1999 3700 with terrible smell

[Annieo]

We are thinking about buying a 1999 370 . We currently have a 1999 3200. The dealer who has the 3700 says that Maxum should not have put the waste tank where it is. He says it needs to be moved to the engine compartment and that will solve the smell issue. Plus it will cost $3500. Has anyone else had a problem like this? I don't know much about vacuflush systems. Could that be the issue and not the location of the waste tank?

[pascavone]

smells like a leak.

my vaccu flush smelled sweet, and it turned out to be a busted flange on the water tank, that looks like someone stepper on the hose.

i had the tank plastic welded for $100.00

since the system is basically an air pump, a leak will pressurize the smell.

i don't think it needs to be moved if he seals it correctly, and not with calk.

all waste tank vent somewhere off the back, so moving the tank is pointless, since the vent will be in the same place.

he need to pull the tank and fix the crack.

[pascavone]

smells like a leak.

my vaccu flush smelled sweet, and it turned out to be a busted flange on the water tank, that looks like someone stepper on the hose.

i had the tank plastic welded for $100.00

since the system is basically an air pump, a leak will pressurize the smell.

i don't think it needs to be moved if he seals it correctly, and not with calk.

all waste tank vent somewhere off the back, so moving the tank is pointless, since the vent will be in the same place.

he need to pull the tank and fix the crack.

[rodrigo]

Annieo
my 3500 smells good, its for sale check out the ad on buy/sell/trade,
Rodrigo

[Annieo]

I posted this under general and am putting it here also where I guess it belongs (newbie - can you tell). Anyway we have a 3200 and are thinking about upgrading to a 3700. But the boat we are looking at has a really terrible smell. The dealer says the tank is in the wrong place and needs to be moved along with making a new vent. But maybe it is a leak in the vacuflush system. I am not sure how to tell. Is $3500 a reasonable amount to move the tank etc? If the tank leaks or overflows it could get right into the aft cabin and that would be gross! The dealer maintains that it is the vent should be in the engine compartment along with the tank. He also says the carpet needs to be ripped out and all of the skins need to be dry cleaned to get the smell out. Does that seem reasonable?
Are there any other issues with 1999 3700?
Thank you

[Nehalennia]

The vent on the Vacuflush system is a common issue and on many boats is not replaced often enough. They are relatively easy to replace. They simply have a garden hose fitting on each end and unscrew and screw in the new one.

For the DIY guys, there is also a way to recharge them and not pay the $100 for the filter. It can be cut in half and buy PVC plumbing parts and charcoal filter to replace the guts. I've done that and it works well.

As for whether or not the tank on the boat you're looking at is leaking and contributing to the smell is another issue. Salesmen make stuff up to get the sale and relocating the tank seems silly unless it's out of the location the factory had selected or some other valid reason.

Best of luck

[jamanati]

If its a dealer, tell them to do the work if they want to sell the boat and include it in the price you have negotiated.

[rgreenwell8962]

The waste lines themselves can also begin to go bad and "leach" the smell through them. Moving the tank won't do crap. No pun intended. Where are you located? Call a marine head company to come out and inspect it. Leak, lines, flange. Another much simpler problem could also be that the last person to make a deposit did not flush long enough to clear the lines all the way to the holding tank. I have two young boys. Ask me how I know. In addition to all the suggestions above, I also discovered something the hard way. I keep my boat in the water year round, and rarely go out in the winter unless we get a very rare winter Pacific Northwest bluebird day. I keep several dehumidifiers (small round puck type heater) throughout the boat, one in the head. If left in there long enough the head goes dry and there is no water left in the bowl to trap the gas.

Good luck and be sure to post what you find out.

[shrew]

Leaks in any of the lines or fittings will do this. old lines will do this as well. If you don't put an inline vent filter on the tank it will definitely get funky when you flush, but that outside mostly. Placing the holding tank in the engine compartment vs. the cabin will have no bearing. Not all the bulkheads are structural, some are cosmetic and there are large holes drilled through the bulkheads for hoses and wiring. Trust me, there is nothing keeping odors from the engine compartment from getting into the cabin.

You could replace the head, holding tank and lines. I did that and it solved all my head odor issues.

[shrew]

Please don't post multiple threads on the same topic in multiple sub-forums. Since this issue is not related to the size and model of the boat, I retained the thread the General section and merged the duplicate thread into this one.

Many thanks for your understanding.