www.iFourWinns.com

I have done all I can think of regarding the smell from our bathroom. I have done the wet rag on the hose test and no smell. I have checked the hoses and tank for leaks and high spots. I replaced the tank vent with a SS one. When I pump out I refill with clean water and pump again until I see clear fluid. I also use the proper chemicals for our heads. If this makes sense the smell comes when we open the bathroom door. I do not have a window but I do have a vent/fan that's standard on my boat but when I turn it on my neighbors ask me nicely to turn if off due to the smell. So my question is has anyone installed a window? I have also considered removing my mirror and install a cowl vent to help with ventilation. Thanks for looking.

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)

If you have a shower drain in your floor, I'd check that too. If the shower sump is in working condition, run some water down the drain, to flush out the sump box, and possibly even a very small amount of a bleach/water mix. It's a possibility that if that system is dry, or has very old stagnant water sitting in it, that it could be the source of your odor..

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2004 Four Winns 328 Vista
1997 Larson Cabrio 290 - sold
1988 Rinker Fiesta Vee 248 - sold

Exactly what TFD says. If the sump is dirty, it will stink to high heavens and the smell comes up the shower drain.

The sump is located dead center just in front of the aft cabin entry.

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07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

I experienced that last year and replaced with a new one. I checked the sump and all is clear and clean.

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)

What is the odor - is it sewage or mildew? When we had an RV we would pour a 1:10 bleach solution down and store it with that in there, and never had an odor - I don't know if that would help it your situation, but we poured about a liter down each drain (2 sinks, toilet and shower)

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2008 Four Winns h180 Bowrider
3.0 Volvo Penta

2013 Dodge Durango HEMI

Have you tried leaving a little water in the toilet bowl to stop tank odor from coming out of the bowl? The toilet in your house has a built in water trap to stop this odor from escaping. Have you tried a different toilet tank chemical? Some may do better than others. I am not an expert in toilet tank aroma (although I have been accused of contributing to the problem), but any used holding tank will have some aroma no matter what you do.

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Surface Interval: A scuba diving term for that time between dives to relax and prepare for life's next great adventure.

Current boat: '02 FW 268 Vista
Previous boat: '95 FW 190 Horizon

I have tried a few different chemicals for the oder. I was told not to use bleach because of the damage to the rubber seals. The oder I smell is more sewage than mildew. When it comes to the water in the bowl it seems to evaporate in time leaving a film at the bottom of the bowl. Not sure if it's due to the heat we have down here or the manual pump is allowing the water to go down.

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)

Has your toilet ever been rebuilt? It could be time for new seals. I would definitely rebuild the toilet first before cutting any vent holes in the boat. Mine tends to smell if I don't leave some water in the bowl or if I let it evaporate. Last year I switched from using the blue chemical to just using dish soap and the difference in smell is amazing. The toilet seams to work better as well with the soap lubricating everything.
If you have the Jabsco toilet the parts are easy to get.

http://www.westmarine.com/jabsco--jabsc ... 34_002_004

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2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

water in the bowl it seems to evaporate in time.

There is probably your problem. You need to replace the seals. The lack of water in the bowl allows odor to pass by

Hey guys thanks again for all your input. I decided to go ahead and replace with a new Jabsco toilet. Come to find out I had a Par toilet. This way everything is new and will not have to worry if all the seals were replaced and or fit correctly.

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)