Sewage in the engine compartment

Corrosion, Paint, Through Hulls, etc.
Lori
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Joined: Sun May 30, 2021 5:59 pm

Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by Lori »

Our boat has sewage in the bottom, and we can’t seem to get it out.Kevin got down in engine compartment and under our bed with a shop vac, he has poured Bleach, Vinegar and he rinsed with lake water (not good) I know. We have opened up engine compartment have a fan on it, used blowers because over weekend the generator made it REALLY stink. I am not sure what we can do. I just know I can’t be inside long without getting nausea and need advice. Very very SHITTY problem.
We are getting a new sanitation system in a few months, but really would like to get this smelly dangerous issue
resolved before we take her out of the water. Any advice would be appreciated.
Lori
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Joined: Sun May 30, 2021 5:59 pm

Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by Lori »

My husband thinks it’s just going to go away?!!! 🙄
BlueSkye
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Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by BlueSkye »

Do you have any Aqua Kem for deodorizing the holding tank? Might help
1971 32ft Express 2x318
Seneca Lake, Erie Canal, Lake Ontario, Rideau
jralbert
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Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by jralbert »

Call a local shop that sells tropical fish supplies (or nose around - no pun intended- online) to see if they are carrying activated charcoal. It's used in fish tank filters and, very porous, it traps gas and odors. It's cheap and pretty effective. But no perfect- you have a big problem. We had rotten fish in an unplugged freezer compartmemnt for a week in the heat of summer and it was horrid. Impossible to get of the smell, the working fridge had to be scrapped. The charcoal helped a lot. After a couple of weeks you can put it in a pot of boiling water to discharges the gases and re-use it. Or get more.

I hope you and husband have traced source of leak so it won't repeat. Raw sewage means that the hoses do have to be periodically replaced because they absorb odors that cannoty be removed. good luck
-joel-
former owner 1988 '32 FB Sedan
Chesapeake Bay
twin 318 / 240 hp
Potomac MD
Fastjeff
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Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by Fastjeff »

The most successful way to remove cigarette stink from a car is by using an ozone generator (about 70 bucks on Amazon). Not sure if this would do the trick here, but for that little $$ it might be worth trying.

To use it, crack a window and run a fan to circulate air about the boat as the ozone generator runs overnight. People who de-stink cars swear by them.

Jeff
"We live at the bottom of an ocean of air, not at the top." General Marvage Slatington
jralbert
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Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by jralbert »

((Interesting that the original poster hasn't updated ))
-joel-
former owner 1988 '32 FB Sedan
Chesapeake Bay
twin 318 / 240 hp
Potomac MD
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Busia
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Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by Busia »

Oh, they will. Right now they are knee-deep and have their hands full.
BUSIA
located in Ketchikan, Alaska. Gods country
32 foot Marinette (no fly bridge)
twin 350 Crusader (Chev 350) engines
1:1 Borg Warner velvet drive transmissions
Closed cooling (antifreeze in the engine)
Proud to be retired IBEW and an A+P
Fastjeff
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Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by Fastjeff »

Uuuuugh! Can't get that image out of my head!

Jeff
"We live at the bottom of an ocean of air, not at the top." General Marvage Slatington
liquidplummer
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Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by liquidplummer »

This brings back such fond memories. I went to take out the original aluminum holding tank, lifted it up about 3" and the whole bottom of the tank fell off. Quite a mess.
Silver Queen St Louis Mo
1982 37 ft flybridge sedan twin 360 chryslers 1.91 velvet drives
Fastjeff
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Location: Rock Halll, MD

Re: Sewage in the engine compartment

Post by Fastjeff »

Double yuck!

Jeff
"We live at the bottom of an ocean of air, not at the top." General Marvage Slatington
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