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Old 11-27-2014, 04:48 PM   #1
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Sewer gas smell

We periodically have a sewer gas smell. Any suggestions as to how to eliminate? We did empty the tank.
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Old 11-27-2014, 04:52 PM   #2
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Welcome, Clean and sanitize.
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Old 11-27-2014, 05:26 PM   #3
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Also, make sure you keep some water in the bottom of the bowl at all times. Next, sometimes the vent pipe gets clogged (wasp nests are notorious for this) or some connection/seam in the pipe loosens/breaks allowing sewer gasses to enter the trailer.

Good luck.
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Old 11-27-2014, 05:28 PM   #4
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A friend of mine installed a fantastic fan in the bathroom, after removing the small fan..I told him to crack a window when using the bathroom fan, and all smells went away..
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Old 11-27-2014, 05:33 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by katiemaggie View Post
We periodically have a sewer gas smell. Any suggestions as to how to eliminate? We did empty the tank.
Check the sewer vent pipe cover gaskets.

They only last 2 to 3 years.

Andy
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Old 11-28-2014, 06:31 AM   #6
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And please check for propane leaks. Turn off your propane at the bottles. Open some windows. Then close them back up and check for smells again after a few hours. Propane is heavier than air, so the smell might be worse close to the floor. Some folks have mistaken propane leaks for sewer gas. Neither smell all that great.

I don't store black or gray water in my tanks. Your waste water tanks ought to be empty unless you are traveling. Empty your tanks if you can. Make sure you have liquid in all the traps, sinks, shower, toilet. And yes, get a ladder and make sure your vent pipes are not clogged.

Do these things systematically one at a time so you can better determine what action made the smell go away. Then you'll know what to do to fix it.

David
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Old 11-28-2014, 06:35 AM   #7
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Another possible source is your P-traps. It's hard to keep them full when you're traveling down the road; water can slosh out of them. And an empty p-trap can allow gray tank odors to escape. Yes, your gray tank can smell as well as can the black tank. It's not a bad idea to use the drain stoppers on your sinks and shower pan while en route, to block odors from escaping if your p-traps empty themselves.
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Old 11-28-2014, 07:17 AM   #8
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If there is any residue in the black tank you will get some odor if you are not dropping some deodorant chemicals in and especially if you have a vent open.
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Old 11-28-2014, 07:54 AM   #9
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Check your batteries, a bad battery will produce a smell that smells like sewer.
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Old 11-28-2014, 09:26 AM   #10
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If you have a sewer smell, rubber stoppers in the shower drain solved mine.
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Old 11-28-2014, 05:55 PM   #11
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From on earlier post on a similar topic:

In addition to having the plumbing systems in excellent operating condition, the correct application of negative air to the Airstream will help prevent unpleasant odours from occupying the air space. When the toilet flap is open, ensure that exhaust fans, including Fantastic type cabin vent fans, are not exhausting air. Put them on when the flap is closed. You do not want to extract air from the holding tank into the interior of the Airstream. I also have installed a Cyclone RV Pluming Vent that provides a superior vacuum to the holding tank, ensuring that with a minimum of air movement on the outside of the Airstream, there is negative air supplied to the holding tank. The goal is to provide a path for the gases to exit through the tank vent, not the interior of the Airstream. I also use a bacteria based holding tank solution that works without negative consequences to the environment.

Works for me. Jim




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Old 11-30-2014, 11:09 AM   #12
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There's some great advice here! Keeping your black and grey tanks clean (not just emptied) is key to odor control -- it's the gunk that builds up in the tanks and that can't be removed by emptying that is almost always the cause of persistent odors. There are some professional tank cleaning services out there. Message me and I can provide some references.
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Old 11-30-2014, 12:26 PM   #13
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I agree with Jim Flower. Toilet drain/flap open, any movement of air, bad combination. sucks the sewer gas into the cabin. Try to have enough liquid in the bowl, not to allow direct opening to the tank. Quick rapid flush after adding water to the bowl helps.
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Old 12-02-2014, 02:06 PM   #14
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Check the sewer vent pipe cover gaskets.

They only last 2 to 3 years.

Andy
Went to the dealer in BC and they say they have never heard of them????
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Old 12-02-2014, 07:39 PM   #15
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Went to the dealer in BC and they say they have never heard of them????
WOW!!

We sell almost 1000 (one thousand) per year.

Almost every Airstream owner is not aware, but for those that are, they will gladly attest to the fact, that they only last 2 to 3 years.

Check your's out and see. And when you find them bad, educate your dealer.

Also, many dealers feel that if the wheels are still on your axles, that the axles must be OK.

WRONG.

It's not the steel parts, it's the rubber rods that only last about 25 years.

Rubber, of all sorts, must be exercised to stay alive. Obviously the sewer vent pipe cover gaskets cannot be exercised, therefore their life expectancy is very short.

Just trying to help owners know where rain/snow leaks may be, that they cannot see.

Knowing these OOPS things, saves many headaches, as well as costly repairs.

Andy
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Old 12-03-2014, 05:03 AM   #16
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The outer surface of rubber parts (both butyl and nitrile rubber) undergo the loss of volatile compounds to outgassing. That's why rubber has a distinctive aroma. As you exercise rubber parts, volatile compounds from deeper in the rubber can migrate to the surface to replace what has been lost to the air.

For rubber components that can't be exercised, one treatment that can help extend the life of the rubber is to liberally coat the exposed surfaces with glycerine, available at most grocery stores in the non-prescription drug aisle or in just about any pharmacy. Glycerine is chemically similar to the volatile compounds that have been lost over time, and so old rubber that has been treated with glycerine will be more flexible and last longer. Provided of course that you didn't wait too long to treat the rubber. Once the rubber begins to crack, it's a lost cause and no amount of treatment will extend its life.
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Old 12-03-2014, 05:36 AM   #17
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We add deodorizing chemicals to both the Black and Gray Tanks in both the AS and a Motorhome we have. Eliminated the smells we were getting in the MH.
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Old 12-03-2014, 07:46 AM   #18
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katiemaggie, So where do you stand with diagnosing this problem? Open traps, plugged vents, propane leak, cooked batteries, dirty tanks and parking your trailer over a manhole cover can contribute to this sewer gas smell. Have you found the cause and made a remedy yet?

Let us know how you solved the problem...

Speaking of manhole covers, we have all been in RV parks where folks stick their stinky slinkies into the sewer connection loosely. This will allow sewer gas smells to escape. If we leave old slinky hooked up, it need to be connected tightly.

David
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Old 12-03-2014, 07:55 AM   #19
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Speaking of manhole covers, we have all been in RV parks where folks stick their stinky slinkies into the sewer connection loosely. This will allow sewer gas smells to escape. If we leave old slinky hooked up, it need to be connected tightly.
I'm aware of at least one campground in Mississippi that requires gas-tight sewer connections. If your connection isn't gas-tight, a helpful campground employee will remove your discharge hose, and you can collect it when you pass by the office on your way out so that you can dump your wastes elsewhere.

In all fairness, they tell you the rule when you check in, so if they confiscate your hose for the duration it's your own fault.
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Old 12-03-2014, 08:50 AM   #20
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Nasty stuff, so many details to be aware of.

Using RV anti-freeze in the drain traps not only reduces chances of freeze damage but it evaporates much less to help keep occupied areas healthy.

I had a sewer vent pipe 'drop' inside the shell - the clamps somehow relaxed, or some bigfoot found a way to step on the wrong pipe, and the pipe slid downwards then flopped sideways so fumes were baffled, obstructed, and released into common airspace. I never used the plumbing, doing a tank cleaning to bright plastic was job #1 the week I brought the trailer home... so before discovering this it may have been issuing stack gas for 10's of years. Ewwww.

Anyhow - get up top and check that the black plastic pipe(s) physically protrudes above the roof/gasket line.

Also found were soft dryrotted plywood where the toilet bolted down, leaving poor gasket sealing AND allowing weight to transfer to the holding tank itself which cracked so the split produced an air gap. Keep on the minor maintenance!
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