Sewer smell

[New to rvliving]

The regulator was off my water line for a while and I didn’t have any smells from the toilet. I put it back on and now the black tank smells bad even using the treatment and dumping on a regular basis. Ideas?

 

[Oldgator73]

Wonder what your water regulator would have to do with your black tank.

 

[Rene T]

Welcome to the forum.
I’m Just a little confused. The regulator is usually on a fresh water line to regulate pressur going into the RV. There isn’t one on the sewer drain line. Can you elaborate a little?

Most of us don’t use any treatment in the black tank, just lots of water. Also we allow the tank to fill to around 3/4 before dumping. Then add 5 gallons of water in the tank to continue the breakdown action of any solids left behind.

 

[New to rvliving]

I think it was the amount of water pressure that was able to push everything down

 

[Rene T]

I think it was the amount of water pressure that was able to push everything down

Push everything down where? Everything in a black tank system relies on gravity for the most part except when dumping. You need a large amount of water to swoosh everything down the sewer pipe and hose.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Sewer smell is usually because of a window open when traveling,, or an roof vent open with a breeze that is causing a vacuum inside the coach.. The black tank is vented for this purpose..>>>Dan

 

[SC5thWheeler]

Ways to reduce/eliminate sewer smell:

*keep some water in the toilet all the time. It acts as a vapor barrier

*turn off the bathroom ceiling exhaust fan when you flush. It pulls the "swamp gas" out of the tank into the camper

*don't dump till it's almost full. As someone else said, use lots of water. Don't leave the dump valve open when you have full hookups. That can be a big problem.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

As Rene says, the incoming fresh water pressure just fills the toilet bowl. It doesn't "push" the waste down - that's strictly gravity. But maybe with higher pressure you are getting a bit more water with each flush simply because the human user tends to flush the same amount of time regardless of the incoming flow rate.

Can you describe in more detail when these smells occur? Any aroma between flushes, or only while flushing? Parked vs in-motion? Tank empty vs near-full?

 

[SMR]

What's your procedure for dumping? Do you have a black tank rinser?

 

[New to rvliving]

I have had it rinsed from outside 3 times. My sensors don’t work so I usually dump about once a week

 

[woof-n]

I had a bad drain line vacuum break on my kitchen sink. I only noticed it once in a while. I finally figured out that it happened mostly on windy days, where the wind would pressurize the gray tank from the roof vent and push the smell into the camper though the leaking vacuum break. I don't know this is your problem, but it is a place to look. The easiest way to test this is to put a plastic sandwich bag over the vacuum break with a rubber band to seal it. if the smell goes away, replace it. if not keep looking. Let us know what you find. Good luck. Dennis

 

[Rene T]

We can only help you if you reply to our questions.

 

[SMR]

I have had it rinsed from outside 3 times. My sensors don’t work so I usually dump about once a week

Is this with an in tank rinser or an add on like a Flush King?
Black tank sensors never work.
Are you stationary or do you travel. Maybe when the when the regulator was off the black tank filled all the way and some "stuff" stuck to the top and sides of the tank, maybe.
I would add as much water as you can to the tank to see if it helps get rid of any leftover stuff. If you travel put some ice and dawn dish soap in the tank and that should help clean it.
Only a guess, so as stated above please answer the questions.

 

[Kirk]

What Smells Bad in Here?​

 

[Old_Crow]

If you travel put some ice and dawn dish soap in the tank and that should help clean it.

This again. This totally makes no sense to me, never has.
I have a 50 gallon black tank. Just how much ice do you think I'd have to dump down the toilet with water to make it actually do anything in the tank except melt? I think by the time you dumped 2 or 3 bags of ice down the tank and then added 25 or 30 gallons of water you'd have nothing but cold water in the tank. I feel like this is just another of those old wives' tales of the RV world. The dish soap? Yeah, maybe that, but the ice? Waste of money.

 

[Oldgator73]

but the ice? Waste of money.

Not if you save the waste water when you dump and freeze It. You could then use it next time. It would take a butt ton of ice cube trays though. 😎

 

[Old_Crow]

Not if you save the waste water when you dump and freeze It. You could then use it next time. It would take a butt ton of ice cube trays though. 😎

Heh, I've got a counter-top ice maker. No trays needed.

 

[Kirk]

I'd have to dump down the toilet

Just one more tale from the wonderful world of RV mythology. Fits in with the Geo Method, burping refrigerators, and a host of other popular myths.

 

[SMR]

I will disagree, I dont use bag ice that melts in 5 minutes. I use ice cube trays and make my own, about a dozen trays worth. Dump it in before we leave on a short 2 hour or less drive, I do get more out of the tank than when I just put water in and dump when we get to a location and this is after a real good dumping and flushing. I also don't add any water.
Go ahead and beat me up some more, I will continue to respect my elders.

 

[jackiemac]

Are you sure it's the black tank and not the grey??