Bad cabin smell from new Solar instalation

w9det · 04-20-2003, 06:40 AM

After new twin 75 watt solar panels were installed (love them) on the rear top edges of the trailer apparently a back draft was caused in my stand pipe. The right rear panel is about 2 inches from the rear of the stand pipe. I had only driven 10 miles after instalation and the what appeared to be black water smell filled the trailer interior. Airstream thinks it is grey water smell. Not good! A road side temporary fix was to put some tape across the front of the stack. Helped about 80 percent. I believe the smell is coming from the anti siphon valves under both sinks. I have been experimenting with taping one off. Then the other. I tried different configurations of tape on the stack. One sugestion was to put a baffle in front of the stack. Because of the wind prabably a V design might make it stronger. Campers World sells a T type stack top that claims to be for this problem. The anti siphon valves under the sink are weird. Just a little rubber gasket between you and the odor. I wonder what the hazard would be to cap them. Airstream said it is code and it stops girgeling in the pipes. Seems like a health hazard waiting to happen.
Has anyone tried the T styple cap. Everything seems tight, water stays in the toliet, no leaks. Pipes tight.

Chas · 04-20-2003, 08:34 PM

I had a bad cabin smell last weekend or so in my Overlander but the wife traced it down to me, must of been that good ole San Antonio mexican food!

Seriously now, it sounds like somehow you are getting pressure down your sewer vents, how much, who knows. Maybe enough to push the water out of the traps?, I doubt it. The little caps you are talking about are one way vents, Nova Vents, which are supposed to pull air in as water flows thru the pipes, they shouldn't allow any gases back out. ( unless there is indeed too much pressure on them) I would check all the plumbing fittings, especially on the black tank. I wouldn't think the grey water system could be stinking that bad.

Chas

Pahaska · 04-20-2003, 10:48 PM

Chas:

Quote:

The little caps you are talking about are one way vents, Nova Vents, which are supposed to pull air in as water flows thru the pipes, they shouldn't allow any gases back out.

I think the vents he is talking about are gray and black tank vents that are open to the air to allow gasses from the tanks to vent to the atmosphere rather than inside the trailer. Air shouldn't be sucked in those vents except briefly as the tanks are dumped.

My parts catalog lists the caps simply as "VENT PIPE COVER, WHITE" and "GASKET VENT PIPE" with the addition of "WIRE HARDWARE CLOTH (SCREEN UNDER COVER)".

**john hd** · 04-21-2003, 06:37 AM

john irwin

i believe they are talking about the vents under the sink. and the vent on the roof. (the roof vent is pushing air out of the vent under the sink as the wind blows across it.)

i had this pic prepped for another post but i'll use it here.

it should explain a little. the small arrow on the top is the nova vent.

john

w9det · 04-21-2003, 07:28 AM

I think for $3 at Campers World the T cap might be worth trying. I believe the T is also a bit taller and would get the air flow up over the solar panel.

thenewkid64 · 04-21-2003, 07:37 AM

here is another option.

360 degree vent

I know nothing of the product. I came across the site in my web surfing

Chas · 04-21-2003, 09:27 AM

Yes,

John and John,

!! (great pic btw johnhd) I was referring to the ones under the sink, the Nova Vents. They are somewhat unaccepted in the building trades, meant to be used where there is absolutely no other way to create a proper vent which is plumbed up thru the roof or whatever to the outside. Most of the older A/S's didn't have them and the sink drain just went on towards the back and caught a proper vent thru the closets or bathroom plumbing. I guess you could delete them and see what happens, probably a bit of gurgling and perhaps a slower drain.

Chas

Chas · 04-21-2003, 10:21 AM

That 360 degree vent looks cool! Strange, but cool! But how are you supposed to attach them or any other device to an A/S vent stack that has the cast aluminum collars covering the pipes? At least the vintage ones like mine, not sure if they still use them on the later models?

Chas