Smelly situation

[skichikk18]

We have a 2016 jayco ht 26.5bhs. The problem we are having is with the sewer smell! We have put drop ins in and nothing seems to help. Our tank is virtually empty currently. I just put some water into the tank flush to dump Friday when we go camping. I need help the smell is unbearable.

[Jagiven]

Always put some water in the tank. At least 3 gallons. This will keep them healthy.

There was a recent post on the same subject. Check the AVA valve under each sink. They have a tendency to stick open on new trailers. Look under the sink and follow the waste pipe as high as it will go. That is the AVA valve. Give it a few taps, or pull up on the cap. It's spring loaded.

[Mustang65]

Do you have the ceiling exhaust fan on? Bathroom door closed? Windows closed? ... and flush the toilet? If any of the above are yes, the fan is sucking air from inside your toilet. The fan takes air from the source of least resistance so the black water tank vent on the roof will supply the air into the black water tank and then out of your toilet being flushed and into your nose.

Are you sure it is not the Gray water tank odor? There is a anti-siphon valve under the bathroom sink, the kitchen sink and somewhere around the shower plumbing.

Flushing with windows closed takes a coordinated effort.

Don

[blwillson]

We leave some water in the toilet after flushing -- empty the bowl, foot off the pedal, then back on only enough to run the water -- helps seal the opening against air being Drawn in.

[jtw]

Does the smell gets stronger when you flush and the flapper is open? I had a problem called poop pyramiding, not enough water in tank and too much toilet paper let's the poop build up like a pyramid under the waste pipe, especially if waste pipe is located in the front or rear of tank giving you only 3 sides for poop to disperse. I bought a flush stick that hooks to the garden hose and the adapter that screws to the sink faucet to disperse the poop, good luck

[3'senough]

All good suggestions above.

I take it that this is not your first trip with a new tank. If you want to get back to zero. The best way to achieve this is to put 5 gallons of hot water in the tank prior to departure with some Calgon water softener or Pinesol. As soon as you get to the site and setup, dump it and follow with a 5 gallon pail right down the toilet. Have your valve open and flush going(if equipped) when you do this so you hit the bottom of the tank.

After that treat and put at least 5 gallons in to start the trip. The key to tank health as mentioned previously is post treatment and water prior to use as well as dumping when full.

I can go a week on both my tanks without having to dump and no odor issues.

My favorite to date treatment has been TST orange. Now I am on the dry pouches which are easier to store and use.

If this fails there have been limited cases where the stack vents are not properly sealed in the tanks resulting in odors coming up through the unit regardless of tank health.

[rbrent]

I have had a wasp nest built in my vent pipe that blocked the vent from venting and had bad smell in my camper! just a possibility get on the roof and check to make sure the vent is not blocked.

[skichikk18]

what is calgon? We have been using the drop ins at the start of ever camping trip. We have only dry camped to date and empty our tank at the dump station at the end of ever trip. It has a tank flush on it but no campground we have stayed at actually has a water spigot we can use to use the tank flush. It is currently in our drive way and i did hook the hose up to it today and run water into it which only made the smell worse. My plan was to dump the tank again when we get to the campground Friday, but i'm not sure that will fix the smell? I need help...so many suggestions and I don't know what half of them really mean!

[BuddyRay]

What Jagiven is calling an AVA valve is actually called an AAV or Automatic Air Vent.

They look like this:


Check under each of your sinks and see if you have something like this. If you do - tap on it, new ones tend to stick open.

You need to do some "sniffing around" and figure out where the smell is coming from. If it's from one of the sinks, check the AVA if it exists, also, if it's a sink you almost never use - pour some water down it to make sure there is water in the trap (that S on it's side shaped pipe under the sink).

One other "dumb question" - do you have pets? If so, have you checked for the obvious? Are they perhaps leaving you with a little present somewhere like behind a couch?

Calgon is a bath soap. The "drop in's" are usually enzymes or chemicals to help break down waste and control odor. Basically people are suggesting soaps and other things to clean out your black tank. But even if the black tank is retaining a poop pile, the smell shouldn't be getting out of the tank.

No offense, but it doesn't sound like you're too much of a "do it yourselfer" so if you can't figure out where the smell is coming from it may be time for a trip to a qualified dealer.

[3'senough]

Calgon is a water softener which will help get the walls slick for easier removal of solids. https://www.amazon.com/Calgon-Water-...AXV2DP6AKC2SEV

There are other versions of this product out there as well. The main thing you need to do is a good flush. Driving with liquid will loosen things up and hot water will expedite this process. It sounds like you have solids left in the tank.

The 5 gallon pail down the toilet will put a ton of water on the spot where solids can pile up and help dislodge them.

Do you have a clear elbow to see what your tank is dumping? This is a key component to have and help you visually see what is coming out.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-39847-R...swivel+fitting

Last thing to always do is start with a wet tank and store a wet, treated tank.

Good rule of thumb is 10% of capacity for storage. When I arrive I hold the pedal down for 1 minute to add to it.

Hope this helps clarify some things.

[Dustdevil]

I think one of the keys is in something the OP said. Their typical dry campground has no running water to do the tank flush. So, the tank is merely being dumped, not flushed with clear water afterward. That being the case, it likely needs a good flushing every few trips to ensure it actually ends up clean, not just dumped. I would do what someone said earlier. Half fill the black and grey tanks. Drop in some calgon dry stuff, or even liquid fabric softener. Maybe a little Dawn dish liquid. BEFORE you leave home. Drive to your destination with all that sloshing around in your tanks. Then, first thing you do is dump the tanks at a typical dump station when you arrive at the campground, or a public dump station along the way. That should be sufficient sloshing around with soapy "wet" water to loosen most of the buildup. As mentioned, if you start out with a few gallons of water and de-odorizer in the tank to begin with, it should help. Also, dumping where you can access fresh water to help rinse the tank afterward is a big help as well. Failing that, at least put in as much water into the tank as you can before dumping. You might even consider locating a public disposal site along your route home that has fresh water to rinse, rather than dumping at the dry camp with no rinse water.

[bankr63]

One additional suggestion. The AAV is usually only on grey tank fixtures; it is unusual on a toilet. Pretty sure that is actually against code here in Canada.


Your black tank should vent through the roof, and may be suffering from down drafting (or a blockage as another poster mentioned). You could consider capping your vent with one of the 360 Siphon vents:
https://www.amazon.com/360-Siphon-RV...rds=360+siphon
I don't personally have this, but the principle is simple and proven and the reviews are very positive. The device is basically an airfoil (wing) that creates low pressure directly under the cap and sucks air out of the tank, keeping it always under negative pressure (at least as long as there is any breeze blowing, but you won't generally get a downdraft with no breeze).

[TWP723]

Sounds like you need to do a thorough flushing of that black tank. Most likely, due to dry camping, your tank has a ton of old residue. Either thoroughly flush that tank with the black tank flush valve or get a wand..or both. I usually flush the tank, close the valve and fill with fresh water, then flush again until it runs predominately clear through the elbow. Sometimes I do this 3-4 times until it runs clear. Myself, I'd get the tank wand and do it that way. It seems to be more powerful and thorough.


Good luck!