Stinky Black Water Vent lines

[Chasemmc]

Since the smell permeates the rubber hoses over time, any merit to introducing a nicer smell from the outside into the line with the tank entrance closed. Some sort of disinfectant or powerful cleaner. Over time would that ameliorate the odor or would it take 20 years as well.

 

[SEVEN]

I used a product called odor gone. It worked fabulously and has lasted for years. Sprayed it with a garden sprayer. You mix 1 gallon of product to 4 gallons water. It was meant for pet odor but it even got the smell of diesel out.

 

[43DoubleCabin]

I used a product called odor gone. It worked fabulously and has lasted for years. Sprayed it with a garden sprayer. You mix 1 gallon of product to 4 gallons water. It was meant for pet odor but it even got the smell of diesel out.

Where did you spray it?

 

[SEVEN]

All over the hoses, in the bilge, everywhere I could smell a musty smell. It does not stain so you can spray it on carpet if you wish.

 

[43DoubleCabin]

All over the hoses, in the bilge, everywhere I could smell a musty smell. It does not stain so you can spray it on carpet if you wish.

My boat has “that” smell. When I board into my aft enclosure, I smell it. By time I get downstairs, I don’t really notice it anymore. But any clothes I leave onboard smell like when a wear them off the boat. I can’t exactly describe the smell almost like diesel. My wife refers to it as a smell of old wood. However it does not smell like mildew at all. When I got the boat a few years ago, first thing I did was replace the mattress in my cabin. Old mattress sat in my shop, 1600 sf, until I disposed of. Whole shop smelled like the boat. I’d love to be able to control that smell.

 

[SEVEN]

Try the product or something similar. You will smell a different difference.

 

[Chasemmc]

Great advice. I'll go out and get some. How often do u have to repeat?

 

[SEVEN]

Twice in the last 8 years. Stuff really works. I accidentally spilled diesel fuel on 4 cases of ceramic tile for a back splash. I tried everything and was close to tossing out 1,200 of ceramic tile because I couldn’t get the smell out of it. I found this product and soaked the tile for 1 hour and that did it. The tile has now been in my house for 8 years with no issues.

 

[rwaldrop13]

Another step that may help is a tank vent in-line odor filter. I had one in-line aboard Pau Hana, and the only issue I encountered was that the original vent line had cracked under the deck in the midships passageway where it was routed thru the starboard engine room to the hull vent. I would NOT recommend the WestMarine one, only because the price was ridiculous. I was using these from Amazon -Amazon.com: yachtZmarine Holding Tank Vent Filter with Installation Kit : Automotive

 

[Bob Quinn]

I've heard some talk of ozone generators.... I bought one but haven't used it yet so can't give feedback.

 

[Chasemmc]

I have ozone generators. A large one, which we use when we are leaving the boat in the lower passageway. It has a timer that allows us to set for up to 4 hours. Sometimes placed in the bilge for a cycle (no bilge smell afterwards)

Then we have two small ones which look like plug in room deodorizers. We put them in the heads, with the doors open when we are off the boat. No odor, no mildew.

I'll take a picture of the box when I'm up at the boat again in a few days.

 

[brettportzer]

I bought the small yellow ozone generator that CWW linked us to in a former thread.

Used it maybe twice earlier in the season and it was a help.

That and all of the cleaning I have been doing over the last couple of years has really lessened the weird boat smells.