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Post by kd9truck on Nov 18, 2018 3:59:20 GMT
I recently took possession of a 2009 Sun Odyssey 44i ( performance version ),I love the vessel and have begun the systematic cleaning , repair or replacement of everything. I have chased an odor down to the voids in the tubeular support ribs. the bildge compatments are connected by holes cut in the sleeper ribs that separate the compartments.the ribs are tubular and hollow, the holes cut in them where the ribs are bonded to the fiberglass let’s water in the bilge Find it’s way to the low point where the pump is pulling. these voids in the ribs are emitting an odor. has anyone had this issue? Do you have a success story on sanitizing this inacessable void.
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Post by rc sail on Nov 18, 2018 17:46:19 GMT
Had an issue this past summer with a smelly leak in the bildge. I first used a bildge cleaner from West Marine that was labeled to have a "pleasant smell". It was other than pleasant and chased us off the boat for the week. I than used a lavender sented vinegar with very good results removing the smell. And expecting the vinegar would be less caustic than other cleaners. I used a rubber hose to pour the vinegar into some of the less accessable areas and than did a vigorous sail to slosh it around. I know it is counter intuitive to dump more liquid into the bildge but not sure of another better answer. A wet vac and towels/rags on a rod and into the bildge drain tubes helped to get wet residue out. I expect others on here will have some good suggestions for you.
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Post by moonshadow on Nov 18, 2018 22:30:59 GMT
I used a little bit of tide laundry detergent in a gallon of water and let it slosh around a bit.
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Post by ForGrinsToo on Nov 19, 2018 19:47:14 GMT
Clorox Cleanup spray - let it sit for a bit, then rinse. Kills mold and mildew, and leaves a bio-unfriendly residue unless the rinse is extensive. It's a bleach and detergent solution which seems to work in the holding tank locker as well. You just don't want it to sit at strength in pumps. These wash bottles, available at science supply stores and some hobby stores, are really handy for getting a liquid into a remote place or a narrow gap. www.23hq.com/ForGrinsToo/photo/48799809/originalGeoff
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Post by moonshadow on Nov 20, 2018 0:31:15 GMT
I had read somewhere that Clorox will hurt bronze fittings. Anyone know if this is true?
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Post by ForGrinsToo on Nov 20, 2018 21:18:00 GMT
Yes, chlorine bleach can damage bronzes, and brass, steel - including some stainless, and aluminum. That's why you should avoid through-hulls, you don't let it sit for more than a few minutes just to kill the bugs, and you should rinse with plenty of clean potable water (which typically has between 0.2 and 4 ppm chlorine). There are less threatening anti-mildew, anti-mold formulations available (borate laundry bleach, sold in the U.S. as OxiMagic and OxiClean, among others), but typically they do not attack other odors as effectively. Same with the baking soda, washing soda, trisodium phosphate mix that many use.
There shouldn't be any metal in the tubular ribs and stringers. But you can bet the rough, unpainted fiberglass interior has lots of surface area that could be a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and bacteria. Fortunately, this usually is very dry and not a concern. But if it does get wet and warm...
Geoff
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Post by kd9truck on Nov 21, 2018 8:18:38 GMT
All good suggestions, thank you. The void that emits the most smell also happens to be the wiring and potable water chase that goes from starboard to port, under the salon and galley mid ship. I have a very sensitive nose, I was a chef, then a firefighter, so my sense of smell is acute. I would take better vision and better hearing to swap any day😂.This vessel was in charter service for 3 years in thr BVI, while I am sure the berths salon and galley were cleaned routinely every charter cycle I believe they left the bilge to process the cleaning fluids largely on its own. This winter the vessel will be on hard. I will be swapping out all soft plumbing as a matter of maitainance (hot, cold, freash, salt, gray, supply and return). We will also be dropping the headliner and sealing the wood sub straight this can be a safe area of refuge for mold spores when cleaning. I will be looking to send bleach though a flexible hose with a spray tip up into these voids. if after all of these steps are taken and I still have sensory issues, I believe an amputation of my ovofactory glands will be in order😫.
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Post by rc sail on Nov 21, 2018 18:27:07 GMT
kd9. by the way congrats on your new jeanneau. With your planned rigorous cleaning suggest you also check the inner hull under the v-berth. Condensation moisture can sometimes get trapped in this void. Hope your nose will adjust to fully enjoying your vessel .
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Post by ForGrinsToo on Nov 21, 2018 20:39:37 GMT
This vessel was in charter service for 3 years in thr BVI, while I am sure the berths salon and galley were cleaned routinely every charter cycle I believe they left the bilge to process the cleaning fluids largely on its own. This winter the vessel will be on hard. I will be looking to send bleach though a flexible hose with a spray tip up into these voids. if after all of these steps are taken and I still have sensory issues, I believe an amputation of my ovofactory glands will be in order😫. It has been my experience with Sunsail/Moorings/Footloose that you are correct: they literally hose out the cabin and leave it to the bilge pump. One thing I will warn about being on the hard is that yards will often tilt toward the stern so that rain (or snow) can easily drain out the cockpit scuppers. As a consequence, the compartments forward of the engine on the 36i tend to puddle rather than drain to the sump. We usually wait until back in the water to clean those. And RC Sail is absolutely right about the space under the v-berth; we usually clean it twice in our 4-month season. Think about getting a 1 or 1.5 gal garden pump sprayer... Congratulations and good luck! Geoff
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Post by vasko on Nov 22, 2018 6:18:30 GMT
Best strategy is to use aircon tablets - if cheaper solution is needed - just put 20ml bleach...
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martie
New Member
Posts: 7
Jeanneau Model: SO 40DS
Yacht Name: SunRise
Home Port: Långedrag
Country: Sweden
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Post by martie on Nov 22, 2018 14:51:55 GMT
The proffesional remedy to get rid of all kinds of smell is Ozone. It actually is a miracle method. The best, but potentially dangerous method is to do a "schock treatment" via a high output generator. Ozone reacts with "long molecules", for instance DNA. It therefore does kill all kinds of mold and mildew, it also takes out foul smell from smokers and pets. It even does kill smaller bugs and insects. I have been using an Ozone generator similar (China made) to the ones sold by ForeverOzone (I have a 20g/h unit). These are bareback units with a very attractive price. I suggest you read som of the reviews found here: Reviews
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Post by vasko on Nov 22, 2018 17:02:32 GMT
hmmm Ozone is heavier then air - how you get it out of the boat once been filled with it ?
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martie
New Member
Posts: 7
Jeanneau Model: SO 40DS
Yacht Name: SunRise
Home Port: Långedrag
Country: Sweden
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Post by martie on Nov 22, 2018 18:41:29 GMT
The Ozone is instable and automatically oxidates into oxygen in a couple of hours.
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Post by ForGrinsToo on Nov 23, 2018 19:08:27 GMT
I had not thought of ozone before now, but that is a very good way to get rid of odors. One major limitation I can think of here is how to get it into the rib spaces. I suppose if you just lifted all of the floor boards and left a generator and a couple of fans for a couple of days... The half-life of ozone in air is about 3 days, so you'd definitely want to vent after treatment.
A second major problem is how to keep ozone from damaging plastics and coatings, not just cushions and fabrics, but wire insulation and hoses. Long term exposure to ozone makes PVC brittle; other than wear, it is the most important factor in degradation of rubber (tires (tyres?) and hoses). Polyester and polypropylene fabrics will need to be removed from the boat. It's also tough on cast iron, mild steel, and zinc. You can't control where it goes quite like you can a liquid stream or spray.
So I think for kd9truck's original problem it would not be suitable. But for a quick treatment, sure.
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martie
New Member
Posts: 7
Jeanneau Model: SO 40DS
Yacht Name: SunRise
Home Port: Långedrag
Country: Sweden
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Post by martie on Nov 23, 2018 22:10:28 GMT
When reading all the reviews no one reports any damage to any material. The recommendation when using a high output generator is to leave it on for 30-60 minutes and repeat for 2-4 days. Standard Ozone generators do have an outpot of 300-500mg/h, the high output ones 7000-20000mg/h. So far I have only tested my unit in one of the toilets which had a slight "toilety" smell for 15 minutes. I can´t smell nothing but freshness now. I will treat the rest of the boat during the winter. Actually it sounds like a miracle method too good to be true. Many yars ago we had a fire in our office which left a horrible smell. They did treat the office with a couple of Ozone generators for a couple of days, after that all smell was gone.
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Post by ForGrinsToo on Nov 26, 2018 17:20:05 GMT
I believe my original thought of running an ozone generator continuously for several days is a bad idea. There's a risk of hidden damage. This seems like a far better plan, posted by Martie: "The recommendation when using a high output generator is to leave it on for 30-60 minutes and repeat for 2-4 days." There is still the issue of getting the ozone to penetrate what is normally a very stagnant air space, which is why I thought of much longer operating time, and still the issue of removing the source of the odor. I would still lean towards a controlled spray of a bleach solution followed by rinsing. But... saw this on a different forum: www.pureayre.com/ and www.pureayre.com/pdf/sds.pdf It's supposedly enzyme-based (though the MSDS is very sketchy on that) and got great reviews on Cruisers Forum. But I don't see it as a cleaner which could remove the source of the odor. Geoff
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martie
New Member
Posts: 7
Jeanneau Model: SO 40DS
Yacht Name: SunRise
Home Port: Långedrag
Country: Sweden
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Post by martie on Nov 27, 2018 15:25:18 GMT
Since there are bare bone units available for very attractive prices it could be worth a try. This is a unit similar to the one I have. Ebay Attractively low-tech, pretty fragile, extremely efficient.
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Post by kd9truck on Dec 9, 2018 4:19:47 GMT
I have decided to clean and refit as needed bow to stern.
I have just pulled the 100 gal forward freash water tank and have cleaned ( peroxide then gel bleach) the space under the tank and around the bowthruster. And since I am there the supply hose and vent, both were black inside 😳😳. The tank itself had a film on the inside of it, I think someone dropped iodine into the water as a knee jerk precaution to a questionable source. Doing this will kill bacteria and make the water taste bad. I will be using as mentioned a pump sprayer with an 8 ft hose and spay tip to send into the voids I started the tread on. ozone is on my list of things to research while cleaning. I may use the concept if research provides me with good vibes, but I don’t mind cleaning literally everything first. It will give me piece of mind.
thanks again mates!
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Post by hadarpaz on Oct 8, 2020 5:58:39 GMT
I have the same issue and it is getting worse. I purchased a new SO 440 and there is a strong smell of fiberglass especially in the front head. Not sure what to do... I also think it is toxic. Do you still have this issue?
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