CLHEJ
Conover, NC
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Joined: 08/16/2002
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Hello All, its been a while since I have posted in here. Hope all is well.
My problem is that my black tank has the typical foul smell but it is continously getting worse. The facts leading up to the problem are... I use the camper every weekend and there is no sewer in the campground. The campground pumps it out every other week on demand. I think part of the problem is it staying in there and the heat of the summer is making it worse. I have tried putting chemicals in and it has not helped. Usually in the past, i can flush clean water through a time or two to clean it out, but i am limited as there is no sewer in the campground. Does anyone have any ideas on how to eliminate this foul smell quickly? I would certainly appreciate any advice.
Thanks in advance,
Craig
Craig & Lillian
and 3 girls 10, 9, 8
2008 Dodge Ram 2500 MEGA Cab Cummins "BlueTec", Prodigy brake control, Reese Dual Cam
2003 Sportsman 3004SS (in search of a bigger,better TT)
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mockturtle
Northwest
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Joined: 05/31/2005
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Try using a grey tank chemical, too [different from the black, available in RV supply stores]. Grey tanks can sometimes smell worse than black tanks--especially in hot weather.
Note: Due to invalid formatting, all formatting has been ignored.
Husband: Derek
Dog: Bucky
RV: 2000 Aerolite 19RB TT
TV: 1996 Chevrolet Blazer 6 cyl. 4WD
This car used to be our toad, now is our TV!
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hemlox
Western Illinois
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Joined: 05/21/2007
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Below I copied the Geo method, try it it does a great job keeping tanks from smelling foul. You may also want to add a couple bags of ice to the tank by dumping them down the toilet. Drive around a bit with the ice in the tank and it will scrub the inside of the tank to release any solids stuck to it. If you try that I think you will find it will get rid of the foul smell you have. Let us know. Good luck.
* This post was
edited 09/20/07 12:27pm by hemlox *
25 ft. Gulfstream Conquest
Chevrolet Suburban 4x4
Reese Dual Cam WD Hitch
Prodigy Brake Controller
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DSR
AZ
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Joined: 02/21/2004
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I've had the best luck using this product. It's been especially effective even in the AZ summer heat:
BIO-PAK (the Blue packs)
2500HD D/A CC 4X4
FR TT
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hemlox
Western Illinois
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Sorry for this being so long, but here is the GEO method from the website.
RV owners should be concerned with maintaining its wastewater tanks. Problems with wastewater tanks can and should be avoided. Wastewater tank repair is expensive. Due to health concerns, many service facilities will not work on wastewater tanks and lines until the tanks have been completely emptied and sanitized. This may be quite difficult when the tank(s) is in need of repair. So, common sense dictates that the tanks should be kept relatively clean at all times. Additionally, improper use of the wastewater tanks can lead to a build up of solid wastes, which in itself may cause the system to fail.
I've discovered very simple, effective, and inexpensive methods of maintaining my wastewater tanks in a relatively clean condition at all times. I developed these methods myself through my understanding of chemistry, physics, and biology with a smidgen of common sense thrown in for good measure. I also read my RV owner's manual. Although we are not full time RVers we use our fifth wheel camper at least one weekend a month. We never use public bathing and toilet facilities. In other words, our wastewater tanks are fairly heavily used. Since I've met a number of RVers who don't seem to know how to maintain their wastewater tanks I thought many RVers would find my tips useful. If you have not been maintaining your tanks I believe you will be pleasantly surprised the first time you employ these tips. I do these things and they work.
RVs are equipped with waste water HOLDING tanks; NOT septic tanks. Those holding tanks are nothing more than chamber pots. Chamber pots should be cleaned and sanitized after their contents are disposed of. The Geo Method is based on this fact.
1. DUMP A FULL TANK
When you are camping and your RV is connected to a sewer/septic intake, leave the drain valves closed until the tank is full and ready to dump. Dumping a full tank provides a sufficient quantity of water to flush solids from the tank. Leaving the drain valves open allows the water to drain off without flushing out solid waste. That solid waste will collect in the tank(s) and cause problems over time. If your tanks are not full when you are ready to dump them, fill them with fresh water first, and then dump them.
2. DUMP TANKS IN ORDER FROM DIRTIEST TO CLEANEST
In other words, dump the black (commode) water tank first, then dump the galley tank, then dump the bathroom tank. This way you will be flushing out the dirtiest water with progressively cleaner water.
3. USE WATER SOFTENER, DETERGENT, and CHLORINE BLEACH
This stuff is amazing and it works. Buy a couple of boxes of powdered water softener at the grocery store. You'll find it located with or near the laundry detergent products. I prefer Calgon Water Softener because it dissolves quickly in water. Cheaper water softeners work just as well but dissolve more slowly. Dissolve two (2) cups of the water softener in a gallon of hot water. Then, pour the solution down the drain into the empty tank. Use two cups of softener for each wastewater tank in your RV. The tank's drain valve should be closed otherwise the softened water will just drain out. Then use the tank(s) normally until it is full and drain it normally. Add a cup of laundry detergent to the black (commode) water tank at the same time you add water softener. This will help clean the tank. The gray water tanks should already contain soap through normal use.
Water softener makes the solid waste let go from the sides of the tanks. If you've ever taken a shower in softened water you know that after rinsing the soap from your body your skin will feel slick. That's because all the soap rinses away with soft water. Softened water also prevents soap scum from sticking in the tub. Get the connection? With softened water gunk washes away instead of sticking. The same thing applies to your RV's wastewater tanks.
I use a clear plastic elbow connector to attach my sewer drain line to the wastewater outlet on my RV. It allows me to see how well things are progressing during a wastewater dump. Before I began using water softener regularly the black water tank's water was brown, the galley tank's water was brownish, and the bathroom tank's water was white. The first time I added water softener to the tanks the water coming from the black water tank was actually black (not brown) and the kitchen tank's water was also black (not brownish). The bathroom tank's water remained white. That told me that the water softener had actually done what I had intended for it to do and made solid waste, which had been stuck to the interior of the tanks, let go and drain away. I added water softener (and laundry detergent to the black tank) to all the wastewater tanks for the next few dumps to be certain all the solid waste possible had been cleaned away. The wastewater only appeared black on the initial treatment. I now add water softener and detergent to each tank once after every few dumps to maintain the system.
Too little water softener may not be of sufficient concentration to work effectively. Too much water softener will NOT hurt the tanks. So, if the amount you used didn't quite do the job, then use more the next time. Don't forget the laundry detergent.
Occasionally, I pour a half gallon of liquid bleach into each tank to deodorize, sanitize and disinfect them. I add the bleach when the tank is about half full, and then continue to use the tank normally until it is full and ready to dump. I no longer use the blue toilet chemical because it isn't necessary. I have no odors coming from my black water tank. The chlorine bleach kills the bacteria, which is primarily responsible for waste water tank odor. Generic brand liquid bleach is cheap and very effective.
4. USE A WATER FILTER ON YOUR FRESH WATER INTAKE LINE
Most fresh water contains sediment. Sediment will accumulate in your wastewater tanks and your fresh water lines. It also tends to discolor your sinks, tub/shower, and commode. I use the disposable type and have found that they eventually fill up and begin restricting the fresh water flow resulting in low pressure. That's how I know it's time to get a new filter. It works, it's cheap, it avoids problems, do it. When I fill my fresh water tank I attach the filter to the end of the hose and fill the tank with filtered water.
SOME OTHER THOUGHTS
WATER, WATER, WATER - and more water! The Geo Method assumes you are hooked up to a plentiful clean water supply, and that you have access to a sewer. The water softener will make the gunk let go. That's only half the battle. After the gunk lets go it must then be flushed through the relatively small drain opening in the bottom of the tank. That takes water. Lots of water. I use a Flush King (Google it) to make rinsing more effective and faster.
CAUTION should be used when mixing chemicals. All I did when I came up with The Geo Method was use normal laundry products (water softener, laundry detergent, and chlorine bleach) and put them in the holding tanks which already contain water. I was NOT experimenting with chemicals. I simply applied laundry chemicals in normal combination to the waste water tanks. There are chemical products under your kitchen sink, in your laundry room, and in your garage that can injure or kill you when mixed. If you can do your laundry without harming yourself you can successfully employ The Geo Method. Don't go playing around with novel chemical combinations concocted from household products.
What was novel about The Geo Method was not in the combination of chemicals (all household laundry products intended to be used in combination) but in their application in cleaning RV waste water tanks. Common experience, if you've done laundry, tells you The Geo Method is safe. Doing laundry doesn't damage your washing machine, rot out your plumbing, or destroy waste water treatment systems. The Geo Method won't either. However, substituting other cleaning agents may not be safe.
There's nothing special or fragile about the materials used in RV plumbing. RV plumbing materials are made from the same stuff that household plumbing is made from. The problem arises in figuring out how to clean and sanitize the inaccessible interior of a holding tank. Water softener prevents gunk from adhering to the inside of the tanks, detergent removes the dirt, and chlorine bleach kills germs/odors. Soaking gives the chemicals time to work. Agitating the mix by driving down the road helps the process. Think of it this way; you can put some really nasty stuff in your washing maching, yet the inside of the washing maching doesn't get dirty. It stays clean - right? Same goes for your automatic dish washer. The same thing applies to RV holding tanks.
Those people who claim The Geo Method is somehow harmful just plain don't know what they're talking about. Their objections defy common sense and common experience. Anyone who thinks The Geo Method is harmful has a simple soultion available to their simple minded concerns - don't use it. At one time, daily bathing was thought by some to be harmful to one's health, and they argued against it advising others to remain dirty. Those who object to The Geo Method fall into the same category of enlightened thought.
Will The Geo Method work even if most of the time I'm NOT hooked up to water and sewer? YES! Just use common sense. If you dry camp ninety percent of the time just keep water softener and detergent in your tanks (especially the black tank) while you're dry camping. This will keep gunk from sticking to the tanks. When you are hooked up to sewer and water take the opportunity to fill the tanks with fresh water and flush the tanks. Keep flushing them until the water runs clear. I know it works because I've done it.
Never put regular toilet tissue in your RV's black tank. Only use toilet tissue which is approved for RV and/or septic tank use. Regular toilet tissue may eventually dissolve, but not before causing a clog in your black tank.
Occasionally traveling with partially filled wastewater tanks containing softened water and detergent promotes cleaning by agitating the water. The same goes for chlorine bleach.
I believe this process works faster and more efficiently during warm weather. However, I know it works well even during cool/cold weather.
The process works best the longer the water softener and detergent remains in the tanks. So, I don't add water softener during periods of heavy wastewater generation. I wait until I know we won't be generating wastewater quickly so that the softened water remains in the tanks for several days before dumping.
If you have an older RV you may have to use water softener and detergent several times initially to completely clean the tanks of residue.
I add a small amount of chlorine bleach to the fresh water tank twice a year to disinfect and sanitize the fresh water tank and fresh water lines. A weak chlorine bleach solution will not hurt you. However, it certainly makes the water taste bad. When we have chlorine in the fresh water system we use bottled water for drinking and cooking until the chlorine is gone. YES, we drink the filtered water that we have in the fresh water tank. NO, it has never tasted funny or caused any problems.
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CLHEJ
Conover, NC
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Joined: 08/16/2002
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Thanks to all! One thing that I have forgotten to mention which may be an important one is that the camper is set up permanently on the site for now. I have my tow vehicle in another state for a few months until the campground closes.
It sounds like to me, maybe what i need to do is fill it all the way, have it pumped out...and them fill it all the way again with clear water, and have that pumped. I just have to pay for each pumping, but it might be worth every penny to eliminate the smell..
Thanks again,
Craig
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gon2dadawgs
I'm here X
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Joined: 11/27/2004
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Gray can smell just as bad as black tanks.
Look under your sinks and find the vacuum breaker. These things fail, twice for me, and the odor comes right in. I replaced the vacuum breakers, kitchen and bathroom sinks, with 1 1/2" pvc pipe plugs. NO MORE SMELL. The sinks drain fine. The shower is the only gray line vented through the roof.
Michael
Home is where you unhitch
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Dave & Nannette
Burley Idaho
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Joined: 03/25/2005
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Another possible option is to buy a Black Water Portable Container large enuf to drain the RV tank, then haul it to a proper disposal site. If you have someone periodically come to drain your tanks, ask them if you (after dumping the first time) can dump again with clean water using a little detergent.
If this is not possible, then use the Portable container to flush out your tank with fresh water and a little detergent, after first draining the RV tanks with the "honeywagon"
I would think the more you drain, the less problems you will have. But of course in some situations it is not possible to drain whenever you like.
Side note story: While boondocking one trip, the black water tank indicated half full the morning we left the campsite. Anyway we decided to drive on down the road and the first dump station we see, we will dump. Didn't know this before, but before finding one we went up and over a pretty steep pass. On the bottom of the pass, we came to a dump station and boy did it stink inside. It was so bad, the PROPANE SENSOR went off. We opened all the vents, most of the windows and waited about an hour before the DW gave the "all clear". lol
* This post was
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edited 09/20/07 04:45pm by Dave & Nannette *
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U.S. NAVY RETIRED (active duty '72-'93)
'03 FORD F250 POWER STROKE SUPER DUTY TURBO 6.0
'04 KEYSTONE SPRINTER 27' (One Slide out)
1 DOG - SHIH TZU (MOLLY)
Widower; My wife (Nannette) recently passed away, but I'll keep the name "Dave & Nannette"
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busybee
Maryland
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Joined: 05/04/2005
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I need some clarification on this GEO method.
The bleach I'm ok with, 1/2 gal per tank, and the detergent, 1 cup.
How much Calgon per tank (liquid). 1 capful, 2 capfuls, more?
Could you use dishwasher detergent instead of laundry detergent? This is what I use in my tub with the jets because it cleans the jets without sudsing.
Thanks!!
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Neil
Wichita, Ks
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Joined: 11/23/2000
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All these suggestions are good ones, however, more than likely you have a vacuum breaker that as gone bad. These are identified as usually slotted cap looking things under each and every sink location. Look under your vanity or kitchen sink for a short, usually about 18 inches to 12 feet tall black pipe standing upward with this odd looking cap on it. This is the vacuum breaker, they fail regularly and allow the holding tank contents to vent inside. These vacuum breakers can be bought at most all hardware stores and super home repair stores such as Home Depot. Simply unscrew this cap looking device and go get a new one. Screw it back on and your smelly problem will more than ikely go away. If one has gone bad ya might as well replace both of them, the kitchen and bath sink vacuum vents.
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