[C320-list] Head smell discoveries

[Jack McDonough]

Jeff, Warren et al:

The mother of my children is obsessed with the head odor problem and demands 
that I pump it frequently, which may help a little but is not the answer to 
the problem.

When I look in the head medicine cabinet I see two anti-suction (?) hoses 
but not the vent hose from the holding tank. Will I find that tank vent hose 
if I actually remove the cabinet? Then, are you saying that a larger 
diameter hose with a modified (larger) hull vent will do the trick?

Some say a charcoal filter is an added solution while others say forget it. 
If it's worth the effort, is there room for such a filter behind the 
bulkhead in the head?

Jack
#947






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Warren Updike" <wupdike at hotmail.com>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 7:03 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Head smell discoveries


> Jeff, when I did our holding tank upgrade I replaced the vent with a 
> stainless model from our boat store catalog, about $25.  The old one was 
> blocked with stuff.  Sorry, I can't tell you which one it was.  It has a 
> ss extension that is curved downward on the inside of the hull that was 
> 3/4" and matched the hose I used.  The tank vent fitting was 3/4" as it 
> came from Catalina.  I've not had any trouble with odors.  I use Odor-los 
> for tank treatment and no other additives.  I can send you a picture of 
> the installation behind the cabinet in the head.  Let me know.
>
> BTW, I considered a charcoal filter. A dock mate made one with PVC.  The 
> problem I saw is that if the tank is full and pumped, the filter becomes 
> fouled and has to be renewed.
>
> Warren & Pattie Updike
> 1994 C320 #62 "Warr De Mar"
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Hare [mailto:catalina at thehares.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 9:46 PM
> To: c320-list at catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] Head smell discoveries
>
> Hi,
>
> We have hull #809. Flush with fresh water and only this season after 
> commissioning had bad smells whenever the head was flushed. Even after 
> just one pump.
>
> Pulled the medicine cab, opened the compartment with the holding tank and 
> started experimenting.
>
> Poured a gallon of fresh water in and pumped one time. The first area to 
> stink was behind the medicine cab. Nothing smelled near the tank itself 
> and the hoses themselves didn't smell.
>
> From behind the med cabinet you can very easily reach the vent fitting. It 
> wasn't very loose and the hose didn't seem to be loose either but showed 
> minor signs of leaks. I should add that our vent is the small black capped 
> version, not the chrome fuel vent style.
>
> The inner nut holding the vent in is quite unusual and looks more like a 
> 2" plastic jar lid with a threaded hole in the center. But it can't form 
> any real seal with the rough fiberglass wall. The outside has a plastic 
> washer but barely covered the entire hole. So, long story short, because 
> of the covered cap, the vent was venting gasses back towards the boat, but 
> since there wasn't much of a seal it was blowing back inside the boat a 
> little.
>
> To make matters worse, the hose is about 1" OD/ 3/4 ID but the vent 
> fitting is only 1/2", so they stuck a smaller diameter hose inside the 
> large hose and clamped them. I bet that was part of the problem.
>
> Anyway, with the new vent hose left long and fed out the head hatch for 
> testing, pumping the head left no smells inside the boat anymore. (I heard 
> the neighbors running away outside however :)
>
> So the question, can I just use a small open thru-hull fitting here that 
> has a 3/4" opening (kinda like the propane or cockpit transom drain) so 
> that I dont have to mickey mouse the hose fittings? I can't find anyone 
> that makes a thru hull fuel vent larger than 5/8".
>
> The only downside I can think of offhand is bugs making nests in there. 
> There may be screened versions.
>
> Thanks for any insight here. The boss said fix it. My suggestion of a new 
> boat wasn't the correct answer apparently so now i'm asking you guys. Get 
> me out of jail.
>
> --jeff
>
>
>