Fuel odor in houseboats black water holding tank.

by Paul Kern
(Moses Lake, WA)

There's a strong fuel odor in our houseboats black water holding tank. After pumping out the black water tank and filling the houseboat with fuel, I had a very strong odor of fuel coming from my black water holding tank.

After a couple of weeks, I still have the odor and my fuel tank is fine, and there is no water getting into my fuel tank, and I don't understand how this can be.

I have a 1987, 44 foot, Three Buoys houseboat, and I would like to get blueprints to see how the lower part and holding tanks are placed and constructed. Where could I purchase the blueprints for this houseboat?

I thought at first this could be a venting situation underneath the house boat deck allowing the fumes to come from the fuel tank into the black-water holding tank.

I have never had this problem before. The odor is present when you flush the toilet.

Thanks, Paul Kern.


Reply - Answer
Well Paul, I can sympathize with your problem. I don't imagine it's a pleasant situation, or a safe feeling, to be smelling fuel when you flush.

Just from the top of my head, I would say that the likely culprit is someone (they might not admit to it) who was supposed to pump gas into the fuel tank, mistakenly took the waste cap for the fuel tank cap.

They/he/she possibly noticed this after a very very short period, and figured that a couple of cups full of fuel shouldn't matter. I'm sure a cup of fuel in a holding tank can smell for years to come.

Other than that scenario, I don't understand either how fuel could make it into the holding tank. Unless, the fuel tanks and holding tanks are both in the same interior pontoon cylinders.

Regarding the "blueprints", I don't have any, however you may find the following article of interest, it's about Three Buoys Houseboats.


Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their houseboats fuel and holding tank experiences. Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found at the bottom of this page.


Thanks again for sharing, IAN - from www.all-about-houseboats.com

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