Smelly Toilet help (Vetus pump out)

[Lanners]

Hi, we have an electric Vetus pump out toilet which has started to stink a fair bit lately (its 8 months old)

 

I was going to add a head treatment to help with the smell like this:

http://www.force4.co.uk/681/Force-4-HEAD-CLEANING-SYSTEM.html

 

As I started to fit it, I realised that it could back wash and get into the water system.

Will a simple one way valve do the trick or are these just for manual pump toilets?

 

Also, can anyone recommend any other decent treatments for pump out bogs? - or is this smell something we just have to put up with?

The holding tank is in our spare room, but its so pongy we have to keep the door shut and not use the room.

 

Any advice / tips would be greatly received.

 

Cheers

 

Toby.

[mattlad]

Have you got any flexible hoses between the loo and the tank? They have a habit of going porous causing nasty niffs to occur. Replace them, preferably with rigid plastic piping if you can.

 

Or else fit a cassette!......... Coat!

[Lanners]

Yes, proper vetus flexi hose as fitted by the boat builder.

 

Do you think they could have failed after just a few months? - We tried wiping them with a damp cloth, and smelling the cloth - no smell

[KJT]

If the smell is confined to the room containing the tank then it does suggest either a leak of some sort or maybe from the vent pipe if it is in the same location.

Some installations have a charcoal filter in the vent to remove smells. Maybe you have one fitted and it needs replacing, but this is unlikely after just eight months.

 

There are some good additives available to put into the tank to prevent such smells. We use 'bio toilet fluid' as a precharge for the tank and 'blue away' toilet cleaner for the loo itself which work very well. They encourage the natural bacteria that break down the contents without producing bad smells. They are both marketed by the New Blue Loo company and available from many chandlers.

 

Ken

[Grace and Favour]

We have a pump out, (now 4 years old) and it has never smelled unpleasant.

 

We use a measure of Odorloss concentrate, and teaspoonful of bakers yeast to dose the empty tank (every time)

[mattlad]

At the risk of sounding like I'm asking a daft question, you haven't allowed it to overfill?

[Lanners]

G&F - Bakers yeast! thats a new one... I heard biological washing powder worked so used to use that, but it didnt rid me of the smell.

How much Odorlos do you use? our tank is 200 liters I think, the products Ive seen seem to be for cassette toilets so would need to use a whole one every time we pump out which would cost a fortune over a year.

 

Mattlad - It overfilled once (in the first month of ownership) it was seeping out of the inspection / plug on top of the tank (plug about 15cm wide) we cleaned / bleached and sealed with silicone. I also checked all the hoses and tightened the jubilee clips, and have also enclosed the tank with MDF boards (apart from the back which I couldn't get to)

 

We have the carbon breather filter thing, but that is in a different room and doesnt smell at all, do I need to check / clear the breather pipe on the outside of the boat perhaps?

 

determined to get this thing sorted!

[bottle]

 

do I need to check / clear the breather pipe

 

Yes. especially as you have had an overfill

[Glynn]

We battled for over a year with our's and recently ripped it out and replaced it with a cassette.

One thing to bear in mind is DONT start putting all sorts of different chemicals in it in order to combat the smell.

This only leads to disaster, if what you used when it didnt smell worked, then it should work again.

You probably have a leak somewhere or a blocked vent pipe or the vent pipe may be holding liquid thus stopping airflow.

Check all your Uniseals are in tight and they haven't cocked over this can cause air leaks.

 

Good luck.

[mrscloudinspector]

We had smells from the holding tank when we bought our boat. We started using Odorlos after every pump out and now suffer no nasty whiffs. I would also suggest pumping out before the tank is full and giving it a good rinse with clean water every time. This regime works for us. Our tank is 360 litres and we use 100ml of odorlos each time. we liveaboard and the tank does at least a month between pump outs.

[Grace and Favour]

Lanners: We too use 100ml per dose (of Odorlos) , ( :- a litre bottle lasts us a year)

 

(and the teaspoon of yeast)

 

 

Smell free tank, although, apparently, that cannot be said of me after a vindaloo

[Starcoaster]

Yes, proper vetus flexi hose as fitted by the boat builder.

 

Do you think they could have failed after just a few months? - We tried wiping them with a damp cloth, and smelling the cloth - no smell

 

I have never had a pump out so I have no direct wisdom, but I do recall Biggles having this exact same issue with brand new good quality flexible hose in his self build, also within a year, so yes it seems to be a common thing!

He might spot this post at some point but if not, drop him a PM, I vaguely recall he replaced the hose with pipe though!

[nb Innisfree]

We have a polypropylene tank so is odour free but the flexi pipes can whiff, we cured it by making sure the flush cycle leaves clean water in the macerator and pipes. Downside is more pump outs needed but not a prob if tank is big enough.

[STIG]

If you have marine sanitation hose, this is very prone to leaching an aweful smell, either do as already suggested and replace with solid pipes or you could cover them with plumbers foil, comes on a roll either from your local builders merchant or screwfix

[BlueStringPudding]

 

Yes. especially as you have had an overfill

So how do you "check" the breather pipe? Is it a case of poking a stick down it from the outside? (Visions of that episode of Father Ted with the pootanker spring to mind) or would there be some sort of filter in it that could get damaged by doing that?

[Bod]

Have you got any flexible hoses between the loo and the tank? They have a habit of going porous causing nasty niffs to occur. Replace them, preferably with rigid plastic piping if you can.

 

Or else fit a cassette!......... Coat!

If you fit rigid pipe, ensure that the pump can be or is above the tank.

This helps with "maintenance tasks" that really require the pipe to be empty!!!!

 

Bod

 

Ps plenty of flushing water particularly just before leaving the boat, will ensure that no " contents" are left to fester in low lying parts of the system.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Bod

[Biggles]

Yes, proper vetus flexi hose as fitted by the boat builder.

 

Do you think they could have failed after just a few months? - We tried wiping them with a damp cloth, and smelling the cloth - no smell

 

I most definitely can. I had to throw mine out after 14 months of part time use.

 

Blog Linky

Edited August 20, 2013 by Biggles

[Lanners]

Thanks everyone,

 

Have ordered some Orodlos and off to a bakers to buy some yeast - Grace & Favour - do you just mix it with water and flush down after pumpout?

 

And does anyone know how to check / clean breather pipes? - I was thinking about putting a hose down / over it, and mabee a mix of water and odorlos when it arrives. It has a grev vetus over so I assume you can prise it off?

 

Cheers,

 

Toby.

[Sir Nibble]

Mine was a vetus and I got rid of it because it didn't work and it smelt. When removing it I found a second inspection cover on the bottom of the tank and it was leaking! The idea that proper sewage pipes "leach" smell amazed me and so far as I am concerned that's it, if sewage pipes allow smells out they are not fit for purpose, end of.

[Lanners]

Biggles, great tips on your blog, I really dont want to have to replace all the pipework, but good to know it only took you around 4 hours to do.

I would have to rip out some tiling to do this so am trying to avoid!

Oh no! a second hatch! scary....I'll add to my expanding check list...

 

I just cant believe that Vetus would supply a sanitary pipe for a tiolet that is not fit for purpose. mind you, they also do a bow thruster that you can only use for 3 mins per hour so.........

[Lanners]

And does anyone know how to check / clean breather pipes? - I was thinking about putting a hose down / over it, and mabee a mix of water and odorlos when it arrives. It has a grev vetus over so I assume you can prise it off?

[Biggles]

Biggles, great tips on your blog, I really dont want to have to replace all the pipework, but good to know it only took you around 4 hours to do.

I would have to rip out some tiling to do this so am trying to avoid!

Oh no! a second hatch! scary....I'll add to my expanding check list...

 

I just cant believe that Vetus would supply a sanitary pipe for a tiolet that is not fit for purpose. mind you, they also do a bow thruster that you can only use for 3 mins per hour so.........

 

 

I took it up with vetus and the response was, along the lines of its a consumable product and needs replacing sooner or later. IMO not fit for purpose. However the BT is great and 3 minutes an hour is a massive amount of BT use. I doubt I use it more than 3 minutes a month when out. Seldom in more than a few seconds a burst.

[Chris83]

Glad to see this post- I was just about to start one exactly the same.

 

I have a vetus pump out, and it stinks!

 

To the point of one cupboard in the bedroom (tank under bed) is unusable.

 

The best I can describe the smell as is rubbery poo!

 

I've tried blue, oderless, and chemical free. When I get pump out the tank is washed 4 times!

 

When I 1st bought the bought, the tank had never been drained- once it was full the previous pumped into the river hamble...

I've suspected it to be the pipes 'breathing' as replaced the carbon filter etc.

 

My next move will be to replace all the pipes with solid ones.

Should have also said- I have genuine vetus pipe work.

[Lanners]

 

 

I took it up with vetus and the response was, along the lines of its a consumable product and needs replacing sooner or later. IMO not fit for purpose. However the BT is great and 3 minutes an hour is a massive amount of BT use. I doubt I use it more than 3 minutes a month when out. Seldom in more than a few seconds a burst.

Yes, but my point is for the price tag, you should be able to use it all day if you wanted

Glad to see this post- I was just about to start one exactly the same.

 

I have a vetus pump out, and it stinks!

 

To the point of one cupboard in the bedroom (tank under bed) is unusable.

 

The best I can describe the smell as is rubbery poo!

 

I've tried blue, oderless, and chemical free. When I get pump out the tank is washed 4 times!

 

When I 1st bought the bought, the tank had never been drained- once it was full the previous pumped into the river hamble...

I've suspected it to be the pipes 'breathing' as replaced the carbon filter etc.

 

My next move will be to replace all the pipes with solid ones.

Should have also said- I have genuine vetus pipe work.

I would say more like rubbery poo with B.O!.....

Where did you get the new carbon filter from?

[Chris83]

Took me bloody ages to find one, looked online etc- then my local chandlers had one in ordered by mistake- £10. Result.

 

Was slightly damp in the housing, so I wonder if I have a blocked pipe there as well.

 

Once I had the correct name- was easy to find.

 

They do small and large.

 

Vetus No-Smell Filter Elements

 

http://www.chandleryworld.co.uk/catalogue/vetus-spare-filter-element-for-small-no-smell-filter_p8778-2919.html

 

 

http://marinestore.co.uk/Vetus_Replacement_Element_For_Vetus_No_Smell_Filter_NSF.html

 

 

http://www.abcstore.co.uk/Vetus-Equipment-Spares/Elements-for-no-smell-&-bilge-water-filters/p-188-617/

 

http://www.vetusdirect.com/no-smell-filter-elements/

Edited August 21, 2013 by Chris83