Marine heads are the system nobody wants to discuss and everybody notices. A smell that will not clear, a head that will not flush, or a discharge fault at the wrong moment turns a good day aboard into an early trip home. Most of it comes down to hoses, seals and a tank that has never been properly serviced.
We coordinate head and sanitation work through specialists we use regularly. They carry out and stand behind their own work.
What we do
The bread and butter is clogs and leaks: blockages cleared, seals replaced and leaks stopped at the source rather than wiped up, because a weeping joint under a head does damage to the sole long before anyone sees it. Alongside that, vacuum pumps, macerators and joker valves get diagnosed and repaired. A macerator that sounds like it is working and is not is a common and unpleasant surprise.
Most of the calls we get about smell come back to hoses and tanks. Permeated hose is the single most common cause of an odour that will not go away no matter how much you clean, so we replace it, free up valves, and empty and treat tanks properly. We also make sure level senders read correctly, so you know where you are before it becomes obvious.
Where a smell has no obvious source we track it down rather than guess. It is usually not where owners assume.
What you would notice first
A smell that returns a day after cleaning. A head that flushes slowly or needs several goes. A level gauge that reads empty when it is not. Damp around the base of a head. Noise from the macerator that has changed.
Common questions
Why does my boat still smell after cleaning?
Usually permeated hose. Sanitation hose has a service life, and once it has gone, nothing you clean will fix it. It has to be replaced.
Can this be done in the water?
Most of it, yes. Through hull and valve work may need a haul out depending on the boat.
How often should the system be serviced?
Annually for most boats, more often with heavy use. It is a cheap service that prevents an expensive and unpleasant one.
