Gray water tank sewer smell

Jerry713 · 09-04-2022, 05:30 PM

I have a 2021 Jay Flight 33RBTS. It has 2 gray water tanks- one for the bathroom and the other gray water tank (I presume) is for the sink in the outdoor kitchen only. I haven't used the sink much at all just to wash my hands a few times. I drain this tank after each trip but not much comes out due to its use. Yesterday I opened the outdoor kitchen door and the sewer smell almost made me sick. The smell was clearly coming from the sink in the outdoor kitchen. This is the first time this has happened. I haven't used the sink in the outdoor kitchen recently so this gray water tank is empty. I checked the tank drain valves and they were all closed. Both the black water tank and the primary gray water tank. I did dump those tanks but the smell coming out of the outdoor kitchen sink didn't go away. And nothing at all came out of the secondary gray water tank.

Any thoughts on why I'm smelling the strong sewer smell? Thankfully it's not smelling like this inside the camper.

**norty1** · 09-04-2022, 05:51 PM

Make sure there is water in the trap associated with that sink. It can evaporate and that opens the grey tank to your kitchen......Maybe

Jerry713 · 09-04-2022, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

Make sure there is water in the trap associated with that sink. It can evaporate and that opens the grey tank to your kitchen......Maybe

Yep I did see water in the trap of the outdoor kitchen sink.

CAG · 09-04-2022, 06:45 PM

Gray tanks can smell worse than black due to the organic matter that accumulates in them. they need to be treated much like black tanks with Happy Camper and the like. Give them a dose of that and a few days to allow the material to do it's magic then drain.

garywilson · 09-04-2022, 07:29 PM

I can let you know of a catfish bait. Open the lid, you won't notice the sewer smell.
Just a thought.

Check air admittance valve.
Or, you could try this to help pull odors away:
https://www.amazon.com/Rotating-Sewe...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Onyrlef · 09-05-2022, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry713

I have a 2021 Jay Flight 33RBTS. It has 2 gray water tanks- one for the bathroom and the other gray water tank (I presume) is for the sink in the outdoor kitchen only. I haven't used the sink much at all just to wash my hands a few times. I drain this tank after each trip but not much comes out due to its use. Yesterday I opened the outdoor kitchen door and the sewer smell almost made me sick. The smell was clearly coming from the sink in the outdoor kitchen. This is the first time this has happened. I haven't used the sink in the outdoor kitchen recently so this gray water tank is empty. I checked the tank drain valves and they were all closed. Both the black water tank and the primary gray water tank. I did dump those tanks but the smell coming out of the outdoor kitchen sink didn't go away. And nothing at all came out of the secondary gray water tank.

Any thoughts on why I'm smelling the strong sewer smell? Thankfully it's not smelling like this inside the camper.

How is the outdoor sink vented? If by anti-siphon device/trap vent, it's entirely possible the spring loaded check valve is stuck open or the seal has deformed. Ordinarily it only opens when a mild suction is created as water drains toward the gray tank.

ARoamer · 09-05-2022, 05:28 AM

Check for roof vent obstructions.
Check the waterless trap if so equipped, it may be stuck open.

Marcm157 · 09-05-2022, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onyrlef

How is the outdoor sink vented? If by anti-siphon device/trap vent, it's entirely possible the spring loaded check valve is stuck open or the seal has deformed. Ordinarily it only opens when a mild suction is created as water drains toward the gray tank.

My RBTS has a waterless trap.

**norty1** · 09-05-2022, 06:55 AM

It has to be a trap , an air admittance valve or a loosely sealed pipe. There is not much more that could be wrong.

HINT: follow the smell.

Jerry713 · 09-05-2022, 07:02 AM

Thanks guys the sink has a trap same as Marcm157. Unfortunately I keep the camper at an RV park hours from home and won't be back at the camper for a couple weeks so it may be a while before I can figure this out.

Jerry713 · 09-15-2022, 05:24 AM

Wanted to post an update. Was able to look into this a little more and I believe it turned out to be nothing more than some odor issues for two reasons.

First reason- I keep our camper at an RV park for several months at a time so the sewer hose is elevated off the ground on a make shift wood support that the RV park has in place. We've had a lot of rain the past month and the ground is soft. The wood sewer hose support shifted and part of the hose was sagging which I didn't notice this so when I dumped my tanks not all the water drained out so some smells did back up into the rear holding tank and eventually into the camper. Also (second reason) is this rear holding tank had some food in it. As I mentioned it is the outdoor kitchen tank. My daughter heated up some chili for chili dogs and poured what little was left in the pot down the drain and didn't tell me

. Turns out after a couple of weeks in 100+ degree heat chili doesn't smell very good. After flushing the tank a few times using scent beads and Zep HD degreaser the smell is gone.

**JFlightRisk** · 09-15-2022, 09:38 AM

So glad you found the reasons for the obnoxious smell. I bet no more chili will be rinsed into the tank from now on.

Jaycophil · 09-21-2022, 03:04 PM

In a related topic, I have a 23.2 Jayco TT with a rear bath. When my grey water tanks get full, I notice water gushing out of my bathroom sink like old faithful. It has done that since new. I have always wondered why it doesn’t come out the bathtub drain first or maybe blow out the vent on the roof. Is this normal or is it indicating that the cent or bathtub drain is malfunctioning?? Bathtub drains without issue. Thanks

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