[C320-list] Vent and vent hose replacement process?

[Bill Culbertson]

Chris,

I replaced the vent host this summer.  It's quite easy and I wish I'd done it years ago.  I finally decided that my head smell must be the vent hose from back when, as a 1st year newbie, I overfilled the tank and you guessed it - YUCK.  Spent about $20 for 10' of hose and it turns out it took about 6'.  I can't swear about the 6' so if I were you, I'd buy 7' to be sure.

Don't take off the mirror.  That is complicated by the 2 anti-siphon hoses that would have to be removed.  Instead access from the hanging locker in the aft cabin.

In the hanging locker, take off the thin wood panel which supplies the "back wall" of the hanging locker (between the hanging locker and  the head).  This is screwed in with four screws to wood blocks glued to the hull (outboard) and head wall (inboard).  Once removed, you'll see the whole arrangement very clearly.  Now go to the head and remove the screws holding the medicine cabinet to the wall.  I know, I know - I said don't remove this cabinet and you don't.  But once unscrewed from the head wall, you can pull it forward toward the head door (toward the boat centerline).  You pull it forward 2-4" - whatever it will do WITHOUT detaching the anti-siphon hoses.

Now back to the hanging locker.  With the wall removed and the medicine cabinet pulled inboard, there is quite a bit of room to access the head vent hose as it attached to the fitting on the hull.  Undo the hose clamps and detach it from the fitting.  Detaching the other end at the holding tank is easy as it is on  the top of the tank easily accessible from the starboard settee with cushions gone.  Once detached from the holding tank, take note of exactly how it leaves the tanks and heads outboard relative to the various obstructions on top of the tank.  That's the only thing that you'll wish you'd noted before you pulled the old hose out.  Then just pull the hose out.

For the new hose, I fed it in from the holding tank following the path I noted that the old hose took.  Push it horizontally until you've fed 4' or so.  Then return to the hanging locker with a flashlight or headlamp (what I use).  You can reach in and grab the free end.  Pull it upwards following the path the old hose took.  I remember there was a loose cable tie that it went through around it along with one or more other hoses.  I think one was the large diameter pumpout hose on its way up to the deck fitting.  I DIDN'T cut that cable tie to remove the old vent hose.  I just pushed the old hose down out of it.  So I fed the new hose up through the original cable tie and toward the hull fitting.  

I hose clamped to the hull fitting 1st.   I used dish soap to make it easy to put on and then attached the hose clamp.  Then I went back to the settee and the holding tank.  I fiddled with the hose back and forth horizontally to find out the max. hose length I could keep and still have it cleanly reach (and not overshoot) the holding tank fitting.  Then I cut the hose to that length, soaped it up, attached the hose clamp and it was a done deal.

Like I said, I really wished I had done it a few years ago.  I have had absolutely NO odor since.

I finally got to suspecting the vent hose when I noticed that the odor I did smell when it happened was strongest in the aft cabin and particularly in the hanging locker when I opened the door to the locker.    That's how I figured out that this locker was an open path to the vent hose in the first place.

I hope  this process works as well for you as it did for me.

 -bill
 Harmony #859



----- Original Message ----
From: Chris Block ..._/)..._/) <cblock at austin.rr.com>
To: c320-list at catalina320.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:07:43 PM
Subject: [C320-list] Vent and vent hose replacement process?


I would like to remove and replace my head vent and possibly vent hose.  Does anyone have a good written process?  How does one get to the fitting?  remove the mirror or other bathroom wall parts?  where does the other end of the vent hose terminate?  the holding tank?  any gotcha's to look out for?

thanks,

Chris
Amore #139