tank smell

[Michael Marcocchio]

Hello I am looking for some advise I picked up my coach from storage in the states I am in Alberta Canada after couple days of traveling back to Canada I noticed black tank smells in washroom and in storage compartments. I fluished tank several times checked for leaks none found smell is there with little in the tank. I do have funny looking T tops on my vents any ideasAlso I tried to use my hyd jacks after staorage they worked before and when I tried to put them down it started then stopped lites are on the panel but noting working down below I checked pump it works am I missing a in wire fuse as C/B are all fine.

[Joel Ashley]

Hi Michael.

I won't speak to your jack issue since I don't use hydraulic levelers.  But regarding the odor, the first thing I'd do is make sure my sink traps all have water in them, and don't forget the shower drain.  When tanks are dumped, the suction can empty the traps, although theoretically the auto vents on each should prevent that.  The traps could have dried out over the storage time too. Don't forget any washer-dryer drain as well.

Next, you may have to check whether some critter or something has plugged off one of the pipes venting to those "T"s on the roof.  Others here may supply you with a technique for that check, as I haven't had the problem before;  instinctively, I'd run a 12 ft semi-stiff wire down from the roof, but that may not be best.

And make sure the FantasticVent closest to the tank roof vents isn't somehow serving to draw odor into the rig.  Also be sure the toilet ball valve closes entirely;  water in the bowl should not drain down significantly while it is closed.  Ours leaks and I have the new seals I need to install before we go on the next trip, but the small leak doesn't really allow smells to come in that way.  Nevertheless, seals can dry out, age, and fail.

There is also an anti-siphon valve or vacuum break under our toilet room sink that is associated with the tank flush system, and as I recall it can fail, stick open, and allow odors in.

Joel

[Michael Marcocchio]

Hello ty for your reply I checked the auto vents both are working and we have water in the pea traps the ball is leaking I need to get a new seal which requires me to remove the whole assembly to replace the seal which I will do after I get a new seal but the smell in the storage area confuses me I am doing to check the vents and see if they are blocked and possibly install new caps.I do believe I have a vent problem. Thankyou for now.

[Adam Hicklin]

Michael, I think I have some of the same problems.  

I have a strange odor in the storage area that has been there since I bought the coach in December.  I can't say it's a waste tank smell, and it's not really a diesel smell, and it's really not a bad smell, but it's a smell.  On the other hand, on our trip last weekend, when I turned on the vent fan in the bathroom, I got a definite black tank smell.  I made sure all the traps had water.  The fan was blowing out (the only way it does) The only thing I noticed, and I was going to ask here, is that in the toilet bowl, just under the rim, there are two holes, about 3/4 in diameter.  They look similar to the overflow hole in a sink.  If that's what they are, it would make sense that air could be sucked from the black tank through these holes as there wouldn't be a trap.  If that's the case, this is a horrible design.  I didn't get a chance to actually fill the bowl and see if that is, in fact, what they are.  The toilet is a Traveler something or other.  Can't recall off the top of my head.  I just blamed the smell on the kids.  

Anyone have any idea?

As always, much appreciated.  

[Joel Ashley]

Adam, I'd guess the rim holes you are looking at are ports where flush water enters the bowl.  If the smell occurs when the fan draws air out, then you may need a new seal kit for the flush mechanism in the bowl bottom, like Michael apparently does.  That can be made obvious if the bowl won't hold water for any amount of time.  Camping World has a "universal" seal kit, but you should know your brand and model just in case.

Strange bay odors often come from things in there getting wet that shouldn't.  Find and eliminate the wet material and repair any water intrusion source.  My built in vacuum's bag got inundated due to a remote drain leak last summer.  The soggy bag and its contents stunk up the adjacent bay for days before I discovered it, and it took several more days of leaving the bays open to diminish the residual odor that I think tends to permeate the bay carpet liner.  I also ran a small fan in the bay with doors open.  I used some Febreze, but that stuff's perfume is nearly as bad as the original smell.  There are products that use pumice chunks in mesh bags that absorb odors, and "recharge" in sunlight.  They've worked for me to some degree, but a good long airing out, with a fan to help, does the most good.

Michael, you might want to repost your jack question in a separate new thread, as it may have gotten lost in this one, and I'd like to see someone try to answer it for you.

Joel

[Keith Moffett]

Hi Michael and all.
We have the same problem and it can get bad on a warm day.  We did find the soluon for ours.  simple use a pop botte with water and a bit of tank enzyme in it and pour about 1/2 down the drain for the washer/dryer.  This is acessed in the storage cabinet in the bathroom.  We have shelves and the bottom one has a finger hole in the back to lift it out.
If you do this every few days there may be no problem.  Works for us!

Keith

[Larry Fisk]

Hey Joel, We are also having this problem behind th washer/dryer combo. Gets really bad when traveling sometimes. A friend mentioned to me the ant-siphon valve you mention in this thread. Could it be behind the washer in our 2005 Thunder and if so how do you fix it??

[Tom and Pam Brown]

I had a similar issue.  I installed the cyclone vent on my cap and have not had the problem since.  

This may not cure your issue, but it worked for me and the DW quit looking at me with disdain.

[Larry Fisk]

Sounds like what I need alright. My normally sweet wife was not a happy camper this last trip!!

[Michael Marcocchio]

Hello when we bought our unit we had the washer dryer removed so ours doesn't have one.

[Joel Ashley]

Larry-

If your washer is positioned nearly over the water utilities bay area, I suppose the Sani-Flush vacuum break valve assembly could be behind it, but our washer is in the bedroom rear corner, some distance from the water bay.  Our toilet room sink is above the bay, and the break is in the sink cabinet on a wall.  I could swear there was a thread here on the Forum last year where others discussed replacing that valve, but darned if I can find it now.  Admittedly I am not as versed on this device as I'd like, and others more knowledgeable are invited to speak up here.

It is a cast metal device with a metal cap mounted in plastic water lines that go from the Sani-Flush hose connector in the bay to ultimately the rinse nozzles in the black tank.  If working properly, it should keep water and gases from draining from nozzles inside the tank backward to the hose connector.  My concept is that if it fails, tank gases can enter the coach via the valve's vent, but I'm not sure;  I'd think a failure would also be evident by leak back at the connector following a flush when you remove the hose.

The other anti vacuum valve is quite different, is part of the black ABS drain system, and is called Auto Vent.  One should be at the top of a short, straight vertical pipe section just downstream from each trap, sinks, washer, and shower.  It has elongated vent holes and is supposed to allow air in when you dump tanks, so the traps don't empty, but it's not supposed to let gray tank gas coming the other direction get through those vent holes and into the coach.  Though rare, I guess they can fail to work that way, getting stuck in the open position.  The one for our shower doesn't work well, is hard to get at to fix, so after dumping gray water I have to remember to run a couple cups of water down the shower drain to refill the trap, or we get a gray tank smell in the rig soon after.

Michael, just because your washer was removed, doesn't mean they removed the trap and Auto Vent when capping the drain;  I wouldn't have, in case someone ever wanted another washer installed.  So even without a machine in place, a failed Auto Vent could leak gas into your rig there.

Joel

[Kirk Foster]

Do you have a macerator pump? The Thetford 3" black hose is notorious for odor in the compartments.

[Michael Marcocchio]

Hello I looked for the washer lines and they built a lined cupboard where washer and dryer was could only guess where those lines are now found only 2 auto vent controls removed and chercked both working as they should don;t know where the shower one is or the washer one I need to be there when thery built the coach  to find their locations.I search contuines lol Tahnks for now.

[Adam Hicklin]

Joel, I don't think the holes I mentioned are for water inlet in the toilet.  The water comes in to the bowl through several small holes under the rim.  These two are big, about 3/4 inch in diameter, on the side of the bowl.  I'll try to take a picture tomorrow.  Best I can tell, no water comes out.  I'll try to fill the bowl to the top tomorrow and see if they are drain holes.  The seal seam fine.  Holds water and I always keep enough waterin there to cover the seal.  More investigation is in order.  As far as the bay odor, no idea.  I don't see any evidence of moisture.  I'll try the pumice absorber though.  Sounds like good advice.  

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Michael,
These work and will solve your problem if the odor is coming from the tanks. (From a previous post)

I replaced the aerodynamic style tank vent caps recently with caps that have solar powered exhaust fans. After about a month of traveling, we find them very effective. With the previous vents we would sometimes get a black tank odor when staying stationary for a few days. I rebuilt the toilet but that didn't help. The new vent caps seem to have solved the problem.
http://www.ultra-fab.com/new_detail2.cfm?productid=96

Steve