Galley Sink Odors

[dmksails]

My galley sink is driving me nuts! There seems to always be a foul odor coming from the sinks - which is really not much of a surprise as there isn't a water trap in the line. A hose connects both sinks, then goes straight to the T-valve connected to the seacock. The T-valve allows the shower sump to use the same seacock.

After using the sink, there will be nasty odors in the galley - obviously coming from the hoses. When it gets really bad I'll stopper the drains and run a bit of water into each sink. That gets to be a pain also.

Any suggestions for how this should actually be plumbed? Or how to reduce the odor?

[slug]

Originally Posted by dmksails

My galley sink is driving me nuts! There seems to always be a foul odor coming from the sinks - which is really not much of a surprise as there isn't a water trap in the line. A hose connects both sinks, then goes straight to the T-valve connected to the seacock. The T-valve allows the shower sump to use the same seacock.

After using the sink, there will be nasty odors in the galley - obviously coming from the hoses. When it gets really bad I'll stopper the drains and run a bit of water into each sink. That gets to be a pain also.

Any suggestions for how this should actually be plumbed? Or how to reduce the odor?

You must have a swan neck , water trap or your sink will always stink

[peghall]

Sumps and drains don't have to stink and keeping 'em clean is one job that doesn't require any manual labor: Raritan only markets their "C.P. Cleans Potties" as a bowl cleaner--and it is an excellent one. But it's also the best sump and drain cleaner on the planet. C.P. is a bio-enzymatic cleaner that not only destroys odor on contact, but the enzymes in it "eat" soap scum, body oils, galley grease and all the stuff that clogs sumps and drains and makes 'em stinky. To clean sink drains, close the seacock, then put a couple of ounces of C.P down the drain and fill the drain with water when it can stand at least overnight. Then flush the drains with clean water. That's it. You can even let it remain in the drain or sump for weeks, 'cuz although the enzymes exhaust themselves in 24 hours, there's nothing in C.P. that can harm anything.



--Peggie

[SVTatia]

The pipe connecting the two sinks, how much above the waterline is it? Could you install a water trap? I bet most of the hoses are below the WL... so just like the head it calcifes and smells. Another question, does the sink drains well on both tacks?

[tkeithlu]

The lack of a goose neck (as in swan neck, trap) is an obvious, but you have been blessed by advice from Peggy Hall AKA Sewer Queen and Princess of Poop, so just do what she says and be happy.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by dmksails

My galley sink is driving me nuts! There seems to always be a foul odor coming from the sinks - which is really not much of a surprise as there isn't a water trap in the line. A hose connects both sinks, then goes straight to the T-valve connected to the seacock. The T-valve allows the shower sump to use the same seacock.

After using the sink, there will be nasty odors in the galley - obviously coming from the hoses. When it gets really bad I'll stopper the drains and run a bit of water into each sink. That gets to be a pain also.

Any suggestions for how this should actually be plumbed? Or how to reduce the odor?

There is what appears to be a check valve in that plumbing, I wouldn’t expect the need for one.

My guess is that you have a trap formed with that valve and it builds up gunk and rots.
You can either treat the gunk continuously or eliminate it, if the hose has no where it can build up gunk, you should have no problem to treat.

You don’t want a trap on a boat, the purpose of a trap on a house or toilet on a house is to prevent sewer gasses from coming into the home. A trap on a boat isn’t needed or wanted, cause it could build up gunk and rot too.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You don’t want a trap on a boat, the purpose of a trap on a house or toilet on a house is to prevent sewer gasses from coming into the home. A trap on a boat isn’t needed or wanted, cause it could build up gunk and rot too.

This ^^^ Excellent.


OP: find a way to either treat it as Peggie suggests, easy, or replumb your shower sump outlet to its own thru hull. My boat's shower sump goes to tis own pump and seacock. Many do. Now you know why combining them is not such a good idea.

[Knotical]

Like you, I have hoses from 2 sinks connecting below the sinks and going down to the seacock, I don't have the shower sump T'd into it however. I don't have a water trap and I don't have any foul odors.

[sailjumanji]

Our galley sink, head sink, and shower sump all discharge above waterline. Why would you discharge any of these below waterline?

[slug]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

Our galley sink, head sink, and shower sump all discharge above waterline. Why would you discharge any of these below waterline?

A sailboat heels over

On a tack The windward waterline will be up hill

This is only acceptable if you pump the water out

[JPA Cate]

@sailjumanji:

It's a monohull deal. Because we sit in the water, rather than on the water. We prefer less through hull fittings, easier to check when needs be, but to get a boat with only 3 through hulls, our previous one, pumped the sinks out via the cockpit drains.

Cheers,

Ann

[zboss]

We also were experiencing periodic smelly kitchen sinks. Our waterline is very close to the bottom of the sink so the food leftovers that go down the drain don't make it out very efficiently. We found that by flushing the sink out with pressure water from the dock we can go 2 months or more without any smell. When we leave the boat for an extended period we do what peggy recommends since we are closing the seacocks anyhow.

[sailjumanji]

Gotcha. Thanks to both of you for the education. ;-)

[capn_billl]

I've never had galley sink odors, but then my shower is plumbed separately.

you wash a lot of dead skin, and bacteria off of your body, galley sink discharge contains food, and sugars which feed bacteria, and cause bacterial blooms.

My showers all goto sump boxes that have a small pump to pump above the waterline. this box usually contains enough soap to prevent bacterial growth.

[peghall]

My showers all goto sump boxes that have a small pump to pump above the waterline. this box usually contains enough soap to prevent bacterial growth.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but soap leaves soap scum that provides a home for bacterial growth that creates odor. Cleaning your shower sump and/or overboard plumbing removes soap scum and requires -0- manual labor.


--Peggie