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Old 05-22-2011, 04:13 PM   #1
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That Smell?

So today I started doing the "do first before the first trip" things on my list. I ran the heater to get the burn smell done, ran the AC to be sure it works, Checked all lights and electrical stuff...etc.. Next I filled up the fresh water tank to 1/3 and started checking the water systems for leaks and to check the water pump. When I run the water it seems I'm getting air from the black/grey water tank back up through the drains. Even in the galley area. Could this be because the trailer is not sitting level? The nose of the trailer is below the rear at a pretty good angle. Or is this standard when your flushing the water system for the first time.

Any help would be great! We have our first trip this weekend so i want everything to be tested and working.
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Old 05-22-2011, 05:23 PM   #2
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Is the grey tank nearly full of water? I fso it could be backing up. What kind of smell are you getting? A trailer that has not been used yet there should not be any septic smells anyway. The black tank only services the toilet so no odors from that should be coming up through the drains. The plumbing system is supposed to be vented to keep out those odors if it has been used.
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Old 05-22-2011, 06:40 PM   #3
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Well...its never been used and it smells like sewage.It may just be the smell of the plastic tanks before the first flush. I;ll flush the tank again and see if it returns.
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Old 05-22-2011, 06:45 PM   #4
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make sure you have run water down all your sink drains so the P traps are full
otherwise the smell can come thru the drains
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Old 05-22-2011, 06:47 PM   #5
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OK that`s got me stumped. Yeah, use it for a weekend and see if it becomes an issue. I`m thinking not. I have heard of bathroom fans pulling sewage odors up from the black tank, or pulling them in from the outside vent, but your Black tank has not even been christened yet!
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Old 05-22-2011, 07:53 PM   #6
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You need to follow the instructions and sanitize the system before you use it. I just got done with my first trip this weekend and decided to read the book last week and found that in the owners manual.
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Old 05-22-2011, 07:58 PM   #7
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I don't understand why air would come up the drain. Well at least not enough to be noticed as a problem. I did discover my dump valves were open when I got my trailer. May be worth a check.
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Old 05-22-2011, 09:19 PM   #8
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drop the inside cover for the Air Conditioner and tighten the bolts.. see the thread on RV Recalls here...
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Old 05-22-2011, 10:13 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by etep571190 View Post
I don't understand why air would come up the drain. Well at least not enough to be noticed as a problem. ...
Objectionable odors can occur from the toilet under these conditions. Here's what happens:

First of all, your bathroom vent has to be equipped with a high CFM fan like a Fantastic Fan, Turbo-Maxx or other manufacturer. They can really move some air. In fact, these types of fans are the RV version of the attic fans you sometimes find in the hallways of homes.

The fan in the bathroom must be running, turned up pretty high and be in exhaust mode (most bathroom fans are already set that way to draw excess moisture out of the bathroom when you use the shower).

As in most RVs, the bathroom door is normally open when it's not occupied so the fan has no problem drawing air through the door's opening.

But when someone goes into the bathroom and closes the door, the fan now has a limited opening of about an inch or two between the bottom (or top or sometimes both) of the bathroom door and the floor (and/or ceiling) in which to draw air through- not enough to satisfy the air appetite of the fan. Due to the shortage of air, a drop in air pressure forms in the bathroom, but it's so slight that it won't even be noticed.

If the toilet is flushed while under these conditions, the sudden rush of water traveling down the pipe leading from the toilet to the holding tank forms a seal to prevent any odors from coming back up the pipe. However, once everything's gone down, there's nothing but air in the pipe and the small amount of rinse water now going down. With nothing to create a seal, the reduced air pressure in the bathroom causes the higher pressure air (and odors) in the holding tank to travel up the pipe and into the bathroom. This process stops once you allow the blade to close on the toilet.

There are a number of solutions to prevent this from happening but here are two easy ones. Before flushing:
  1. Momentarily turn off the fan
  2. Open the bathroom door
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