Smell source on Hunter 405

[karenmmc]

Anyone have any ideas about where a "bad" smell comes from on a Hunter 405? I've tried to locate the source, but can't quite pinpoint it. I smell it worst when I walk down the companionway steps. It smells almost like sewage, but not terribly so....

This is what I've done:

-pumped out the holding tank, flushed with significant amounts of water, pumped out again.

-put bacteria treatment the head

-cleaned out shower sumps, left disinfectant in sumps

-ran enormous amounts of water thru the bilge

-put 1 gallon bleach in bilge, let set overnight

Cleaning out the bilge seemed to help alot, but I still get a "whiff" now and then. Any ideas? Thanks, Karen

[Gallivanters]

Have you checked the bottom of your shoe?

The baby's diaper?

Mouse Trap?

Dirty Neighbours?

Underpants?

Wind Shift?

Wild Weekend?

Fridge accidently turned off?

Scared?

Shoes in cockpit?

Perhaps it's just the fact that she's a Hunter!... just kidding.

Really.

First glimpse of odors always occur when coming down the ladder and those kinds of odors often originate from a shower that drains into an oily bilge instead of a dedicated sump.

Cats often get blamed.

Suggest you try using vinegar to wash out bilge. Bleach after that.

If all else fails... bring flowers!

Happy Hunting,

Kirk

[Swagman]

It sounds as if you've some water trapped somewhere below decks - not uncommon when they contruct in plastic and use moulded keel webs and stringers.

Suggest first place to look is where the fridge(s) drain out. If you've the front opening model you can be sure there is a drain pipe going somewhere......

If the bilge is dry maybe check out behind the furniture higher up in the boat (but still inside the hull). If you've had water enter via the deck or other fittings, or got some in the bilge when sailing, and then sailed at an extreme angle - water may be laying in a pocket higher up and just going off.

If none of the above works can only recommend leaving some undiluted nice smelling cleaner in the bilge, and taking it for a sail to see if you can get that cleaer into the same spots the water is trapped.

Good luck

JOHN

[Auzzee]

If the pong is only a recent development, it could be a deceased rodent...You could check for fecal evidence in your galley cupboards. A general rule is if something stinks like poop...It probably is exactly that. Check the holding tank pong pipe isn't blocked by a wasp's nest or similar.

[karenmmc]

Thanks for the ideas, several I hadn't though of are good possibilities....enjoyed Kirk's suggestions (the fellow in the next slip would probably take offense!) Karen

[AndrewF]

One source that I think get's over looked at lot in the galley sink drain - they can get very nasty. we need to pull ours apart every 6 months or so for a degreasing

Best of luck

[Fred R]

Karen...all good ideas... Hunters??? Don't let them bulls--t you...all boats get that smell...you gotta follow your nose.

Check all drains, shower sumps are the prime culprit...

When all else fails, buy FabBreese (sp?)

My Cal 2-46's shower dumped into the bilge and I dumped 1/2 gallon of Chlorox in every day!!!!! Took awhile but the smell was history.

If the traps in the sinks are correct, there will be no smells. The holding tank could have a leak....I think that smell would easy to follow...

Let me know when you find the source...Dead rodent?? Good Luck...

fred

[karenmmc]

Thanks - I thought about putting bleach in the bilge more often - but was concerned that might not be a good idea. Is there any harm in this?

(I'm not affected by the "Hunter" comments - I expect them on this board!!!) Karen

[JeanneP]

We had a problem with a fish getting sucked into the water intake for the head. It stayed and rotted inside the bowl (not where it's flushed, the inner part of the entire commode), and it just smelled all the time. Peter wound up running a caustic soda solution from the outside intake through the entire system. (Caustic soda, most common brand name Drano). It is dangerous stuff and can burn any skin it touches, so great care must be taken. Best to mix with water (wear safety glasses, please!), jam a hose into the water intake, put other end in the bucket with the c.soda solution, and have somebody inside pump the head. Careful inside, too! If any splashes on you, flood with water. But be VERY careful not to let any splash into your eyes.

I hope it's a simpler problem than above so you don't have to go through this exercise.

[Fred R]

jeanne and karen....Care is the word....

Draino is nasty....does it eat up the rubber seals in the head???

My head, after many rebuilds, still stunk!

Bit the bullet and bought a new one ...smells were gone....

Headed due East out of the inlet for 50 nm headed north and home,

Gave the head to Neptune...It was the best ceremony since the fourth.

fred

[Bedouin]

I once had a really bad smell from the head though it was cleaned and incomming water seemed clear the smell stayed. I eventually found two decaying prawns in the water pick up hose. Cleaned the hose a the smell was gone. Anywhere water can accumulate is a possible smellarator!! Let us know what you find.

Regards

Peter Yacht BEDOUIN

[BJSmith]

Could be the galley sink tailpiece/pipe. Every month I close the thru hull and pour boiling soapy water in to the drain.. let is sit for 5 minutes and then flush it out with fresh water. Usually does the job. Make sure your sink drain hose is rated for engine exhaust duty.

[Trim50]

I have found that the best thing to do is "become one with the smell" that your boat produces. Learn to love and cherrish the stinch a.k.a. "Boat Smell".

[Swagman]

Originally Posted by name='Converted Post'

Originally posted by Trim50

I have found that the best thing to do is "become one with the smell" that your boat produces. Learn to love and cherrish the stinch a.k.a. "Boat Smell".

Reminds me of the sewage worker who went for a day trip to the coast and getting off the train - breathed deeply of the sea air - and fainted.

They had to throw a bucket of poo over his face to bring him round.

JOHN

[karenmmc]

We have such a group of comedians!!

I saw the new activity on this post and had to chime in....I was originally OK with "becoming one with the smell", but the following made it necessary to figure this thing out:

visitors

underway

little rough seas (not for us, but for visitors)

visitors needing to go to the head underway

visitors green upon returning from head

visitors extremely green at/off the stern rail(luckily)

visitors statement that it might have been OK, but the smell finally did them in!

So, in order for the boat to be a happier place, we decided that much more investigation must be done and a FINAL SOLUTION rendered.

The real problem was that we couldn't really figure out where the smell was coming from. It was certainly bad when you first entered the boat. Sometimes you'd just get a strong whiff. We accessed the holding tank area - no leaks or identifiable smells there....the heads were sparkling clean and disinfected. Again, you weren't smelling anything specific actually in the heads. The galley sink drain smelled fresh. We actually dry the last bit of water left in the shower sump before leaving, so that was not the source. The leftover bilge water is clear and non-offensive.

This is what the final solution ended up being - not sure which actually fixed the problem:

replaced aft head completely (was hard to pump and a rebuild kit was about 1/2 price of a whole new head - so, what the heck...)

replaced joker valve on forward head

now - what we think was really the culprit - ugh [xx(] we replaced all of the sanitation hoses with the pricey "odorsafe" hoses. What a yucky job!! We suggest that anyone attempting this have something on hand to plug the open ends thouroughly!! The boat is 10 yrs old and this was probably the first time this has been done although I'm not positive.

Oh, and we also did the following:

checked the bottom of our shoes - what shoes? the 10yr goal is no shoes and no shirts!

checked the baby's diaper - what baby? the 10 yr goal is for the baby to have his OWN baby and come visit us somewhere warm!

Mouse Trap - brought the cat

Dirty Neighbours - we've "become one with those"

Underpants - what underpants? - again, the 10 yr goal is not to have them!

Wind Shift - checked that - just gives a change in which "neighbor" is involved

Wild Weekend - checked that and must say there was one and will probably continue to happen!

Fridge accidently turned off - blasphemy! then the cold beer would not be pleasant!

Scared - yes, but let's call that "respectful of nature"

Shoes in cockpit - nope, read above

Perhaps it's just the fact that she's a Hunter! Oh, now that was cruel - you know I won't be on this boat for the 10 yr plan!!

Can't blame the cat because she wasn't there until we were looking for the mouse!

And finally, I did bring flowers!

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Karen

[Trim50]

Yep...great call on the hoses. When we changed all of our hoses to Odorsafe, most all of our boat smells were eliminated. Something else that helps enormously is the use of vinager when you plan to leave your boat for long periods. This helps to breakdown uric acid crystals which apparently react with sea water to produce hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) that permeates through the less expensive hoses.

Personally, I enjoy the first whiff when I open my boat after a few weeks away...I also love the smell of diesel fumes. I guess I'm sick that way. However, they say that smell is the strongest sense associated with memory...and I love all the memories of being on the boat.