Toilet Rim growth creates H2S

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

jfelds

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2013
Messages
60
Vessel Name
Kokomo
Vessel Make
Hatteras LRC 48
Greetings to All:


I have two Atlantes Freedom toilets by Raritan connected to an ElectraScan. We flush with raw water of course as the ElectraScan system relies on salt water to properly function.


The problem is that living things from the raw water congregate in the rim of the bowl and left untreated eventually off gas when the bowl is flushed leaving us with the disgusting smell of rotten eggs.



I have been treating the system with 6:1 Muriatic Acid flushed through the system from a bucket rigged to a separate intake fitting, so when I close the raw water seacock the toilet pump pulls the solution through the rim of the bowl and through the entire system. I leave it sit for 45 minutes per Raritan's instructions for maintaining their ElectraScan unit. They recommend this service every six months. However, as full time cruisers we use the sanitary system much more frequently than the occasional boater so the system requires more maintenance. The problem is that I can't seem to keep the smell out of the bowls for more than a couple of weeks unless I introduce a solution of 5:1 bleach which I know isn't good for any parts of the system so I only tried it twice.



Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks.


Jim
MV Kokomo
 
Fresh water is all I can think of. The critters in the water die and decompose...maybe a y-valve for an occasional (last?) flush of fresh?
 
Hi Jim,

First suggestion would be to buy this.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Get-Rid-...224847&sr=8-1&keywords=Peggie+hall+boat+odors

I doubt that you are getting the smell from the bowl. Most likely it is the raw water that is in the intake line between the seacock and the bowl. As Xsbanks mentioned, using fresh water as a final flush can help. However, you need to get the fresh water into the line close to the seacock to eliminate most of the seawater from the intake line.

Peggie describes how to do it in her book above. Buy the book, it will be well worth it.
 
There are two solutions to your problem:

The simplest and least expensive solution would be to replumb both toilets to use pressurized flush water as they were design to do and add 4 tablespoons (2 coffee measure spoons) of solar salt to each flush. I've known a number of people who keep a big Rubbermaid box of salt in the head to do it this way 'cuz they either don't have room or don't want to spend the money to add a salt tank. Or, if that's too much effort...

1. Replumb the toilets to use pressurized fresh water as they're designed to do and add a salt feed tank--either this one 4 gallon salt feed tank owners manual or this one 4 gal salt feed tank w pump owners manual, depending on which is the right one for your toilet..I'm 90% certain it's the one WITH PUMP but it's Saturday so I can't call Raritan to ask 'em. You can give 'em a call on Monday to find out: 800-352-5630

Solar salt is recommended because it dissolves much faster than table salt. It's available from most big box hardware stores. Inexpensive and a 10 lb bag lasts several months.

Either way has to be easier than cleaning out the flush water intake system with muriatic acid every couple of weeks.

--Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom