Black tank question

[CP]

I just added a little water via my flush system to the black tank which was 1/4 full, not closer to 1/2.
Once I finished I noticed black tank odor from outside the rig.  My question is this normal? Or does it
indicate some kind of leak? The inside of the MH seemed OK.  It was a pretty calm evening when I did this.

I have a 31ft 2011 Fleetwood Terra Ts Class A motorhome.

Thanks for your help.

CP

 

[1joester2]

The "scent" spreads via the rooftop vent.


Just like opening a bottle of perfume inside the RV where there is no breeze, the smell will spread.


Normal.

 

[tnguy]

1joester2 is correct .. when you pushed water into the tank it pushed stinky fumes out the roof vent and there must have not been much breeze to blow it away.... one comment to add,,, PUT more deodoriser in the tank because when you flush inside the smell goes outside and your neighbors dont want to smell it either

 

[Ernie n Tara]

The above may be correct, but more likely is that the "pile" is above the water level. We never use any deodorant and normally have absolutely no odor. On the rare occasions we do have bad odors, adding water cures the problem.

Ernie

 

[Rich D.]

The above may be correct, but more likely is that the "pile" is above the water level. We never use any deodorant and normally have absolutely no odor. On the rare occasions we do have bad odors, adding water cures the problem.

Ernie

I don't believe that a "pile" is to blame because the odor would have already been present if that was the cause. If there was no odor at 1/4 tank and you added water to 1/2 tank, you had to push air out the vent. In rare, very calm situations, the odors pushed up the vent may be detected outside. You may also, if there was a breeze, gotten a whiff of another campers vent or sewer located up-wind.  Properly vented black tanks usually produce no odor detectable inside or out. Some folks use chemicals, some folks do not. Some even flush and scrub them out like they are going to use them for something else next time!  I prefer to use a small amount of tissue digester/deodorizer, have for 25 years and will continue to do so. Never had a problem in all those years using regular TP and even septic safe flushable wipes. I use a few gallons of Gray water to back-flush into the Black tank and a clear plastic elbow to assure the Black tanks runs clean.  In a previous post I explained the easy way to do this and was put down by a couple of posters that said it wouldn't work for some "scientific" reason. I can assure you it does work for me and has for years on several different coaches. 

Quick flush instructions:

1. Connect to sewer using a clear adapter of some sort at the dump connection, before the hose. (45*, 90* or straight.)
2. Dump Black tank and leave valve open.
3. Open Gray valve for a few seconds then close. You will see water that back flushed into the black tank come back out carrying additional waste with it.
4. Repeat #3 until it runs gray only.
5. Close the Black valve and open the Gray valve to dump the remaining gray water and rinse the rose with Gray.
6. You are done.

This works because the Gray tank level is higher than the bottom of the Black tank and back pressure from trying to push the Gray down the sewer hose is more than what is required to enter the Black tank.