Ozone Generator

[William983]

Has anyone ever used an ozone generator inside their cabin?
I have washed, bleached, changed black water components in and on.
But I still have an odor in the boat.

 

[DegoRed]

An ozone machine is awesome. Use them all the time to get rid of odors. You just cant be in room with one running, its really bad for your health. I was thinking of bringing one to our boat just to have on board, they are like $40 on Amazon.

 

[rgano]

I would not use one in a boat with all the damage ozone can do to various components. Get some Pureayre online and you will thank me, maybe even put me in your will.

 

[HopCar]

Be aware that ozone will damage rubber. I used an ozone machine to deal with mildew in my boat’s cabin. It destroyed the foam rubber behind my headliner. If you decide to use one, limit the time you leave it running.

I solved the mildew problem with a dehumidifier.

 

[OldDan1943]

Be aware that ozone will damage rubber. I used an ozone machine to deal with mildew in my boat’s cabin. It destroyed the foam rubber behind my headliner. If you decide to use one, limit the time you leave it running.

I solved the mildew problem with a dehumidifier.

An Ozone generator may weaken the rubber hoses too. Be very careful if you elect to use an ozone generator. They say, 'if you can smell the ozone turn it way down.'

 

[Turtle Blues]

I scored an old Quantum Marine plus unit off EBay. Its a solid unit, works well, and I wondered why they quit making them. I guess now I know.

 

[HeadMistress]

Has anyone ever used an ozone generator inside their cabin? I have washed, bleached, changed black water components in and on. But I still have an odor in the boat.

Odors are always strongest at their source and you can never eliminate an odor until you've eliminated it's source 'cuz as long as the source exists it'll continue to generate odor. So where is your odor the strongest?

Describe the odor...musty/moldy? Swampy? Sewery? Swampy/sewery? Diesel? Something else?

--Peggie

 

[OldDan1943]

Describe the odor...musty/moldy? Swampy? Sewery? Swampy/sewery? Diesel? Something else?

--Peggie

Peggie, when I bake, the boat smells just like chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies or banana bread.

 

[twistedtree]

Peggie, when I bake, the boat smells just like chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies or banana bread.

I’ll help you locate the source

 

[Bustlebomb]

Peggie, when I bake, the boat smells just like chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies or banana bread.

And I’ll help you eliminate the source of the odor!!!

 

[LovetoBoat]

Odors are always strongest at their source and you can never eliminate an odor until you've eliminated it's source 'cuz as long as the source exists it'll continue to generate odor. So where is your odor the strongest?
Describe the odor...musty/moldy? Swampy? Sewery? Swampy/sewery? Diesel? Something else?
--Peggie

Not trying to hijack the thread but I would call my smell acidic - we have stopped sleeping on the boat - we wake up with tight chests and coughing that wont go away for a day or so...



I literally have just completed the bulk of my sealing gaps along the housing and I have replaced a few port holes that may have been leaking. I dried the bilge completely before leaving yesterday. There are a few more small spots that I know need to be sealed.



I did not wash the boat and it did not rain last night or for the next few days - my hope is tomorrow when I return it is still dry in the bilge. If the bilge is dry but the smell still lingers I am ready to contact a professional (Servpro type service) - but I was trying to get the bilge bone dry first.


Thoughts?

 

[OldDan1943]

I’ll help you locate the source

LOL, might want to wait until Thanksgiving. Turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh pecan pie and all the other fixin's.

The boat is filled with the wonderful smells. To put all the food on the table, I always need a larger table. Good thing the counter is close to the table.

 

[psneeld]

Lovetoboat.......Acidic? Anything like rotten eggs....even mild?


Check the batteries lately?

 

[LovetoBoat]

I was in the engine hatch and opened one battery cover trying to check a shower pump project - nothing out of the ordinary or no additional smell. I will check tomorrow all of the batteries - it is a distinct smell - not over powering when you first get in but definitely there. We washed sheets, pillow cases and towels several times and they still smell - hanging them in the fresh air for now...

 

[psneeld]

If you have home style CO detectors or a propane sniffing system, they usually alert to battery off gassing.

 

[firehoser75]

Peggie, when I bake, the boat smells just like chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies or banana bread.

Well get rid of the oven.

 

[firehoser75]

I (as usual) defer to Peggy. It makes sense that the source must be found and the problem corrected. Standing water in the bilge will smell. Sewage hoses (permeated), mold or mildew created by high humidity, are also likely sources.
If hoses, replace. If standing water, eliminate the water and clean the bilges and keep them as clean and dry as possible. Run a dehumidifier to reduce humidity and clean all surfaces, even hidden ones using a "mold" cleaning product. And as Scott said for the second questioner, check the batteries for overcharging if the smell is acidic.
Ozone can cause damage, so only as a last resort and then only very carefully. I would avoid it.

 

[Comodave]

I think the ozone might help in the short term but if you don’t find the source the smell will return unless you use the ozone constantly. And you don’t really want to do that.

 

[HeadMistress]

Not trying to hijack the thread but I would call my smell acidic - we have stopped sleeping on the boat - we wake up with tight chests and coughing that wont go away for a day or so...

It might be an outgassing battery, but it sounds a lot like hidden mold. On a boat one of the most common locations is behind the overhead (ceiling), especially if it's soft material. Or it could be behind wall coverings. Or you could have some rotten wood you don't know about.

This is one thing that MIGHT call for ozone, but only in the hands of a professional mold remediation specialist. Retail DIY ozone machines can't generate enough ozone to kill the spores, which is why you'll never meet anyone who swears by ozone who's ever only had to use it once. So I'd pay for a reputable professional mold remediation specialist to check it out and give you a quote to get rid of it if he finds it.


Btw...Still waiting for William to come back with answers to my questions, plus one more: have you recently replaced stinking sanitation hoses?


--Peggie....

 

[Benthic2]

.....I literally have just completed the bulk of my sealing gaps along the housing and I have replaced a few port holes that may have been leaking......

Did you have the smell before this project was done? Some of those sealants can take a long time to cure and will smell for a while. I'm not sure Ozone would help with that.

I used to use an Ozone generator when I worked in a hotel to clean up a non smoking room when someone smoked in them. They work amazingly well on organic odors.

 

[AlanT]

Not trying to hijack the thread but I would call my smell acidic - we have stopped sleeping on the boat - we wake up with tight chests and coughing that wont go away for a day or so...
Thoughts?

Is it worst in the cabin where you sleep? If so take a look under your mattress. condensation leading to mold is a common problem. Moisture from the bedding migrates to the relatively cooler slab that the mattress sits on and it is not uncommon to find mold there.

If this is the problem, it is easy to remediate. Clean with the appropriate chemicals, then you need to build a slightly elevated platform that allows air to circulate under the mattress.

Last one I built I used the thinnest plywood available 3/16th I think. I used a hole saw to fill it with 3" holes, then glued the discs from the hole saw to the underside of the plywood. It raised the bed about 1/2" and solved the problem.

 

[BoatPoor]

As an old automotive guy an acidic smell usually points me towards melting/hot wiring insulation. Have you had any strange electrical issues?

 

[OldDan1943]

The mattress rests on plywood? Get your 1 1/2" or 2" hole saw and drill 1/2 dozen holes and then there it a wire mat that allows for ventilation. Duh, I forgot the name of the mat.

 

[LovetoBoat]

So a couple items -


Yes the smell was there before I started the project.


So I thought if I could stop the water intrusion I could stop the smell. I was assuming it was mold in the bilge that I could clean up after I stopped the water from flowing into the bilge.



My kids were going to the boat 2 days after I finished the housing to hull caulking and reported back the bilge was dry. But their nose which I trust more than mine - they said it smelled like chlorine to them.



I do pour some Clorox into the waste tank - I do not smell waste and I have not seen any waste water in the bilge. Could this chlorine smell be Clorox - either through a hose or gap somewhere?


I am going back down tomorrow and hope to do some work again on the boat - I was planning on rinsing down the boat and seeing if that water is getting in the bilge. If it is still dry I will try to wash the bilge area with detergent and see if that helps with the smell as well.

 

[dhays]

I do pour some Clorox into the waste tank - I do not smell waste and I have not seen any waste water in the bilge. Could this chlorine smell be Clorox - either through a hose or gap somewhere?

This raises a different issue. So as not to distract from your original question, I’d suggest you buy Peggi’s book and read the sections on holding tanks really well.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Get-Rid-...5230&s=books&sprefix=Boat+odor,aps,225&sr=1-1

 

[firehoser75]

I agree with Dave..... bleach in the holding tank is not a good idea. Read the book.
As a suggestion for improving smells while cleaning the bilge, you might try "Simple Green". When a mechanic dumped a load of diesel in my sailboat's bilge, after it was removed, the final cleaning with Simple Green removed the smell. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[Comodave]

Bleach in the holding tank will also kill the aerobic bacteria, which is your friend. Instead get air into the holding tank and it will not smell. Add a vent or enlarge the existing vent and get rid of any filters in the vent hose. The filter will restrict air flow. Tanks without oxygen in them will go anerobic and stink horribly. With oxygen the aerobic bacteria will thrive and the anerobic will die off.

 

[Bacchus]

Agree with Dave and others re holding tanks. Peggie has taught us well and her book it well worth having if you are a boater.
In addition to air & water either Noflex or generic sodium percarbonate are the only additives I would consider. If you still have odor issues I can elaborate more on DIY ho,ding tank bubbles that really works well.

 

[Art]

LOL, might want to wait until Thanksgiving. Turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh pecan pie and all the other fixin's.

The boat is filled with the wonderful smells. To put all the food on the table, I always need a larger table. Good thing the counter is close to the table.

Dan - Now you've done IT! More "friends" are coming aboard than your boat wants to handle!

 

[Comodave]

Agree with Dave and others re holding tanks. Peggie has taught us well and her book it well worth having if you are a boater.
In addition to air & water either Noflex or generic sodium percarbonate are the only additives I would consider. If you still have odor issues I can elaborate more on DIY ho,ding tank bubbles that really works well.

I have been learning from Peggie for 20 years. She is a great resource.