head discharge set up?

bcarli · **Joined:** 02 Oct 2011 20:39 **Posts:** 49

Hi
Right now the head is plumbed directly into a holding tank on Eden our Tartan 37, the tank is in the v-berth and it can be emptied either by a deck fitting pump-out or by the macerator pump which pumps overboard. I am thinking of putting a three way value under the bathroom sink where I could by-pass the holding tank and go directly overboard which is legal here in the Virgin Islands if I am off shore. I don't know where the water-line is in relationship to the bottom of the bathroom sink. If I went direct from the three way value( which would be at the top of the bathroom sink cabinet) to the thru-hull under the sink would I have to worry about water entering into the boat either at rest or sailing hard and being heeled over....The reason I am thinking about this is I just can not get the head to not stink no matter what I do and my wife has said FIX-IT!!!!!
Any thoughts would be appreciated
Thanks
Bill Carli
S/V Eden
Water Island USVI

puffcard · **Posted:** 25 Nov 2012 21:30

I have a Y-valve (3-way) in my system, works great. The odor comes from the hoses and leaks. I replaced the hoses with the expensive no odor hoses, worth ever the penny. Also check your holding tank for cracks around the fittings and check for leaks. You can fix the tank by welding the plastic. Also a shot of white vinegar helps the system work better and de-calcium the system.

Timshel · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2010 10:24 **Posts:** 191

Water line on mine is exactly at the bowl rim of the head. To find out if the stink is from your hoses,dampen a cloth and rub it on the hose then smell it !! Also, many 'head experts' strongly suggest flushing with fresh water only as a lot of stink comes from decaying marine life in the bowl rim. Good luck, Bruce.

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

I will second everything said here:
1. Flushing a with fresh water will keep your head from any smell. Does not use that much water. When I was cruising for months I just made sure it was left periods full of fresh water.
2. Expensive hoses do work.

I think I like your routing better than mine. I have the 3way valve so that the direct discharge is from the head, not the holding tank. No way to empty the holding tank except through the deck. But maybe with the proliferation of pump out stations in the US, this is OK. It was a problem when cruising Central America--sometimes I was in pristine anchorages where I did not want to discharge, but there were few places to pump out. Would have been nice to be able to empty my tank without a pump out station. I think I would take out the macerator as I do not think these are legal anywhere anymore and was a maintenance headache (pun) on a couple of my friends' boats.
FWIW. Wish this site had been around 20 years ago when I got Velera.
Ray
.

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

Let me add something here. My head intake is teed to the sink drain. This makes it very easy to close the thru hull valve, fill the sink with fresh water and pump it through the head. I think this was a standard set up from Tartan at one point.

bcarli · **Joined:** 02 Oct 2011 20:39 **Posts:** 49

I was wondering how to pump fresh water to the head....this is a great idea....
thanks
bill

bcarli · **Joined:** 02 Oct 2011 20:39 **Posts:** 49

Checked the head plumbing yesterday and our boat is set-up to fill the sink with fresh water, close the salt water through-hull and pump fresh water through the head...So yesterday we spent all day on the boat with friends and using the fresh water rinse the head has never smelled better on our boat...
THANK YOU all for your input
Bill
s/v Eden

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

If you want to get fancy you can dump some head chemical down the sink drain after you close the though hull valve and before you put the water in......

Ray

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2012 12:32

Velera wrote:

FWIW. Wish this site had been around 20 years ago when I got Velera.
Ray
.

Heck, we barely had the web back then! GPS and web forums... it's a good age for the sailor!
User

Tartan37.com

head discharge set up?

Who is online