thru the toilets and can't smell the bleach anywhere but at the toilet. the smell is coming from the engine room, the only part of the systems that is in the engine room is the vacuum pumps and the overboard maserator pump and thru hull. the smell is not coming from inside the cabin where the rest of the sytem is located. the vacuum pumps seem to be functioning normally and holding a vacuum. this has gone from an annoying smell to making the boat unusable over the w/e. no evidence of a fluid leak anywhere. any ideas how to approach this?
 
Sounds like you need to give the engine room a good, thorough cleaning. When you get "stuff" growning down there in the cracks and crevices, it can smell as bad as, or sometimes worse than, s**t. I'd use a pressure washer and a shop-vac and be sure to get in all the cracks, corners and crevices with the pressure spray.
 
great news! kinda, turns out it has nothing to do with the waste system. there is water leaking in, i think at the rudder log and it is where the smell is coming from. apparently the water coming in had/has enough bio mass in it that it started to rot in the small amount of bildge water. nothing a good bildge cleaning, after i get the leak stopped, won't take care of. the smell from the bildge water was almost overwhelming, explains why it went from nothing to this in about a week.
 
Vic

glad you found the source, but i still wonder why sea water smells so bad. i've had water leaks (rudder posts, packing glands, etc...) and never got a bad smell.

a good bilge cleaning is always good though.

now, one thing not to overlook is an air leak from the holding tank. cracked fittings (vent or gauges if equipped) will let some air escape in the area where the tank is. tha coudl possibly get in the ER if there are any openings instead of the cabin. also, make sure you dont' have a hose chaffing somewhere, incl. the vent hose. I've seen sanitation hoses chaffed thru after a few years from chaffing against a rough piece of ply. when you flush, air from the tank needs to get out and if it gets out in the bilge or ER the smell can be very bad!
 
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