Leaving Grey Drain Open at Camp?

[bdreinv]

Only had an Oder problem one time in ten years.Best we can figure the vent for the black tank got plugged some how!Filled an dumped black tank about 4 times no more oder.Always leave valves closed!

[jloco]

I leave my grey valve open at our seasonal site from mid May till October. I've never had any odor problems. I closed it this past weekend for the winter. Before closing for the season, I fill the grey tank with hot water and some soap and let it sit for a while before dumping and closing.

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by tjpolsin

Keep them closed unless dumping.

Yep.

[Chet & Marie]

Tom 46 thanks for posting the video. I always have kept the valves closed until dump time and after watching the video, always will.

[DonaandDon]

Full time camping for 10 years, 3 5rs. When full hook ups are available, Always leave grey tank valves open.

[robert9999]

Keep them closed until dumping. It’s campground etiquette. When left open the septic tank odors can travel back & up through your vent tubes on the roof & smell up the rest of the place. Also you don’t have to worry about wildlife crawling up your drains & into your tanks

[raymoe3641]

I “make a trap”with my sewer hose when laying it out to the sewer connection. Just let the hose lay on the ground for a few inches before laying it in the hose support tray. Works like a charm!!

[wags999]

Ive stayed in over 60 campgrounds, from one night to 6 months. Always leave the gray open unless im only staying one night. Working at campgrounds and digging sewer pipes up and replacing sections I have NEVER seen a sewer rat (this isn't your big city) or "critters" or even bugs in any of them. As far as a sewer backing up and backing up in your RV... think about it, your RV is several feet higher than all the sewer connections...not gonna happen. If I didn't have a black tank flush I would close it for a day or two (we take showers daily) then dump black and flush out with grey. But since I do have black tank flush I don't bother to ever close the grey until leaving. I flush the black tank once or twice a week, never use chemicals and have never had any odor. There is no right or wrong answer, but reasons can be wrong. I will typically have a dip creating a P trap in my line, so, making it very difficult for anything critter or odors to get back into the RV.

Good Luck...

[Bullitt6283]

I like to have some grey water saved up, so that when I dump the black tank I have something to flush the hose with.


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[1SG Pete]

We found that if you run the power vents to bring fresh air into the Camper, the black water vent pipes are very close to the power vent and will it have the tendency to draw the escaping sewer gases back into the camper. The bathroom power vent will only blow out. I assume this is to keep that from happening.
Since it is just the two of us, we don't even hook the drain lines up until we are ready to dump which we do when one of the tanks shows full. And as every one else says, we drain the black first and flush the lines with the gray afterwards.
We too have the problem of the grey water tank indicator showing always 1/2 full after emptying it. As some one said on here, we are going to try the dish soap in the tank to see if this will clean the gage in the tank.

[ctbailey]

Originally Posted by silverta16

My new to me 184BH, camping this weekend with full hookups left the grey valve open for the girls endless showers. Horrible odor came up from the kitchen sink and shower drains. I assumed a Pea trap should prevent this. Do I have a problem or is this something that can happen? Do you leave your grey drains open or just dump when needed? I guess maybe my neighbors were pushing harder than I was LOL.

Just make your own P-Trap in the sewer hose.


Using some of the slinky-stands, break the accordian stand into two sections, and let the slinky hose droop into a P shape. It will fill with grey water, and you won't get any stink from the sewer.


Depending on how good the septic system is... your camper might have been acting as the "High Vent" for the overall system.


By drooping the slinky, you create the water trap you need.


I straighten it out before I dump black tank.