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Old 11-08-2016, 10:59 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by Barmats View Post
This odor appears to be coming from underneath the sink. I have run water in the sink to ensure the trap is filled, flushed the toilet several times and checked to make sure there was a few inches of water in the bowl. It still stinks, and I can smell it walking by with the door closed. Underneath the sink, I found what appears to be a breather cap on the top of the vertical pipe on the right, and it was very loose. I've screwed this down tight, but am not sure what purpose it serves, or if it should be tight. Since it is after the trap, my guess is that it vents the gray tank into the storage area under the sink.

Also, what are the 2 pex lines on the left, and what is the valve or connector that joins them? I haven't removed the green tape to look underneath it, but am pretty sure that having tape there isn't normal.



Barmats

1.) The "breather cap" on the top of the vertical pipe on the right Is an AAV, (air admittance valve): https://www.google.com/#q=what+is+an...mittance+valve

2.) The 2 pex pipes on the left are most like the water supply line for your black tank "flusher".

3.) The device with the green tape on it is a "vacuum breaker":
https://www.google.com/#q=what+is+a+...eaker+used+for

4.) You're right... tape on a vacuum breaker isn't "normal".

BTW not all bathroom sinks in all coaches drain into the gray
tank...(mine drains into the black).

Mel
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Old 11-08-2016, 12:13 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wildtoad View Post
Anybody know what happens or supposedly happen if this valve ( air admittance ) is capped so it doesn't work? I covered mine with foil and the sink and shower worked fine. When does it come into play?
The purpose of a plumbing trap is to create seal to block odors from the downstream system (black tank, gray tank, city sewer, etc) from coming up inside the occupied space. As water flows through the trap, it will have the tendency to siphon most or all of the water from the trap if there is not a vent to break the siphon action. On your S&B, most typically the vent is hidden inside the walls and goes up through the roof. On RV's it is usually not convenient to run a vent up a wall and through the roof, so an air admittance valve (AAV) is used. On a S&B, you might find an AAV on an island kitchen sink. An AAV is a one way check valve that will open to allow air into the plumbing system when there is a siphoning action in the trap, but close air tight (unless something is prohibiting air tightness) if there is a positive pressure.

If you block the AAV such that it cannot let air in, the trap can be siphoned to the point that there is too little water remaining in the trap to create a seal. The short length of the plumbing systems on many RV's make it difficult, but not impossible, to be able to create the vacuums needed to pull most/all of the water from a trap to the point that it has lost its ability to seal. However, it can reduce the depth of seal such that the water in the trap can easily evaporate if the RV is not used for a couple of weeks. In summary, it is not good practice to block the AAV. If it is defective, just replace it.
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Old 11-08-2016, 04:21 PM   #31
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I just checked the AAV in both baths and each one was loose, requiring a couple revolutions to get it figure tight. Does Newmar have a reason for leaving these loose? Or are these just another example of someone not finishing their job, maybe the same person does all of the coaches.
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Old 11-08-2016, 06:04 PM   #32
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The Grey tank can smell as bad or worse than black. I had a bad smell (worse when moving) coming from the Grey tank, I went up on the roof and could smell it coming out of the roof vent. Did some research and come up with a 360 Siphon vent that has 100% take all the odor out of the MH for over a year now. It can be bought at amazon or ebay less than $30.00. My pipes coming through the roof had a gap between the pipe and roof that let the sewer gasses migrate back down into the walls and spread throughout the MH. The 360 siphon vent seals the roof and also draws the odor out with any movement of air.
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Old 11-08-2016, 08:25 PM   #33
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Don't know if this is relevant to anyone here, but we did narrow down an unpleasant odor we were getting in the coach, and it had to do with driving with the driver window open. On my 1015 DS I noticed that any time that I had that window open we would get a bathroom odor, not always but anytime that we did, we could make it stop by closing the window. I am assuming it might have had something to do with airflow over the coach and the placement of a vent maybe? Don't really know but if we do smell it we just close the window, not open that often anyway, BTW, this only happens while in motion.
Same thing for us. The open window creates negative pressure that pulls the odor out of the half bath, draws the smell up front and then out the window. I don't drive with the windows open because it's too stinky inside the coach.
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Old 11-09-2016, 07:52 AM   #34
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Anybody know what happens or supposedly happen if this valve ( air admittance ) is capped so it doesn't work? I covered mine with foil and the sink and shower worked fine. When does it come into play?
wildtoad
To understand the reason that AAVs, (air admittance valves), are used/needed in the plumbing drain systems of homes and RVs see:
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/2-c...valve-problems
and:
What is an Air Admittance Valve ( AAV ) in the waste piping system of my home? | PS Inspection & Property Services LLC
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Old 11-09-2016, 08:37 AM   #35
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Thanks, I had read up on the why's and what they do since my post. And I can see on a home or building with complex plumbing requirements that the AAV is quite essential. Not so sure on a drain with a short run or drop to the holding tank which also has a vent. Regardless I've ordered on of the replacement Studor valves.
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Old 11-09-2016, 08:56 AM   #36
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Thanks, I had read up on the why's and what they do since my post. And I can see on a home or building with complex plumbing requirements that the AAV is quite essential. Not so sure on a drain with a short run or drop to the holding tank which also has a vent. Regardless I've ordered on of the replacement Studor valves.
wildtoad
IMO no RV builder bothers to add anything to the plumbing system, (or to any other system), of the RVs they build if/when that addition is not necessary for the "proper operation" of that system.
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Old 11-09-2016, 10:33 AM   #37
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wildtoad
IMO no RV builder bothers to add anything to the plumbing system, (or to any other system), of the RVs they build if/when that addition is not necessary for the "proper operation" of that system.
Mel
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Good point, but then they should use parts that work...
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Old 11-09-2016, 11:14 AM   #38
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Good point, but then they should use parts that work...
It's all about the $$....high quality parts, (aka: parts that work and continue to work), usually cost more.
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Old 11-09-2016, 12:05 PM   #39
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Been following the thread.

If you were taking factory delivery knowing what you know, would you bring the higher quality parts to put on in the inside and out to reduce and eliminate the odor from the beginning? Is so what size are the air admittance valves 1/5 or 2"?
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Old 11-09-2016, 06:33 PM   #40
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I think this could cause issues when you dump. Negative pressure created by the tank evacuating could pull water out of the trap, leaving your pipes open to their respective tank. If you were to run water and/or flush shortly after dumping, you would probably never notice the smell.

Which brings up another question: Does the half bath sink empty into the gray or black tank? On our Entegra, it emptied into the black tank. Our dealer said he thought this was not the case with our DS. I think if it did, and these bad smells are from the black tank, it would smell A LOT worse than it does.
I was told that ONLY the toilets empty into the black tank in our DS.
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Old 11-09-2016, 06:33 PM   #41
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Old 11-10-2016, 07:32 AM   #42
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I was told that ONLY the toilets empty into the black tank in our DS.
Stripe34
You can't believe everything you're told.
While it is likely/possible that only the toilets empty into the black tank. you can't always believe everything you're told.

When I bought my coach in I was "told" that ONLY the toilet drained/dumped into the black tank of my coach.
10 years, (75,000 miles), later I learned that BOTH the toilet and the bathroom sink drain into the black tank.

However that's not important information.

What IS important is this:

If sewer oder is getting into the living area of your coach something is wrong, (aka: "worn out" or "broken"), that needs fixing.

Mel
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