Head smells after flushing

[Pcpete]

Amen on the fresh water flush! Our previous boat was moored in the water and I had to change at least the intake hose every 2-3 years. Our current boat is dry stored and, not long after we bought it, the admiral used one of the heads. First thing I heard was “this thing won’t flush”. When I explained why, and how to flush, the response was “that’s crap!” “Fix it!”
My solution was a pair of fresh water flush electric toilets. I replaced the black water hoses, deleted the Y valve because we never go directly overboard, then converted that through hull to a second vent.

[Tudorsailor]

Lots of previous threads on why hydrochloric acid is in fact OK to put down the toilet. However this does not cure the smell that comes from decomposed stuff in the pipe between the sea water intake and the toilet

I have just fitted Commodorizer to both toilets. So far so good. No nasty smells now. Just a faint whiff of swimming pool chlorine

Hopefully no more accumulation of calcified gunk around the joker, in the pipes and in the tank. Time will time!

TS

[sailorladd]

I believe this is fairly common in boats and in my case I removed the larger discharge hose from the skin fitting and toilet and cleaned it out using a line and rag tied to the middle, moving it back and forth with hot soapy water etc...


It's a pretty yukky job, or you could just replace it with a new length... that does help a lot with the smell and performance of the toilet, but I learned also as I sailed in the early days that my galley salt water hand pump started smelling like sulphur as well, and found that it was only the water left in the system that smells bad, once you flush out what was trapped in the system the smell tends to go away...
Cleaning the toilet outlet hose is a good idea now and then as it does get clogged up with residue.... hopefully this answers your question..

[Senojev]

Using seawater to flush a Techna electric toilet WILL cause issues from decomposing marine life/organisms. A strainer will filter larger particles but will not cure the problem. Beating on intake hoses will not help either. Hoses to the holding tank can and often do clog with crystallized uric acid and beating on them may help.

The real solution is to use freshwater to flush the toilet. The Techna can be set to use a minimal amount of water to flush and refill the bowl. For liquid waste you can do a two button flush on the control panel to empty the bowl and manually add the desired amount of water by using the control panel or from a jug of water saved while running cold water to get hot. (Or rain water)

Using a Techna this way is very economical in water usage and avoids the inevitable odor from using seawater.

[silvercreek]

Update: I actually found the strainers in the head intake lines, just not where I first expected. Upon inspection, they had both caught some small seaweed bits. But one in particular had also caught a small baby crustacean. Smell seems improved after cleaning.

[Wilyum]

this question probably has an obvious answer but wouldn't 2 micron filters after the sea strainer catch most of the bacteria coming into the system?

[Rumrace]

Saddle tank for the toilet is designed to hide in the wall. We use fresh water flush and no discharge in the Great Lakes so no sea creatures getting sucked in. We use liquid gold, always have. During the 2019 flood we could not find a working pump out 2 days late. The vent was stinking things up but that’s a rare event.
As I understand the liquid gold breaks down sea life should you be pumping in water. I don’t know of any septic which won’t get nasty without proper chemicals added. Land Yachts and Great Lake Boats are sure dedicated to pump out.

[peghall]

I assume some sea life or material (seaweed?) has worked its way into the intake line filter and is decomposing, creating sulphur dioxide.


I'd say that's a good guess. Most likely it's animal sea life that's been sucked into the toilet intake line--might even have made it as far as the channel in the rim of the bowl-to die, decay and STINK. It's a common problem with sea water toilets.


You have my book...you'll find instructions for curing for your problem on page 51 "Head Odors".



-Peggie