Grey Tank Odor

[bad99ram]

I have a 2013 Jayco Premier 351MKTS. I am having a problem with a strong sewer gas type odor coming into the unit when I use the Bathroom fan or Fantastic fan. Both fans are set on exhaust. It is most noticeable under the Kitchen sink , but sometimes comes out from underneath the bathroom sink. Both air admittance valves under the sinks have been replaced and the vent thru the roof has been checked and is clear of obstructions. Does anyone have any ideas what else to check ? Its at the dealership now and the service manager has verified that there is a problem but thus far has not found a solution.

[rbrumfield]

Have them check the seal on the toilet. I would also tell them to check for leaks at the tank connections. HTH

[Panhead]

The first few trips after buying our Eagle SuperLite we also had an odor in the bathroom area after a day or 2 of camping. I put the same biodegradable chemical we use in the black tank down the sink and have not had a problem since. I think it comes up through the shower drain as there is no P trap under the shower. Though grey water should not have an odor that foul, our problem went away after adding the chemical.

Steve

[bad99ram]

Update. Spoke to the service manager today. He got ahold of the factory and they think the problem may be in the vent line itself. Perhaps a poorly glued joint or perhaps it was missed. So the next step is to remove the shower, toilet and one of the cabinets. That way the vent line can be accessed. Both grey tanks are tied into one vent line. We will see what happens then

[tlhdoc]

I too have smelled "sewer" type odors from my gray tank. Filled it and dumped it a few times and the odor was gone. Now I add gray water chemical to the gray water tank.

[Scott 101]

The Fan-Tastic vents do pull a significant amount of air through them and they are probably way to large for just an RV bathroom. We had a similar problem with a motor home, but only when the Fan-Tastic vent was running. Opening the bathroom door resolved the problem. I think it is just back draft from the drains/vents trying to provide make up air. The make-up air has to come from somewhere when the bathroom is depressurized. A vent in the door for make-up air may help. Figure a bathroom with 3' x 4' x 8' dimensions yields about 96 cubic feet (probably much less after removing the volume of the cabinets, toilet, etc) of air in the bathroom. At low speed on a Fan-Tastic vent is rated at 478 standard cubic feet per minute. At low speed, the vent will change the entire volume of air in the bathroom a minimum of 5 times in one minute. Make-up air will be pulled through the opening providing the least resistance.

[rbrumfield]

Originally Posted by Scott 101

The Fan-Tastic vents do pull a significant amount of air through them and they are probably way to large for just an RV bathroom. We had a similar problem with a motor home, but only when the Fan-Tastic vent was running. Opening the bathroom door resolved the problem. I think it is just back draft from the drains/vents trying to provide make up air. The make-up air has to come from somewhere when the bathroom is depressurized. A vent in the door for make-up air may help. Figure a bathroom with 3' x 4' x 8' dimensions yields about 96 cubic feet (probably much less after removing the volume of the cabinets, toilet, etc) of air in the bathroom. At low speed on a Fan-Tastic vent is rated at 478 standard cubic feet per minute. At low speed, the vent will change the entire volume of air in the bathroom a minimum of 5 times in one minute. Make-up air will be pulled through the opening providing the least resistance.

I may be wrong but if all of the "P" traps on the sink/shower are working properly and holding the water in place and the toilet has water in it to make the proper seal I believe that the fan would have to suck the water out first before it could get any air/odor from the waste tanks. Someone mentioned the shower didn't have a "P" trap. I am not disputing what they have but I have never seen a shower without a "P" trap. They are generally hidden under the floor. YMMV

[lx22f/c]

I was getting the sewer smell in mine too. It seemed more noticeable on windy days. I bought 2 of the siphon 360's and have not smelled a sewer smell since.
Google siphon 360 and watch the video on them. Pretty impressive when the test against several different models.
I was sold ob them.
Hope this helps.
Robert

[Murphie]

Your shower will have a P trap. Make sure you have sent water down the shower and sink so the traps are not dry. Others have had problems in the past where the vent stack was too long and made contact with the bottom of the tank preventing it from doing its job. It will be interesting to know what they find. As others have mentioned the grey tank can give off a bad odor if it is not kept clean. I installed a flush kit in mine and was amazed at what came out the first time I used the tornado on it.

[bad99ram]

I spoke again to the Service Manager on 6-5-13. He has exposed all the vent lines and plumbing runs. Could not find the problem. Back to the factory for repairs. Just waiting for Randy at Jayco to call with a date.