Gobius Newsletter, June 30, 2008

Dear fellow boat owners!
For many of us the boating season is just about to start. Thus we have asked our company expert PhD Zsofia Ganrot, specialised in toilet systems and sewage, to give us some useful tips on how to avoid the more common toilet problems at sea. You’ll find her article, along with the latest news from FM Marin below.

New distributor in the UK: Tek-Tanks
We are happy to welcome Tek-Tanks, the largest manufacturer of plastic tanks to boat builders in the UK, as our new distributor in the UK and at Ireland. Tek-Tanks, which also markets level indicators, is enthusiastic about the innovative technology behind Gobius and looks forward to introducing Gobius in the UK. For further information about our distributors please visit www.fmmarin.se.

See Gobius in Las Vegas
FM Marin continues its international expansion. After an invitation from NMMA, FM Marin will introduce Gobius to the North American markets at the well-known trade show MAATS in Las Vegas in July. 

The marine sanitation system
 -problems, their sources and some practical solutions

Our sanitation expert, Zsofia Ganrot, gives you some practical advice before your boat vacation starts.
Awkward or even disastrous toilet situations destroying your sunny days onboard?
Here are some problems many of us recognize regarding troublesome marine sanitation systems and some simple solutions which work!
Odor problems and troublesome pumps are highlighted here, because most of us often have awkward experiences with these two during the holiday.

A marine toilet system includes a head (toilet bowl), pumps, hoses, pipes, valves, deck outlet, and thru-hull discharge valve and of course a holding tank (also called septic tank).
Normally, the holding tank itself is not the source of any problems if it is unbroken and if it is ventilated properly. Level indicator on the holding tank and a good check over how many people are on your boat or visiting your boat should be enough to avoid any “accidents” or “surprises” with tank overflow and its consequences.

Odors from the head
Source: flushing only with raw water. Organic material, algae, plankton, small living organisms, salts, particles of sediment or mud get stuck to the interior of the hoses and in the head. The decay of the organic material begins immediately after flushing, in the head. And smells badly.

Solution: flushing the toilet with drinking water as often as possible. Flushing with white vinegar (ca 1-2 dl at a time) at least once per week.

Odors from hoses and pipes
Source: the quality and the age of hoses and pipes (some plastic materials are more porous, aging faster, etc). The diameter of hoses and pipes (small ones clog more often with salt precipitates, toilet paper and solid waste). Long and bent (or curving) hoses collect solids and flush water and the decay of organic material produces nasty odors.

Solution: rinse, several flushing with drinking water and with white vinegar (as described above). Avoid installation of long and bent hoses, which easily form “low spots” where solids and flush water can stagnate. Choose hoses and pipes of high quality, otherwise you will need to change them pretty often.

Odors from the holding tank
Source: the organic decomposition in the tank has got wrong all the way! Normally, with functioning ventilation the aerobic bacterial decomposition dominates the process. This process is odorless. Clogged vent hoses stop the air intake and cause oxygen free environment in the tank. The anaerobic bacteria will take over the decomposition! Nasty smelling sulfurous gases and methane is produced. Hard to get rid of it and restore the aerobic system. Addition of commercially available “miracle-solutions” or other “bio-activators” or even chemicals will work for a short time, but until the ventilation is not restored the problem will return.

Solution: the vent hose must be rinsed from the clogging agents and if you have an odor- filter installed between the vent outlet and the tank, change this filter. A filter change at least once per season is recommended. Please have some patience! It probably takes several weeks until the aerobic environment will be fully restored in the tank.

Troublesome pumps
Pumps getting stiff and pumps squeaking are two, very common complaints. The cause of a squeaking pump is simple: you need to lubricate!

Solution: lubricating with Teflon based grease, once per year. Acute fix: some drops of cooking oil. Be aware! Cooking oil is not for permanent use!

The causes for pumps getting stiff can be many. Due to the sporadically use of the marine toilet (only during weekends) the pumps can easily get dry and get stiff next time you are on boat. The most likely source is salt precipitation in hoses and pipes.
When the layer of salts is increasing with time, the diameter of hoses and pipes are reduced and you can notice that is “harder to pump”. Another source may be an almost clogged hose or pipe. 

Solution: as above. Furthermore, check and if the hoses/pipes are clogged, rinse them using some of the methods described earlier.

You can read more about problems, their sources and some more solutions in our brochure. Click on for the pdf file here.

The right knowledge is crucial to understand your problem and to find the right solutions! Simple solutions that work are like balsam to our anxious souls in the middle of the sea, in the middle of our holiday.

If you will try some of the solutions described here and if you want, you can send me some comments about your experience to the e-mail address here below.

Have a nice summer and take care!

Zsofia Ganrot, PhD
Specialist in sustainable sanitation systems
Melica Environmental Consulting
Homepage: www.melica.se
E-mail: zsofia.ganrot@melica.se

From Sweden to Cambodia
Although Gobius is a Swedish innovation, the number of Gobius in boats outside Sweden is rapidly increasing. At present Gobius is installed in hundreds of boats in Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Norway, Slovenia, the Netherlands the UK, the US and Turkey. And, as we daily receive inquiries from boat owners from all over the world, Gobius will soon be present in boats also in Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Germany and Thailand.

Gobius in drill rig
Geotech AB, a Swedish company that manufactures mobile drill rigs for geotechnical investigation, has chosen to equip one of its rigs with Gobius. Two Gobius level indicators are to be installed on the vehicle’s tanks for diesel and hydra oil. For the patent pending Gobius technology this truly will be a tough test in a very demanding environment.

Our tank bank makes your choice easy
Did you know that you can find information in our Tank Bank at our web-site about all boats that have installed a Gobius? Each time a new Gobius is registered on our website the information is automatically shown in the tank bank, which now comprises more than 800 boats. The purpose of the tank bank is to provide you with information that facilitates your choice when choosing level indicator for your boat.

Opening hours during summer
The office will be closed 14-25 July. However our support service, as always, will be open the entire summer. Please do not hesitate to phone us on +46 31 650 170 or send an email to support@fmmarin.se.

Finally, we would like to wish you all happy boating holidays!

Amanda, Anders, Anders and Tomas