VERY strong sewer odor

[mtofell1]

2016 Keystone Hideout, 2 months old. I've used it twice for a couple days each time and emptied the tanks each time and filled with chemicals and a couple gallons of water. In preparation for leaving tomorrow I went out and flushed the toilet and was overtaken by a ridiculously strong black tank odor. It was so "gassy" I felt like it would explode if I lit a match.

I understand all about plumbing and traps and this is my 5th RV. I visually looked at all sink traps and verified they are holding water. While the odor does seem to be strongest at the fixtures it's kind of just all over. Honestly, it's tough to tell where it's coming from (other than the black tank, of course :)) I'm suspicious of a detached vent pipe in the wall. Does this ever happen? How would anyone find it?

I added another bag of chemicals and another gallon or so of water and will recheck in the morning. I'm 99.99% sure I put chemicals in after last draining but I suppose I could have forgotten - new trailer, new routines, etc. but I really don't think I did.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

[kennethwooster]

I went to U Digest it and solved my problems. We also use a lot more water. No more problems.

[avvidclif1]

A touch of food coloring will confirm that what you are pouring in is coming out. Can also be used to figure out which dump handle goes with what tank.

[DrTanTodd]

I had the same problem. I went up and poured 5 gallons of water down he vent - It will go straight into holding tank. Leave your pull handle open and have someone make sure the water your pour down is coming out. It was plugged and after 10 gallons of water being poured down the vent it finally let loose and started to run out the drain.

[4bearhug]

dave17352 wrote:

mtofell1 wrote:
Thanks everyone - OP here. I'm too tired to go back read everything I wrote but never meant to imply I don't use chemicals. After a trip I typically dump and then fill with a few gallons of water and a bag of blue powder. This has worked for the last 10 years. After dumping I don't put any waste in the tank until the next trip out.

As for the big problem at hand it seems to be taken care of for now. Before leaving today I filled the black tank with fresh water to wash around while driving then dumped upon arrival, filled with a few gallons of water and a bag of blue powder. The smell is gone. I don't know what caused it but am suspicious of one of my kids dropping something before we got home 6 weeks ago or while the RV was parked. I've never smelled anything like this...... it wasn't a poop smell at all. It was more a sharp gassy smell. Maybe I need to get my kids to the doctor 🙂

It brings up an interesting question though - how do you leave the black tank when stored? I've just always thrown a few gallons of water in it with a bag of chemicals. I never knew they lost potency. Even if they do, with no waste what's the harm?

I always do as you do and have no problems. Before I winterize I do completely drain and flush the tanks and leave them dry because of freezing. If I didn't have to worry about freezing there would always be water in my holding tanks.

You do realize that you only have to winterize your water supply lines. Your waste water tanks can have some water in them as long as they have some head room for freezing. There really is no need to completely drain all water out of tanks during cold weather. Just like putting a glass half full of water in the freezer.

[leeper]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

leeper wrote:
I have always wondered how people know that Calgon Water softener coates the inside of a black tank and making it slick. Did they cut one open to see? Look in through the toilet and saw it? How do they know it does this? How much Calgon is put in the tank?

Put your hand in the flow as you drain waste tank and see how slick it is from the Calgon.

Simple......

Is that what you did? Not me! You can have the fun of putting your hand in your waste.

[lanerd]

OP... have you ever gone without the little blue packet and just used water?

Ron

[momentum_rv]

After dumping I always add enough water to cover the bottom of the tank (more than a few gallons) and drop in an enzyme packet and then I'm ready for the next trip. Never a problem & no pyramid.

[dave17352]

mtofell1 wrote:
Thanks everyone - OP here. I'm too tired to go back read everything I wrote but never meant to imply I don't use chemicals. After a trip I typically dump and then fill with a few gallons of water and a bag of blue powder. This has worked for the last 10 years. After dumping I don't put any waste in the tank until the next trip out.

As for the big problem at hand it seems to be taken care of for now. Before leaving today I filled the black tank with fresh water to wash around while driving then dumped upon arrival, filled with a few gallons of water and a bag of blue powder. The smell is gone. I don't know what caused it but am suspicious of one of my kids dropping something before we got home 6 weeks ago or while the RV was parked. I've never smelled anything like this...... it wasn't a poop smell at all. It was more a sharp gassy smell. Maybe I need to get my kids to the doctor 🙂

It brings up an interesting question though - how do you leave the black tank when stored? I've just always thrown a few gallons of water in it with a bag of chemicals. I never knew they lost potency. Even if they do, with no waste what's the harm?

I always do as you do and have no problems. Before I winterize I do completely drain and flush the tanks and leave them dry because of freezing. If I didn't have to worry about freezing there would always be water in my holding tanks.

[Old-Biscuit]

leeper wrote:
I have always wondered how people know that Calgon Water softener coates the inside of a black tank and making it slick. Did they cut one open to see? Look in through the toilet and saw it? How do they know it does this? How much Calgon is put in the tank?

Put your hand in the flow as you drain waste tank and see how slick it is from the Calgon.

Simple......

[leeper]

I have always wondered how people know that Calgon Water softener coates the inside of a black tank and making it slick. Did they cut one open to see? Look in through the toilet and saw it? How do they know it does this? How much Calgon is put in the tank?

[mtofell1]

Thanks everyone - OP here. I'm too tired to go back read everything I wrote but never meant to imply I don't use chemicals. After a trip I typically dump and then fill with a few gallons of water and a bag of blue powder. This has worked for the last 10 years. After dumping I don't put any waste in the tank until the next trip out.

As for the big problem at hand it seems to be taken care of for now. Before leaving today I filled the black tank with fresh water to wash around while driving then dumped upon arrival, filled with a few gallons of water and a bag of blue powder. The smell is gone. I don't know what caused it but am suspicious of one of my kids dropping something before we got home 6 weeks ago or while the RV was parked. I've never smelled anything like this...... it wasn't a poop smell at all. It was more a sharp gassy smell. Maybe I need to get my kids to the doctor 🙂

It brings up an interesting question though - how do you leave the black tank when stored? I've just always thrown a few gallons of water in it with a bag of chemicals. I never knew they lost potency. Even if they do, with no waste what's the harm?

[TucsonJim]

Sorry - I did misread your post and somehow my eyes lied to me and told me that you didn't like the environmental concerns of RV chems. My bad.

Jim

[lanerd]

TucsonJim wrote:

lanerd wrote:
I'm also a fan of water only...no rv toilet chemicals. When traveling, the only chemicals I'll use is a cup of Oxy-Clean along with a cap full of Calgon water softener and about five gallons of water. The sloshing of the tank during travel will keep the tank as clean as it's gonna get.


Ron

So what is the formula for Oxy-Clean and Calgon that makes them safer for the environment than RV treatment?? :h

Never said anything about being safer for the environment! Where in the world did you get that from? Classic case of putting words into someone else mouth.

Posted By: leeper on 04/22/16 03:25pm

"using chemicals only masks the odor". Is that right. Gee, I thought that was the idea of using the chemicals. That is not septic tank chemicals you are putting in and the tank is not a septic tank. The Black tank is for short term storage of human waste, a holding tank.

I guess I should have elaborated a little more on this subject. If you have an odor, you have a malfunctioning system and using chemicals does nothing to help fixing that problem. Using a laundry detergent to clean the tank and Calgon water softener to coat the inside of the tank and make it slick will help in eliminating the odors before they begin....not to mention keeping the sensors for the gauges clean and operating as designed.

IF you do have an odor, masking the odor with a chemical should only be used until you determine what the problem is and repairing it. Using chemicals on a daily basis is just wasting your money.

Ron

[leeper]

djousma wrote:

leeper wrote:
When I read your post I heard that you went camping, used the toilet with no chemicals in it, then drained the tanks, and then you added chemicals after you where done using it. No wonder it stunk! You first put in the chemicals with water, then use it, then you drain the tank of the chemicals and what ever you put in the toilet! Chemicals first and not last when you are done. When you put the chemicals in with a little water and let it sit for several weeks the chemical lost its potency and things got stinky. Chemicals need to be renewed in order to keep working.

I guess the way I read the OP is that he does what I do. After draining the tank, he "recharges" it with chemicals, and water so that it is ready to go for the next time. I don't think they said they used the tank without chems. I guess we wont know until he/she comes back for sure.
If this is new trailer, then I'm going to go with the roof vent might be partially/fully plugged.

After he "recharges" the tank, it goes into storage for several weeks allowing the chemical to lose its ability to work. Then when the chemicals are not able to work, the tank gets used and he can't understand where the smell is coming from. The chemicals only last a short time, not for weeks or months. The warmer the weather, the faster the chemical stops working.