Sewer smell in trailer and under kitchen sink
We have a new to us (2014) travel trailer and have had it out 3 times so far this year. It's a smaller trailer (22 ft.) and therefore has a small black water holding tank (I believe 26 gallon). We a...
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Most don't realize that the gray tank can smell something awful also. As mentioned, you4 problem is probably the AAV and needs to be replaced.
However, I have to jump in here with my usual rant on chemicals. In my, and many others, opinion....chemicals just aren't needed. If you have an odor, you have a problem with a leak, broken seal, plugged vent pipe, or in this case, a faulty AAV. Chemicals just "mask" the odor and does nothing to repair the problem.
The key is water! Before traveling, rinse out the tank the best your can and then put in a couple of gallons of water and add a cup of laundry soap (I use liquid Oxy-Clean) and a capfull of liquid Calgon water softener. During the traveling the sloshing solution will wash down the inside of the tank and the water softener will coat it with a slick film that is resistant to "stuff" sticking to it. Once at your destination, drain and rinse the tank once more and add a couple of gallons of water back into the tank. Never, never leave the tank without water in it.
You can do the same with the gray tank, except since they don't have a rinse system, you have to make do without it.
Do the same procedure again when you head home and rinse once you are.
I've had many different rv's, from pop-up to my current motor home and have always used the same procedure. My tanks do not smell in the rv and my tank level gauges work perfectly
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Ron
However, I have to jump in here with my usual rant on chemicals. In my, and many others, opinion....chemicals just aren't needed. If you have an odor, you have a problem with a leak, broken seal, plugged vent pipe, or in this case, a faulty AAV. Chemicals just "mask" the odor and does nothing to repair the problem.
The key is water! Before traveling, rinse out the tank the best your can and then put in a couple of gallons of water and add a cup of laundry soap (I use liquid Oxy-Clean) and a capfull of liquid Calgon water softener. During the traveling the sloshing solution will wash down the inside of the tank and the water softener will coat it with a slick film that is resistant to "stuff" sticking to it. Once at your destination, drain and rinse the tank once more and add a couple of gallons of water back into the tank. Never, never leave the tank without water in it.
You can do the same with the gray tank, except since they don't have a rinse system, you have to make do without it.
Do the same procedure again when you head home and rinse once you are.
I've had many different rv's, from pop-up to my current motor home and have always used the same procedure. My tanks do not smell in the rv and my tank level gauges work perfectly
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Ron
