Peggie,

The boat we just bought has been laid up on shore for six years. The
poly holding tank looked very clean when I inspected it and the boat
was always in fresh water. It was also used continuously for ten years
before being laid up. I know I have to lube and renovate the head.

Here's the question:

Will all the nasties have died in the last six years or are they just
lying dormant in permeated hoses and other places waiting to blossom
into life as soon as the salt water hits. I'm planning a complete
replacement of everything but hoping I can get through this season
without handing out clothespins for the crew's noses.


--

Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
Peggie,

Will all the nasties have died in the last six years or are they just
lying dormant in permeated hoses and other places waiting to blossom
into life as soon as the salt water hits.

One way to find out: it's not salt water that'll "wake up" any permeated
hoses...it's warmth. So you can find out very quickly whether the hoses
have become permeated if you can warm up the areas they pass through.

I'm planning a complete
replacement of everything but hoping I can get through this season
without handing out clothespins for the crew's noses.

If the hoses do stink, wrapping them in Saran Wrap (only Saran, not Glad
or any other brand..Saran is the only wrap that's totally
odor-impermeable) should provide enough of a "band aid" solution to keep
things bearable for a single season. Just be sure to wrap every inch of
hose...secure it with duct tape or electrical tape.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

Great idea! Thanks.

I'll try to remember to let you know how it smells so you'll have a
datapoint on hoses that have dried for six years.

Wouldn't it be easier to just saran warp the nostrils?

--

Roger Long



"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
...


Roger Long wrote:
Peggie,

Will all the nasties have died in the last six years or are they
just lying dormant in permeated hoses and other places waiting to
blossom into life as soon as the salt water hits.

One way to find out: it's not salt water that'll "wake up" any
permeated hoses...it's warmth. So you can find out very quickly
whether the hoses have become permeated if you can warm up the areas
they pass through.

I'm planning a complete replacement of everything but hoping I can
get through this season without handing out clothespins for the
crew's noses.

If the hoses do stink, wrapping them in Saran Wrap (only Saran, not
Glad or any other brand..Saran is the only wrap that's totally
odor-impermeable) should provide enough of a "band aid" solution to
keep things bearable for a single season. Just be sure to wrap every
inch of hose...secure it with duct tape or electrical tape.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems
and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Great idea! Thanks.

I'll try to remember to let you know how it smells so you'll have a
datapoint on hoses that have dried for six years.

Wouldn't it be easier to just saran warp the nostrils?

--

Roger Long



"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
...


Roger Long wrote:
Peggie,

Will all the nasties have died in the last six years or are they just
lying dormant in permeated hoses and other places waiting to blossom
into life as soon as the salt water hits.

One way to find out: it's not salt water that'll "wake up" any permeated
hoses...it's warmth. So you can find out very quickly whether the hoses
have become permeated if you can warm up the areas they pass through.

I'm planning a complete replacement of everything but hoping I can get
through this season without handing out clothespins for the crew's
noses.

If the hoses do stink, wrapping them in Saran Wrap (only Saran, not Glad
or any other brand..Saran is the only wrap that's totally
odor-impermeable) should provide enough of a "band aid" solution to keep
things bearable for a single season. Just be sure to wrap every inch of
hose...secure it with duct tape or electrical tape.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1


One way to find out: it's not salt water that'll "wake up" any permeated

hoses...it's warmth. So you can find out very quickly whether the hoses
have become permeated if you can warm up the areas they pass through.

If the boat has been laid up for 6 years I would think everything has dried
out pretty well.
Don't see how nasties are going to wake up if everything is totally dry?
Why not fill the system with 10% bleach, let it sit for a few days and then
flush out?
Should kill anything that might still be alive after 6 years of dessication.

Don't see how nasties are going to wake up if everything is totally
dry?

Spores.

--

Roger Long

I seem to remember reading somewhere that bleach can be bad for some
hoses and such. . . . but I only have a vague notion and it doesn't
seem like 10% would be that bad.

What is the best thing to "flush" your system with to clean it out? I
use that blue cleaner stuff that RVers sometimes use

Gordon Wedman wrote:
Don't see how nasties are going to wake up if everything is totally dry?

Try re-hydrating anything rotten that's totally dried out and leave it
in warm sun for a day or two. Trust me...it'll start to stink again.

Why not fill the system with 10% bleach, let it sit for a few days and then
flush out?
Should kill anything that might still be alive after 6 years of dessication.

Because bleach--or any cleaning products that contain bleach--should
never be used in a marine toilet and hoses...it's highly damaging to the
rubber parts in toilets and also breaks down flex PVC, contributing to
odor permeation. Same is true of household chemical toilet bowl
cleaners, pine oil cleaners, Lysol, any petroleum based products, and
all other chemical cleaning products...none of 'em should ever be used
in a marine sanitation system.


--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

Whistledown wrote:

I seem to remember reading somewhere that bleach can be bad for some
hoses and such. . . . but I only have a vague notion and it doesn't
seem like 10% would be that bad.

What is the best thing to "flush" your system with to clean it out?

Clean fresh water is all you need 90% of the time. At the end of the
season, clean fresh water and detergent.Wisk is best, but any laundry
detergent that doesn't contain bleach is ok...or Dawn or any of the
other dishwashing liquids. Avoid Oxiclean and similar products...they're
oxidizers, and oxidizers promote oxidation (rust, corrosion).
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Don't see how nasties are going to wake up if everything is totally dry?

Spores.

--

Roger Long


Spores need water to germinate. That's the whole point of my comment. If
everything is bone dry they are going to remain dormant no matter how warm
things get. If you smell anything its from decomposition not growth.

As for 10% bleach damaging hoses, I suppose a very thin layer of hose might
be degraded but hoses are pretty thick. If you have any kind of scum inside
the hose the bleach will attack that before it gets to the hose. After a
few days all the oxidizing power of the bleach is lost and you've basically
got a weak solution of sodium chloride.
By the way, when I suggest 10% bleach I mean a 10% dilution of household
bleach.
Household bleach is about 5% sodium hypochlorite so 10% gives you a 0.5%
final solution. That's 1 gallon of household bleach to 9 gallons of water.
I think there are more concentrated solutions of sodium or calcium
hypochlorite available for "super chlorinating" swimming pools and water
supply systems. You don't want to use these.

Undiluted white vinegar is the best thing for hoses...it not only
reduces odor, but also dissolves sea water minerals. And won't hurt the
toilet or the hoses.

However, it's your boat, Gordon...I can only advise and pass on what
I've learned over the last 20 years.

Gordon Wedman wrote:

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...

Don't see how nasties are going to wake up if everything is totally dry?

Spores.

--

Roger Long



Spores need water to germinate. That's the whole point of my comment. If
everything is bone dry they are going to remain dormant no matter how warm
things get. If you smell anything its from decomposition not growth.

As for 10% bleach damaging hoses, I suppose a very thin layer of hose might
be degraded but hoses are pretty thick. If you have any kind of scum inside
the hose the bleach will attack that before it gets to the hose. After a
few days all the oxidizing power of the bleach is lost and you've basically
got a weak solution of sodium chloride.
By the way, when I suggest 10% bleach I mean a 10% dilution of household
bleach.
Household bleach is about 5% sodium hypochlorite so 10% gives you a 0.5%
final solution. That's 1 gallon of household bleach to 9 gallons of water.
I think there are more concentrated solutions of sodium or calcium
hypochlorite available for "super chlorinating" swimming pools and water
supply systems. You don't want to use these.



--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327