Grey water smell?

[dbailey]

We're just back from 10 days on the road, and we've noticed a rather strong smell in the trailer. I think it's coming from the grey tank. We emptied it on our last day out (that was 2 days ago) but I'm just getting to flushing the tank out tonight.

We use our grey for dish washing and teeth brushing. We use camp facilities for showers.

Is a developing smell normal? How do you deal with it? Should I flush the tank more thoroughly every time I empty it? How do you do that?

Thanks for the assistance. Still on the learning curve...

[cpaharley2008]

Did you get a little bottle of blue ink deodorizer? try that in both your black and grey tanks.

[Jim Bennett]

I have never deodorized in the grey tank. The traps should stop any smell from coming up.

Did you check to make certain that the drain plug is closed tight in the shower, and that there is water in the trap?

[Donna D.]

My solution is to always wipe the dishes clean before washing. I keep every napkin and papertowel (except the NASTY ones) and use those to clean plates, pots, etc. I make sure very little "food" goes down the drain. And absolutely NO Tuna oil/water or water from steaming vegetables (expecially broccoli and cauliflower).

I have a friend with a monster 5th wheel. After they dump the gray water, they put bleach (kept in an old dishsoap container) down the drain and put a gallon or so of freshwater in the tank.

Consider putting the sink plug in after you dump the tank too. Keep those odors contained.

There are commercial products for gray water tank deordorizing too. I haven't used any of them, my solution works for me!

[Thane]

I use a Flush King for both waste tanks of my 17B. It normally takes 7 or so flushes to clean the black water tank and I normally flush the grey water tank 3 or 4 times. I then 1/2 fill both tanks, add some Calgone water softener and laundry soap and drive it home. After getting home I drain both tanks on the grass and they are nice and clean.
Our trailers are small; there is no room for odors.
Here is a link http://www.flushking.com/

[dbailey]

I did the bleach thing tonight. We'll see if that works. If not, I'll try other chemicals (after making very sure there's no bleach left!). Yeah, we did get one of the bottles of black-water chemicals.

We generally do keep the plugs in the various drains.

I'm not one for fussing, so wiping down dishes before washing them isn't going to fly.

I didn't think there was a trap in the shower floor -- no room for it. There also doesn't seem to be a trap in the bathroom sink, though it could be hidden in the wall. But I will test those questions.

[Parker]

Originally Posted by dbailey

I didn't think there was a trap in the shower floor -- no room for it. There also doesn't seem to be a trap in the bathroom sink, though it could be hidden in the wall. But I will test those questions.

I've been wondering about traps, or lack of, as well. You can see the one under the kitchen sink, so that led me to believe there must also be traps for the bathroom drains. If you peek under the trailer, you can see what I believe is effectively a trap made of PVC fittings between the shower drains and the point of entry near the top of the gray tank. It looks to me like the drain water could slosh and lose its water seal while traveling, which is probably why they suggest closing both drains before hitting the road. No promises that I'm right about this, but that's the way it looks to me.

[techfan]

Parker, I thought exactly the same thing since the only thing that looks like a trap is rather shallow. We also experienced bad smells after 4 days of dry camping and didn't have a chance to empty the grey tank. Pulled into new location after traveling with a 2/3 full grey tank and there were obvious smells from the sink when I unplugged the stopper. I think the trap is just too shallow.

[dbailey]

OK, makes sense. I have the spray insulation, so haven't tried to look. I will take a gander tomorrow once I've got some light.

I put water down the shower drain this evening. We'll see if that helps.

There was already noticeable improvement after the bleach treatment.

[cpaharley2008]

Reace told me the bath sink and shower all meet below the shower and there is a trap so you can pour rv antifreeze down the shower drain and it will winterize that part of the system. I also pour a little down the sink, just in case.

[fudge_brownie]

Is the solution simply one of adding water to the sinks and shower drains after travelling? I would think the sinks would take care of themselves, assuming they are used more often. In my case the smells seem to be from the bathroom, so I am suspicious of the shower drain. Not sure that screw in plug is air tight, especially if the bathroom is closed up with the ceiling vent down. However, it appears that the bathroom sink and shower drain are on the same trap?

I did find pouring bleach into a half full gray water tank helped.

We just finished a two week boon-docking stay at a single site. We did not empty tanks for the entire time. (Some reasons, we were able to empty dishwater outside the Escape and we added a small quantity of fresh water). In any case, we found the toilet needed frequent cleaning, unlike the porcelain models in our home, the plastic seems to retain odors and requires more attention.

[cpaharley2008]

Wow, 2 weeks without moving, good job on conserving your resources.

[Trees]

As sailors & RVers, every trip to Canada, we hit a Marine store that carries Canndure.
Amazing enzyme liquid! We can dump boat holding tank after a 4 week duration and experience an unholy odor when opening tank to pump out. Won't claim it is sweet, but OK.
Two weeks in Fl, without draining RV tank OK also. Enzyme, so you have to flush out prior chemicals. Put a little in grey tank now too. ALSO, a little with water in dish detergent bottle and use as 'manuel swirlie' for toilet - wetting whole bowl as toilet swirlie not that efficient. :-)
Have seen some enzyme products on Camping World shelves last couple years, but haven't heard reviews.
My bottle says:
Canndure Odour Control Corp., Calgary, AL

[J Mac]

Don't forget people......bleach can rot rubber.

[Parker]

[QUOTE=fudge_brownie;30615]Is the solution simply one of adding water to the sinks and shower drains after travelling? I would think the sinks would take care of themselves, assuming they are used more often. In my case the smells seem to be from the bathroom, so I am suspicious of the shower drain. Not sure that screw in plug is air tight, especially if the bathroom is closed up with the ceiling vent down. However, it appears that the bathroom sink and shower drain are on the same trap?

/QUOTE]

Refilling the traps after stopping is probably the best you can do. They do appear to be a common trap. The vertical drain beneath the bathroom sink is a perfect candidate for a Hepvo waste valve like I installed in our Casita, but that still leaves the shower drain that I doubt can be improved.

[Jrn56]

Is this a new issue or have other longtime Escape owners had this problem?

[Trees]

As sailors & RVers, every trip to Canada, we hit a Marine store that carries Canndure.
Amazing enzyme liquid! We can dump boat holding tank after a 4 week duration and experience an unholy odor when opening tank to pump out. Won't claim it is sweet, but OK.
Two weeks in Fl, without draining RV tank OK also. Enzyme, so you have to flush out prior chemicals. Put a little in grey tank now too. ALSO, a little with water in dish detergent bottle and use as 'manuel swirlie' for toilet - wetting whole bowl as toilet swirlie not that efficient. :-)
Have seen some enzyme products on Camping World shelves last couple years, but haven't heard reviews.
My bottle says:
Canndure Odour Control Corp., Calgary, AL

[Kountrykamper]

This is also great stuff. We have been using it for a couple years.

Unique RV Digest It - Unique Distributing

[fudge_brownie]

John,
This appears to be something new on the forum. I can say it is something new we have experienced after three years of use. Perhaps someone like Donna can recall if such a topic has been discussed before, I have trouble remembering the day of the week.

J Mac
Good point on the bleach, I have always poured the bleach on the way to the dump station, I want something in the tank for it to mix with and the opportunity to slosh around a bit.

[dbailey]

Well, between the bleach treatment and putting water in the shower drain, the problem seems resolved (or at least much much better).

I put a couple of cups of bleach in a 3/4 full tank, let it sit for 30 minutes, drained it and flushed again with fresh water. I hadn't realized that bleach and rubber don't go together. Is there any rubber in the plumbing, tank, or outlet valves? I can't see any.

I also put water down the shower floor drain. We haven't used it, so there was no water in it.

24 hours later, the smell is pretty much entirely gone.

Thanks for the assistance, folks!