Bad smell

[Bobbybass]

Hi all.

This is a 'loo' topic.....sorry.

 

My pump out system was purchased from Lee San and fitted a year ago.

It is a macerator which goes to a holding tank under the bed.

There is a strange smell from it that builds up over several days ..under the bed...and becomes quite unpleasant.

It is not a 'sulphurous' smell...whcih has happened a few times and comes from the breather vent..rather...it is a sort of mustady smell...which leads me to think that its not gas escaping from joints. I assume if gas was escaping from joints it would smell sulphurous as well ?

All joints have double clips and I have also built up silicon seal around them in case they are leaking.

All atempts to locate the 'smell' point have proved negative....its as if...the smell is coming off the flexible pipes themselves.

I'm really running out of ideas now....

Is it possible for flexible hoses to give off this type of smell ?

 

Thanks.

 

Bob

[Gibbo]

Have you used any chemcal toilet cleaners?

 

A lot of them react with the flexible pipes, the plastic breaks down and the sewage smells comes through them. It results in a strange "tangy" smell. If this is what has happened then the only solution is to replace the pipes.

 

Gibbo

[Guest steve jenkin]

the pipes do smell, even the good ones. i put dettol into me toilet now and again, seems to work, smothers the smell lol

[Gibbo]

the pipes do smell, even the good ones.

 

Er, I''ve never noticed them smelling............

 

i put dettol into me toilet now and again, seems to work, smothers the smell lol

 

.......until someone puts chemical cleaners in them.

 

 

Gibbo

[churchward]

The ONLY things that should go in the loo is whatever has passed through you and yours plus whatever loo chemical you use such as "blue" or Bio magic etc. Any use of domestic chemical/bleach based product WILL make the loo smell and for quite a long time even if you stop using the bleach etc.

[nb Innisfree]

We had the same problem, solved it by making sure the pipes don't have any residue in them by flushing well, though this means shorter periods between pumpouts it's well worth it. Seems smell comes from bacteria developing on the walls of piping. So called odour tight pipes don't really live up to their name, better than standard but still need to be kept clean

[Gibbo]

Warble Narrowboats, one of the top names in the game (before they got bought out by Lees and turned into a turb-boat builder) refused to use that flexible pipe. Instead they used solvent weld plumbing pipe. Never had a smell on one of their boats.

 

Gibbo

[alan_fincher]

The ONLY things that should go in the loo is whatever has passed through you and yours plus whatever loo chemical you use such as "blue" or Bio magic etc.

Now where have we heard that before ?

 

I know some of those who have lived in foreign parts are happy to put soiled toilet paper into a separate bin, but I can't say it's anything I could live with, whatever they do in other countries.

[Sir Nibble]

I had pretty well the same problem. I had so many problems with my jabsco sea toilet that I eventually tore it out and replaced it with a porta potti. When I removed the holding tank I found an inspection plate on the bottom as well as the top, and it was leaking ever so slightly. The smell is difficult to describe but sounds like the same.

[Tony Brooks]

We had the same problem, solved it by making sure the pipes don't have any residue in them by flushing well, though this means shorter periods between pumpouts it's well worth it. Seems smell comes from bacteria developing on the walls of piping. So called odour tight pipes don't really live up to their name, better than standard but still need to be kept clean

 

Also make sure the pipe runs is such that no effluent can lie in the pipe. It should drain by gravity either back to the loo or into the tank.

[Gary Peacock]

Have a smell at the hoses if proper sanitation hose is not used the smell can get through or a strange reaction can take place that makes the hose actually start to smell very strange.

[churchward]

Now where have we heard that before ?

 

I know some of those who have lived in foreign parts are happy to put soiled toilet paper into a separate bin, but I can't say it's anything I could live with, whatever they do in other countries.

Indeed. I experienced that in Brazil can't say I liked the idea!

 

Loo paper I guess is the only exception I should have mentioned. Normally the cheaper the loo paper the quicker it breaks down. The expensive fluffy stuff for the most pampered and sensitive of rears is not so good for the loo although a macerator will help.

[Bobbybass]

Hi again..

 

I'm going to answer my own question here...as it may be to the benefit of other 'sufferers'.

 

I made myself a smellometer ( 18 inch piece of ordinary 15mm plastic pipe so I could sniff about an locate the niff)

 

It wasn't coming from any of the joints it was definately the LeeSan felxible pipe.

I wrapped the LeeSan (low odour by the way !!) flexible pipe tightly in thick aluminium foil/tape l and the smell was all but gone.

I then peeled a bit right in the middle of a flexible pipe run and sniffed...and yuk....

 

So it is definately the Leesan flexible pipe...so thank you LeeSan...I will take it all out at the end of the season and replace with ordinary solvent weld plumbing pipe !!

 

Hope this helps other sufferers and saves an abortive installation.

 

Bob

[RLWP]

I'm going to answer my own question here...as it may be to the benefit of other 'sufferers'.

 

I made myself a smellometer ( 18 inch piece of ordinary 15mm plastic pipe so I could sniff about an locate the niff)

 

So it is definately the Leesan flexible pipe.

 

Bob

 

Ingenious! Well done.

 

Richard

 

You must be a Master of sniffology...

[WotEver]

You must be a Master of sniffology...

 

Bobby should put that in his sig

[Gibbo]

So it is definately the Leesan flexible pipe...so thank you LeeSan.....

 

I think you (or someone) has put toilet cleaner down it (Toilet Duck etc).

 

You only have to do it ONCE. The pipe will then stink for ever more.

 

Gibbo

[Bobbybass]

Thanks Gibbo...but no.

 

There is only my wife and myself on board and we were well aware of what would happen if we EVER used such products.....

We don't even have toilet Duck etc onboard.

The only thing that ever went down the loo was Leesans' own recommended products and thats all we have on board.

 

Bob

[nb Innisfree]

Hi all.

This is a 'loo' topic.....sorry.

 

My pump out system was purchased from Lee San and fitted a year ago.

It is a macerator which goes to a holding tank under the bed.

There is a strange smell from it that builds up over several days ..under the bed...and becomes quite unpleasant.

It is not a 'sulphurous' smell...whcih has happened a few times and comes from the breather vent..rather...it is a sort of mustady smell...which leads me to think that its not gas escaping from joints. I assume if gas was escaping from joints it would smell sulphurous as well ?

All joints have double clips and I have also built up silicon seal around them in case they are leaking.

All atempts to locate the 'smell' point have proved negative....its as if...the smell is coming off the flexible pipes themselves.

I'm really running out of ideas now....

Is it possible for flexible hoses to give off this type of smell ?

 

Thanks.

 

Bob

 

Forgot to mention, on our Leesan macerator toilet there is a non-return valve on top of the pipe coming out of the toilet pan, this seems to be there to release any air trapped in the top of the bend. On ours it seems to stick slightly and release odours so I placed a length of 1" flexi pipe over it and took it up, curved it back down and teed it into the basin waste pipe. Worked a treat

[matty40s]

here's a quote from my survey last year

 

A polypropylene black water holding tank is fitted. Plumbing and ventilation is in hose and sewage odour is evident ( sniff test). A flexible hose is an open molecular structure and will thus become permeable to odour in time. Reccomendations - re-plumb in rigid solvent weld ABS or PVC piping, or less ideally, replace with sanitation grade hoses.

 

 

 

FYI, I added the sniff test bit

Edited June 26, 2009 by matty40s

[blackrose]

Now where have we heard that before ?

 

I know some of those who have lived in foreign parts are happy to put soiled toilet paper into a separate bin, but I can't say it's anything I could live with, whatever they do in other countries.

So let's get this straight, you don't mind seeing and smelling the family's rancid sh*t pouring out of your cassette as you empty it, but you can't handle a bit of soiled toilet paper in a small pedal bin lined with a plastic bag?

That's absurd.

Edited June 27, 2009 by blackrose

[blackrose]

here's a quote from my survey last year

 

A polypropylene black water holding tank is fitted. Plumbing and ventilation is in hose and sewage odour is evident ( sniff test). A flexible hose is an open molecular structure and will thus become permeable to odour in time. Reccomendations - re-plumb in rigid solvent weld ABS or PVC piping, or less ideally, replace with sanitation grade hoses.

It very much depends on WHICH type of flexible pipe has been used. Proper flexible sanitary grade hose is a laminate with a barrier layer. Mine has been in for 4 years and does not smell.

Edited June 27, 2009 by blackrose

[nb Innisfree]

It very much depends on WHICH type of flexible pipe has been used. Proper flexible sanitary grade hose is a laminate with a barrier layer. Mine has been in for 4 years and does not smell.

 

Ours is Leesan sanitary hose(the white stuff) and will smell if not kept flushed with clean water. Perhaps it depends on the make?

[blackrose]

Ours is Leesan sanitary hose(the white stuff) and will smell if not kept flushed with clean water. Perhaps it depends on the make?

Perhaps it does. Mine is Vetus

[GeoffS]

I inherited a SaniMarin 31 supplied by Leesan and the documentation clearly states than any household toilet cleaner and bleach can be used!