[C320-list] Holding Tank Vent

[Paul Rickman]

Today I started taking everything apart to replace the holding 
tank vent. What a job and I'm not done yet. What I found when
taking the outside fitting off is a cotton like substance that was
plugging up the vent. I took a small screw driver and raked it
into and back out of the thru hull portion and found the same
substance. It was completely stopped up. Now with some 
reasoning and logic, there was no stink when I bought the
boat but over time the stink became worse and worse until
last year it was unbearable.  Since I now have the cabinet out,
and messenger lines tied to all hoses and so fourth, I'll complete
the job and replace the fitting -- I don't want to have to do this
again. Now, for those of you who have not started I would take
the outside fitting off and clean it out, using something like pipe
cleaners back and forth in the thru hull. You could even run
a little water thru it. Put it back together to see if you have any
improvement. If so, keep cleaning it once every 5 years or so.
So far I haven't looked for the thru hull but I think it must have
an L fitting, otherwise the hose will eventually colapse onto itself
and stop the venting process.  
 
Paul
Affinity 657
Bay Bridge Marina
Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
 

________________________________
 From: Mike Ott <wmo48 at yahoo.com>
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com 
Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 2:37 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Holding Tank Vent
  
Pat,
Thanks. I sewed seizing line to the hoses and will lube the hell out of them 
when I put it back together.  I tried the technique before I went to far and it 
work, so on to replace the vent.
Mike




________________________________
From: Pat Ireland <cherie320 at gmail.com>
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Sent: Mon, April 2, 2012 1:58:39 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Holding Tank Vent

Mike

There are two approaches.  Use a messenger line tied to each hose to pull
them back into the holes in the cabinet.  Wire worked better for me.  The
other approach is to take the back off the closet and access the hoses from
behind the liner.  I did the messenger route.  It's not a snap, but works.
The closet back sounds like the trick, but I have not tried it yet.  Search
the forum history.  Jeff discussed.  Would never have figured it out
without the help.

Pat, Cherie, 801

On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 9:49 AM, Mike Ott <wmo48 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Jeff,
> I checked out your photo gallery but I'm having a real bear of time
> getting the
> 'medicine cabinet' out.  I have removed 4 screws holding the cabinet to
> the IGU
> and the 2 anti-siphon valves so now I have a loose cabinet with 4 hose
> sticking
> into it.  The cabinet won't swing out far enough from the top to pull it
> out,
> there is not enough clearance in the IGU cutout.  There is a lot of slop
> in the
> hoses so they can be pushed below the cabinet which would free the cabinet
> but
> how would I thread the hoses back into the cabinet ?  Did you have this
> same
> problem ?
> Mike
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Jeff Hare <catalina at thehares.com>
> To: "C320-List at Catalina320.com" <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> Sent: Sun, April 1, 2012 7:49:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Holding Tank Vent
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> The holding tank vent from the factory is a 5/8" fuel vent and vents out
> the
> side of the boat.  The hose leading to that is 3/4".  The factory used a
> makeshift technique to adapt the 3/4" hose to the 5/8" fitting. Not only
> is this
> prone to leak fumes, it isn't particularly waterproof.  If you have a boat
> with
> the Black plastic vent, this is designed in a way that can actually vent
> gasses
> back into the boat since no sealant is used on the fitting.  On top of
> that the
> baffles or screens in the vent prevents the tank from breathing.
>
> Last summer I did a fairly simple project to replace the vent hose with a
> quality hose and installed a 3/4" thru hull fitting similar to the bilge
> pump
> outlet thru hull.  The result was instant and dramatic.  Went from having
> holding tank smell in the head and aft cabin closet whenever the head was
> flushed to zero smell inside or outside the boat.
>
> This is (in my opinion) a must-do project.  Even though we flush with fresh
> water, there was always a smell in the aft cabin closet.  That is
> completely in
> the past now.
>
>
> There are pictures in my c320 website photo gallery of this project.  It
> took me
> a few hours one evening after work to do.
>
> Jeff Hare
> #809 Woodbine II
>
>
>
>
> On Mar 30, 2012, at 7:03 PM, Jane & Ken <obuoy4848 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> > Mike,
> > On hull #219 (OBUOY) the tank vent is the one under the rub rail and no
> >stantion vent is present.  The "old" catalina boats did use the stantion
> as a
> >vent--bad stuff on deck when over full.  Ken
> >
> > --- On Fri, 3/30/12, Mike Ott <wmo48 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > From: Mike Ott <wmo48 at yahoo.com>
> > Subject: [C320-list] Holding Tank Vent
> > To: c320-list at catalina320.com
> > Date: Friday, March 30, 2012, 12:53 PM
> >
> >
> > According to my owners manual ('98), it shows the holding tank vent
> exiting
> >into
> >
> > a deck stanchion.  The stanchion has a small hole (1/8" +/-) through
> which the
>
> > tank vents.  I also have, what appears to be, an overflow vent located
> in the
> > hull just below the holding tank pump out deck-fitting.  Is this also
> acting a
>
> > vent for the holding tank ?  The reason for my question is the Feb '12
> article
>
> > in Practical Sailor that says holding tanks should have at least a
> minimum 3/4"
> >
> > vent to have an effective bacterial reaction.  Now maybe in '98 this
> > installation was acceptable but now ?  If my vent is only the 1/8" hole
> in a
> > stanchion, maybe I should go back to using bucket.  Knowing our group,
> I'm sure
> >
> > someone out there can give me the poop on this fragrant issue (I know,
> pretty
> > bad puns).
> > Mike Ott
> > 'Amanda Lu'
> > #508
>
>