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Old 03-06-2022, 10:44 AM   #1
Chief Brown
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Black tank odor

We have a 2021 Montana High Country 331RL and we are getting an odor from our black tank inside. I have been dumping and flushing about twice a week. Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this?
 
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Old 03-06-2022, 11:06 AM   #2
team bradfield
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first thing to check is your vent pipe, it might be blocked

make sure all your dump valves are closed, the sewer gas can penetrate through the grey and galley lines if open

is it all the time? I know from past experience, it the air pressure and wind are just right, it can tend to keep the fumes from exiting the RV

what type of digester are you using? I swear by Thetford dry

twice a week dumping may be too much, you need to let the digester work, use lots of water

good luck, keep us posted
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Old 03-06-2022, 11:18 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by team bradfield View Post
first thing to check is your vent pipe, it might be blocked

make sure all your dump valves are closed, the sewer gas can penetrate through the grey and galley lines if open

is it all the time? I know from past experience, it the air pressure and wind are just right, it can tend to keep the fumes from exiting the RV

what type of digester are you using? I swear by Thetford dry

twice a week dumping may be too much, you need to let the digester work, use lots of water

good luck, keep us posted
We are in Florida on full hookups and I do have the grey water lines open. We do use a lot of water in our black tank. It also has been very windy here. Thanks for the help! I’m going to close all valves.
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Old 03-06-2022, 12:32 PM   #4
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An alternative to closing all valves, just put a drip loop in your sewer line. Works like a p-trap does under your sinks. I've used rocks or boards to create such a trap. About a foot from where my sewer hose hits the ground coming off the 5'er discharge pipe, I place a rock or board about 4" high. Whenever wastewater is discharged from the RV the loop created will stay full of water preventing sewer gases from coming back up the pipe into the holding tanks. Many of these RV Parks create quite an odor if too many people decide to dump tanks at the same time.
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Old 03-07-2022, 07:27 AM   #5
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My buddy had a similar problem. Turns out it was a cracked toilet low on the base.
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Old 03-16-2022, 01:35 PM   #6
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We are in Florida on full hookups and I do have the grey water lines open. We do use a lot of water in our black tank. It also has been very windy here. Thanks for the help! I’m going to close all valves.
Put a vertical kink in the open grey lines. It replaces the J or S trap in a house. This will block any gas coming up from the park holding tanks. Keep black closed unless dumping, but greys are optional, some close some open but the kink in the sewer line is mandatory to keep smells out. Also take a hose to the roof and run water down the vent with the valves open so you can see if it flows thru.
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Old 03-16-2022, 02:02 PM   #7
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Yes Check the toilet

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My buddy had a similar problem. Turns out it was a cracked toilet low on the base.
Check the toilet, ours had a recall because of a factory defect.
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Old 03-16-2022, 02:45 PM   #8
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How close to the ceiling air vent, fan and the vent for the black tank from each other on the roof? I have heard stories in the past where black tank odor was inside the camper. It turned out when the wind blew the right direction, it would blow the black tank oders from the black tank vent on the roof directly into the ceiling fan on the roof and into the bathroom, causing .... bad smells inside.

Check it out. It might be just that simple. (or maybe not!)

Also,
If the bathroom ceiling exhaust vent fan is running and you push the pedal of the toilet, the slide valve in the toilet opens. The ceiling vent fan will pull air upward through the toilet. That air is sucked INTO the black tank from that same black tank vent, up the toilet and into the bathroom with a lingering aroma of yesterdays steak dinner!

Make sure when you "flush" the ceiling fan in the bathroom is off. Same if you have a ceiling fan, exhaust, vent in the kitchen. Turn it off when you flush. See if that makes a difference.
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Old 05-13-2022, 04:25 PM   #9
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Ours had odor. Come to find out the black tank was coming apart.
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