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Can you guys share your experiences on how you control the odors from the holding tank on your boats. I have the jabsco manual pump which uses fresh water from a tank but there are just nasty odors that come from the head.

All help here is greatly appreciated.

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

Cap', are you sure that you are pumping in water from a tank? I have the manual Jabsco pump on the porcelain toilet on my 2004 Vista, and it draws water from under the boat thru a thru hull intake. If that's what you have, then it may be the water you are pumping in from wherever you boat. I stopped drawing the water from under the boat a few years ago, because that water is what was giving us a bad odor. We now use the removeable shower head to fill the toilet and pump into the holding tank. I even shut off the intake valve on the thru hull water intake, since I di d not want to use it.

Also, there are a few more things you can do. 1st, make sure your vent is not clogged. Hose it down from the outside and make sure the vent is not clogged with wax or debris, and then about 1 day before you go to the "Pump Out Station" fill the holding tank with a couple of bottles of the odor control stuff, and then fill the holding tank about 3/4 full with water. This will give the inside of the tank a good cleaning. When you go to the "Pump Out" station, pump out the head completely, and then fill the holding tank about 1/2 way with water and pump it out agian completely. Then fill the holding tank with water until you see the water coming out the vent. At this point you will know that the vent is clear. Then pump it out one last time completely and add 1 bottle of the odor control stuff and a little water, and you should be all set.

Lastly, whether your holding tank is full or not, it is a good practice to empty it out at least every 2 weeks.

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'04 FW 268Vista "Andiamo"

Solid advice Giaccamo!

I am not 100% sure. The original owner who sold it to me told me it operated this way. Now I am not so sure. I have only seen one freshwater tank in the bilge so that makes me wonder....

Also, when u say fill the holding tank where do i fill it from? Do I do this at the head?

As for chemicals do i just get anything off the shelf at a marine store or do any of you recommend something?

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

Sea water in the hoses (from the head to the holding tank) starts to smell after it sits for a while. What I do is use the head regularly when I am boating, pumping in seawater to flush with. The seawater will go into the holding tank but some stays in the hoses. Thats what caused my head to smell. What I now do is use the head as above, but when I dock up for the day (ie. at the end of my boating day and before I leave the boat to sit a while) I fill the bowl and flush with fresh water from the sink once or twice. This flushes the all seawater into the tank and anything left in the hoses is fresh water. It worked for me. no more stink. Also, use the blue disinfectant in the tank, not the pink stuff. The pink stuff is better for the environment, but doesnt control odor as well.

p.s. for whatever its worth, I was told by several people who used only the freshwater from the sink all the time that their seawater intakes got gummed up with black crud from lack of use and then didnt work at all.....

I fill it from the pump out fitting, which on my boat is located on the starboard gunwale near the back of the boat. Like H. Bender said, I use the blue chemicals that comes in 1 pint plastic containers.

H. Bender makes a good point about non use of the intake can get gummed up. I do periodically open the valve and flush seawater thru the intake, but only when I am out in deeper water, where I am not sucking in silt from the bottom of the river. So far just a fe times a year, and it seems to be O/K.

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'04 FW 268Vista "Andiamo"

I dump a bottle of ChampoChem by Thetford (non Formaldahyde solution) directly into the toiled bowl after I empty my holding tank. I then pump the chemical and some fresh water (from the sink) into the holding tank, usually a gallon-ish. From there, if I use the head at sea (well, river...) I use the raw water flush and it works well for me in my area. But water conditions are very differing depending on location. Some locations the raw water can cause more "smell" than others. I really don't have a big issue with smell.

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Brett DiMichele

I just got done replacing the head in our boat. I learned that there are a few rubber valves inside the head. The unit I pulled out of the boat had dried up rubber valves and were not working very well, letting odors back into the boat.

You can get a maintenance kits that has new rubber valves and o-rings to repair old worn rubber parts. Maybe this is all you need???

I had to replace the whole unit because the guy I bought our boat from didn't winterize last year and it froze, braking many parts (cheaper to buy a whole new one).

I use Thetford products as well, I use the Blue formadahyde formula. It the same stuff I use in the RV. I buy mine a Walmart in a 6 pack (pint bottles) in the camping section. This is the cheapest place to buy, or campingworld for a bit more. At the boat shop a ton more.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
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