It's All About the Head

For many women, boating is all about the head – and odors of any kind are simply not acceptable. And, it is not just sewage that causes odor; it’s also all those microorganisms that are arriving with the seawater and dying and decaying. To keep the tank and hoses disinfected and smelling fresh, consider multiple approaches.

1. Choose either a bio-active (i.e.K.O. Kills), nitrate (Nitrator) or enzyme (Headzyme) treatment – each has its pros and cons, but they all break down waste (those odor-producing anaerobic bacteria) with environmentally friendly processes. Chemical treatments, on the other hand, kill bacteria but don’t destroy odors – they just mask them with deodorants – and they aren’t particularly environmentally friendly.

2. Check the connections and the hoses periodically – they wear out, get porous and then leak. When it’s replacement time, look for smooth-walled, heavy-duty, odor-free hoses.

3. Consider adding an air-injection system, which helps the waste-consuming (aerobic) bacteria thrive - like Graco’s “Sweettank.”

4. Use “good ole” Stick-Ups in the head and near the “Y” valve. Lemon smells the freshest and balances any lingering odors. Or better, a couple drops of an antiseptic essential oil.

Educating your crew and guests about good head practices will also stave off embarrassingly unpleasant situations. After you’ve given a newbie guest the regular head tour, point to the little sign that you’ve posted. It clearly reminds them how the head works and explains exactly what goes in it and what doesn’t – and notes the location of discrete disposal bags for everything that doesn’t. What goes in should be limited to human waste and reasonably small amounts of biodegradable toilet paper.

Comments

[steef]

good info