Black tank odor

[Babe2201]

When you flush, is your ceiling vent fan running. If so, turn it off first before flushing. That fan will suck air (backwards), from the roof vent, into the black tank, and then the air "draw" will suck up the black tank odors up through the open valve in the toilet when you flush.

So, turn that fan off.

As far as keeping your black tank cleaned out, you should start back-flushing the grey tank into the black tank, EVERY time you dump your black tank. It's easy to do and it keeps the black tank cleaned out. And takes no extra water to do it.

How do you do that?

 

[Derby6]

LOL. I think size wise I am in same boat. If I find out it’s fixable and not too impossible I may go that route.

 

[JudyJB]

Just because the water came out clear, does not mean it dissolved and flushed out all the old, hardened gunk. Can you see straight down from your toilet into this tank? Turn water off, open flush valve in toilet, and look down with a flashlight. If you can see the bottom, it might tell you what is there. Also, try using a metal rod of some sort to stir stuff up if you can.

Also, my trick was to fill tank about 1/3 full and find an isolated road where i can swerve, stop hard, accelerate hard briefly, etc. (Road needs to be isolated so people will not think you are nuts or drunk.) In other words, you are stirring the tank via your driving. THEN, try dumping it again and see if more stuff comes out.

 

[Derby6]

How do you do that?

Waste pipe support too short?

See post #50

 

[Derby6]

Just because the water came out clear, does not mean it dissolved and flushed out all the old, hardened gunk. Can you see straight down from your toilet into this tank? Turn water off, open flush valve in toilet, and look down with a flashlight. If you can see the bottom, it might tell you what is there. Also, try using a metal rod of some sort to stir stuff up if you can.

Also, my trick was to fill tank about 1/3 full and find an isolated road where i can swerve, stop hard, accelerate hard briefly, etc. (Road needs to be isolated so people will not think you are nuts or drunk.) In other words, you are stirring the tank via your driving. THEN, try dumping it again and see if more stuff comes out.

Agreed but I can see down in my tank and it was crystal clear. I did exactly what you said when I drove around for an hour yesterday I do a really good job. Proof is how clean it came out.

 

[Derby6]

I ordered mine from Amazon about 4 years ago. Unfortunately due to wall clearance the Aqua Magic V is the only toilet made that will fit our small bath so we had to stick with the same model. If you have more clearance you have the option of choosing a better toilet. I was hoping you'd try and fix it though just so I';d know if it were possible! We ordered a new one because ours had several issues plus we did not want to deal with cleaning up someone else's old toilet.

Searching interwebs and Amazon I see flush valves but no flush arms or gasket/seal kits. Pretty sure new toilet is only option.

 

[Rene T]

Why not just remove the toilet which will only take a few minutes. Then tape a piece of plastic over the hole and see if the smell goes away. It would be a shame to go through changing out the toilet only to find the same issue with a new one. Then you won’t be able to return it.

You said the smell is in a certain area. Could it be that some rodent died inside the wall? Have you had mice problems and set out some poison?

 

[NY_Dutch]

I replaced the Aqua-Magic V in both our previous and current motorhomes with a Thetford Aqua-Magic Style Plus porcelain bowl toilet. Both were easy installs with just minor mods to the water lines. The Style Plus uses a standard residential toilet seat and a foot pedal flush.

https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-34429-Aqua-Magic-Style-Toilet-High/dp/B000BGK2V0/

 

[Kirk]

I can get to town to get a new toilet.

If you do go that route, please keep us posted about the result as other folks experiences help all of us lean new things.

I did exactly what you said when I drove around for an hour yesterday I do a really good job.

When you did that, did you use any sort of detergent in the water you had in the tank? I have found that laundry detergents work pretty well.

 

[Rene T]

If you do change out the toilet, I’ve been told to use a floor seal that is foam and not wax. They say foam will take the flexing in a rv better than a wax seal. I don’t know that first hand. Only what I’ve heard.

 

[Babe2201]

Waste pipe support too short?

See post #50

Thank you.

 

[Derby6]

Why not just remove the toilet which will only take a few minutes. Then tape a piece of plastic over the hole and see if the smell goes away. It would be a shame to go through changing out the toilet only to find the same issue with a new one. Then you won’t be able to return it.

You said the smell is in a certain area. Could it be that some rodent died inside the wall? Have you had mice problems and set out some poison?

That’s kind of what I did. See posts 16 and 19. Things been good since.

I replaced the Aqua-Magic V in both our previous and current motorhomes with a Thetford Aqua-Magic Style Plus porcelain bowl toilet. Both were easy installs with just minor mods to the water lines. The Style Plus uses a standard residential toilet seat and a foot pedal flush.

https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-34429-Aqua-Magic-Style-Toilet-High/dp/B000BGK2V0/

Space limited so went with Aqua VI. Will go home Friday and bring back with me Sunday—hopefully I can get it in with limited tools parts etc. I saw in comments many had to extend water line so I need to prepare for that.

If you do go that route, please keep us posted about the result as other folks experiences help all of us lean new things.

When you did that, did you use any sort of detergent in the water you had in the tank? I have found that laundry detergents work pretty well.

Will Do.
And yes I put a lot of the TST cleaner in there. Came out really clean. Made me feel like my years of really rinsing paid off.

If you do change out the toilet, I’ve been told to use a floor seal that is foam and not wax. They say foam will take the flexing in a rv better than a wax seal. I don’t know that first hand. Only what I’ve heard.

Good to know will have to see what it comes with and if I can switch out.

 

[bigb56]

Searching interwebs and Amazon I see flush valves but no flush arms or gasket/seal kits. Pretty sure new toilet is only option.

Maybe before you toss the old toilet take a look and see if it would be possible to fabricate a foam gasket then pack some more grease in there? Just for future reference I mean.

 

[BigskyJoe]

Long time lurker.

Just went thru this 2 weeks ago with an aqua magic. Pulled toilet and taped off flange, smell was gone. Replaced the foam gasket, instructions said to put body weight on toilet to compress and snug flange nuts

However when I sat the toilet with new gasket on flange it went tight to the floor with no resistance. Odor came right back

Made sure I had correct replacement gasket, which I did. My wife had been wanting a taller toilet anyway, so after pulling it 4 times, I hit up CW.

Set new toilet with its new gasket, had to use body to compress gasket, all was well, smell is no more.

Joe

 

[Derby6]

Long time lurker.

Just went thru this 2 weeks ago with an aqua magic. Pulled toilet and taped off flange, smell was gone. Replaced the foam gasket, instructions said to put body weight on toilet to compress and snug flange nuts

However when I sat the toilet with new gasket on flange it went tight to the floor with no resistance. Odor came right back

Made sure I had correct replacement gasket, which I did. My wife had been wanting a taller toilet anyway, so after pulling it 4 times, I hit up CW.

Set new toilet with its new gasket, had to use body to compress gasket, all was well, smell is no more.

Joe

Wonder if it was your flush gasket like mine. Not the main floor gasket.

 

[BigskyJoe]

Wonder if it was your flush gasket like mine. Not the main floor gasket.

It's possible. The main floor gasket was pretty cracked across its width from age, didn't make any sense why the replacement gasket had no resistance when setting toilet.

Most importantly, the wife is happy with the taller toilet, and the stench of death is gone

 

[rvlifer]

This thread makes me wonder why people are afraid of the smell from composting toilets

 

[Derby6]

This thread makes me wonder why people are afraid of the smell from composting toilets

Not afraid. Just all my rigs set up with plumbed water and black tanks. Dumb to try and redo all that for a composting toilets. They have a use but not for how I use my trailers. I suspect many if not most have same thoughts.

 

[rvlifer]

Not afraid. Just all my rigs set up with plumbed water and black tanks. Dumb to try and redo all that for a composting toilets. They have a use but not for how I use my trailers. I suspect many if not most have same thoughts.

I was referring to every review worrying about the smell. People seem to be worried about it.

 

[Kirk]

And yes I put a lot of the TST cleaner in there.

Probably the very best cleaner to use in a waste tank is TSP from Amazon or any home supply that has wallpaper. I have used it many times with good results but found that laundry detergent works nearly as well and is one less thing to carry. Since what I put into my waste tanks isn't very sanitary, I don't worry about sanitizing the inside of the tanks.