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Old 10-19-2018, 02:41 PM   #21
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Does anyone out there with a Mainship 400 have any experience in cleaning the Holding Tank Float?

Better yet, just leave it where it sits and install a tank level monitor that uses senders that go on the outside of the tank. Profile Tank Monitors If your existing system is a Dometic/SeaLand Tankwatch, you can use the same wiring. The single Tank "Solo" is inexpensive and easy to install.


--Peggie
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Old 10-19-2018, 03:21 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by Captain Ron D View Post
Does anyone out there with a Mainship 400 have any experience in cleaning the Holding Tank Float? Mine seems to indicate 1/2 or slightly more after having it pumped. I watched the 'Holding Tank Technician' when he pumped it out and his estimate matched the capacity, plus or minus a few gallons, however the gauge still indicates around 1/2 full. Any experience with this would be appreciated. The sending unit is in the top of the tank, and is under the sold of the passageway and there is insufficient clearance to remove the sender from the top of the tank without using a circle saw and creating an opening. Thanks for any advice. Captain Ron D.
I see in other posts too that access is the issue.

If it's a new-ish WEMA stainess steel sender, cleaning it is trivial, once you can get it out. Just plop it in a solution or muriatic acid or whatever and let it take care of itself. Doesn't hurt to have two sensors, 'so you can replace the old one right away (5-minute job, given OK access), then clean the old one at your leisure.

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Old 10-19-2018, 05:39 PM   #23
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However, it's unlikely the tank is the source of your odor in your salon unless it's coming in through an open window on the same side as the tank vent thru-hull. Otherwise the most likely source is permeated sanitation hoses.
I took Peggie's standing advice about permeated sanitation hoses, and it cleared the odor at once. Of course Twilight has a Raritan system, so no holding tank per se to consider.

Lessons learned:

1) If you have black rubber/metal mesh hoses, get out your Dremel and just cut them off, get the hose clamps off later. They are a bear to remove in close quarters.
2) I had a Y valve above the water line and it had to go, too.The whole conduit system was down to 1/2" I.D. instead of 1.5" and everything was silted or calcified up. Brown color too...
3) In raw water systems remember that fine sand or mud is always accumulating, it may have been the boat's PO's had used abrasive cleaners like Comet, leaving insoluble talc to fall back down each flush and destroy your macerator pump five times sooner than necessary. Scrub with rock salt if you must.
3) The new white hard plastic ones are indeed far less permeable, a few dollars a foot, and soaking them in boiling water (or heat gun?) makes them take corners much more readily and securely during installation.

Thanks once more to Peggy - sanitation hoses in my mind need replacing, period, if they are the old heater type black ones. Chemicals should be tried last.
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Old 10-21-2018, 11:28 AM   #24
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I havent read all the responses, so please forgive me if this post is redundant.

Your problem is what folks round here call a "boat fart" which is characterized by a distinctive acrid stench. I have had problems with them getting into the cabin three times and all three involved the vent.

The first time, a dirt-dauber had blocked the vent at the hull fitting. The second time, I had overfilled the tank allowing some of the muck to get into the vent fitting at the tank. When the muck dried, it blocked the vent. The third time, I had replaced the old marine air unit (located in the bilge area) with a larger one during the summer and suddenly the boat fart would get in the cabin when the toilet was flushed while the a/c was running. It turned out that the return air vent between the cabin and the bilge was too small, forcing the a/c unit to also pull in outside air through the engine room vents in the hull. One of these vents just happened to be right next to the holding tank vent, so the boat fart was getting sucked into the boat and circulated by the a/c fan. A larger return air vent in the cabin floor solved the problem.

Your problem could also be caused by switching from a manual toilet to an electric one because the electric forces a larger volume through the hoses at a faster rate, thus overwhelming your tank vent.

If you can smell a very foul odor outside the boat when someone flushes, your problem is probably not the vent. Another test is to observe the holding tank while someone flushes - if the tank appears to "balloon" outward, your vent is blocked. Yet another symptom of a blocked vent is the presence of foul-smelling bubbles in the toilet water for a minute or so after each flush.

Many boaters find that trying to suppress/eliminate tank odors can be an expensive and often futile endeavor. Putting up with boat farts - which usually dont last long - is IMHO just part of life afloat.

Finally: If the odor you are experiencing is more of a rank smell than the one described above, your problem is more than likely due to "permeable" waste system hoses. If your waste system uses flexible hoses between the toilet(s) and the waste tank, you will eventually have a permeation problem. You can make the hoses last longer by always flushing enough water through the system to ensure that no waste remains in the hose. However, this tends to fill the tank much more rapidly. One great solution to the hose problem is - if possible in your boat - to replace the flexible hose with rigid PVC which is impermeable. The other is to use a marine sanitation hose like that made by Vetus. The downside of this is that the product is pretty expensive ($7+ per foot) and doesn't last forever. If you do choose to replace with hose, wrap it with aluminum tape, if possible, because aluminum is also impermeable.

Hope this helps
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