Installing holding tank odor filter

[Pitou]

For a breath of frsh air at the helm or in the cockpit when the head is flushed as the displacement of air from the holding tank can be less than pleasant I suggest the installation of an inline odor filter in the holding tank vent line.

As I have the engine box model I can guide you for that situation.

On the deck below the footrest at the helm is a removable deck panel which is screwed down and may have sealant around its perimeter. Once removed you should see the hot water tank forward and holding tank aft. Follow the hose leading from the top of the holding tank up and out to the vent. Remove a section of the hose the same length as the filter and insert the barbs from each end of the filter and secure using hose clamps. I removed the bottom from a couple of foam drink koozies and slid them over the filter 1st, this prevents any loose vibration noise from the filter rubbing against the gunnels. My vent hose was 5/8".

Happy to snap pics if you would like. And if you haven't learned by now ... being a contortionist helps!

[joe.baar]

Kevin,
My '95 Engine Box doesn't have that deck plate under the helm. I've been thinking about putting one in and just one little photo showing how yours is sized and shaped would be a great help. Thanks much,

[chiefrcd]

Been thinking of it too..I read some article on line about installing this and there was some negative feed back regarding the filter not letting sufficient O2 into the system to allow the "good" bacteria to work. There is also a risk that you allow the system to get too full thus stopping up the filter resulting in the same issue, not enough "good" bacteria. I'd sure be interested in how well it works.
I've found that you can't leave crap just laying around too long....too long seems to be more than a week or 10 days. I solved most of my problems by flushing out the tank several times and putting in Odorlos. This seems to work very well as long as you don't leave the tank un-pumped for more than a couple of weeks. I know the salt water that flushes the system will cause a lot of bad odor when you first run it out of the hose. I'm not convinced that this causes the "tank" odor that you get out of the vent by the helm window. My vote so far is to keep the tank as clean as you can, don't allow sewage to stay in the tank too long and use Odorlos to promote the "good" bacteria.

[DrNickS]

For a breath of frsh air at the helm or in the cockpit when the head is flushed as the displacement of air from the holding tank can be less than pleasant I suggest the installation of an inline odor filter in the holding tank vent line.

That was my next project. Thanks for the advice, Kevin. Did you get the filter from West Marine?

[RobS]

I use Odorlos too, no odors.... plus I use fresh water for the last flushes of the day for when she's gonna sit for a few days...

[Pitou]

All good points of discussion. I prefer the filter not so much for #1, but #2.
I use the sanigard filter which I purchase at Defender Industries and replace the cartridge every other year. I have found West Marine Spearment Head & Holding Tank Treatment along with the filter .... no odors period in the head or from the vent. Before hand forget it. I'll continue my regiment / it works for me. Even when that tank steams for a week all is good.

Joe ... I snapped some pics of the access panel for you. You will notice the molded lip which supports the panel. It sounds like Albin listened or caught on and added this in later years. Going through the center hatch can be done, but ........



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Vent forward of mid-ship cleat
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Vent hose top outward sidewall on tank leading to filter


Filter w/ maroon koozies for vibration dampening leading to vent at mid-ship cleat
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[DrNickS]

Thanks for posting these photos, Kevin. They are good enough for a PBS series, "This Old Potty" if you can get an agent. Seriously, I have been trying to figure out how to get access and I have exactly the same odor issues with my head (my boat head).

Did you recaulk or just use a gasket upon reassembly? The access panel would not leak any more than the cockpit hatches do. They are poorly sealed themselves. Not caulking would make future access easier I assume.

Honk if you pass my slip at Cape Ann Marina. I am between the two 36' Grady Whites each of which have three (3) 250hp Ya'Mama engines. They must burn about 80 GPH @ WOT.

Thanks again for the photos,

[Pitou]

The digital with the crisp LCD viewer sure makes life easier.

I just scored the sealant with a razor knife and removed the screws and that's how she stays. It lays back in pretty well .... not perfect, I lay a small pice of carpet over it which helps, you can see that in the 3rd photo.

The red box you see through the access is my 8D house battery box and the hot water tank is behind it outboard. I check my wet cell batteries every couple of weeks or so and having the panel loose makes it more convenient and sure to be done. I check often because my fridge is 12 volt DC only and when on shore power the battery charger is pretty much always trickling.

I 1st spotted your hull at Cape Ann when passing by to the Blynman a couple of seasons back. If I see life I'll be sure to make some noise!

[joe.baar]

Kevin,
These photos are really superb, thanks so much. I've taken note of the opening's lip, which I'd probably reconstruct using other material just to stabilize the edges.

Yah, no caulking. If the boat's in danger of flooding through this opening and sinking then you have some other far more pressing issues. Likely the few screws are more than enough to damp out rattles. If it wasn't such a pain to align everything so it stays perfectly flush I'd consider hinging the panel but then it'd probably be in the way when you put your head into the hole. Thanks again, Kevin.

[rangoons]

I wanted to thank everyone especially Kevin for all his help. My access panel is on the deck only and does not give access to the side like Kevins. I am going to try the odorlos first and see if it helps. If not it might be a couple of weeks before I can work on the boat to install the filter
BECAUSE.........
I'm sure no one else has done this but on Sunday after we docked I heard a bilge pump running and not shut itself off. I opened the hatch door to look into the bilge. My friend called my name, I stood up looked at him and then turned back around and took a step with my right foot down into the bilge. I'm on my way to a 4:00 doctors appointment because I'm still in serious pain.

[DrNickS]

took a step with my right foot down into the bilge. I'm on my way to a 4:00 doctors appointment because I'm still in serious pain.

Sorry to hear about your injury and inability to access the holding tank vent. But since the topic of pain and injury came up let me tell you about my installation of the Sanigard air filter in the holding tank vent hose. Kevin has been so helpful with his description of the process but he left out one important detail...how big is Kevin??? I am small (5'6") and had trouble getting in, then trouble getting out. Hose clamp cuts and fiberglass abrasions are healing well and hardly bleeding any longer.

It reminded me of childbirth - mine. My knees were up against my chin, I could hear water sloshing around and muffled voices cheering me on as I emerged wet, sweaty, tired, gasping for breath and crying. My first words were, "I'm not going back in there again." Then, just as I remember from my day of birth, someone slapped me on the butt and handed me a bottle. I drank it and cooed.

Next, we flushed the head. No odor at all even with our noses in close proximity of the vent. Thank you again, Kevin for the great advice and best wishes for a speedy recovery to Rangoons.

[Pitou]

Okay ... here goes .... as I said being a contortionist helps. Doing anyting in a 28TE below deck is brutal. I feel like I'm signing up for match.com ...
5'9" ... 190 lbs ... waist 36" ... chest 44" .... mouth : foul ... when in the bilge!

[Denis]

Just a question, but for those of us with no access panel to aid in the installation of the filter is there anything stopping you from cutting into the vent line closer to the holding tank where it is more accessable, then installing a coupling and another piece of hose and running it closer to the access hatch. You can mount the vent filter up against the underside of the floor, then another piece of new hose to another coupling connecting to the outside vent. As long as there are no dips in the line does that sound like it would work? That would at least make future filter changes much easier. D.

[DrNickS]

is there anything stopping you from cutting into the vent line closer to the holding tank where it is more accessable D.

Denis, that is exactly what I did. I cut out a section of the existing hose, attached a 90 degree coupling to each cut end and ran a hose to the filter. I wanted to make it easier for my wife to change the filter in the future.

KevinS is 5'9" and longer arms would have come in handy for me. The most difficult maneuver was reaching the existing set up to make the cut. I would not cut out an 18" section to accommodate the filter. Instead, cut near the halfway point and you will have two pieces of hose to pull toward you to a more convenient location, closer to the access panel opening. Then attach the couplings and mount under the deck somewhere. On my boat the barbs on the fittings that came with the filter made it difficult to insert so I shaved them a bit. Good luck.

[Denis]

As long as I can do something like that I may get to it myself. I also wish I could put a larger vent on the outside of the boat, it seems a bit too small for the application. Not enough fresh air in especially when having it pumped out, I am afraid there is a vaccuum. Thanks for the pictures. D