Community Forums

pumper9x9 · 09-16-2015, 09:34 AM

I have a 2002 36' Intrigue. We have the dreaded intermittent gray water aroma in the area of the bathroom/shower/washer Dryer. I just changed out the vent valve under the bathroom sink and thought that took care of it. Nope.
Does the shower and or washer have a separate vent system like those used under the sink? Or do those vents go out the roof? Thanks

mel s · 09-16-2015, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumper9x9

I have a 2002 36' Intrigue. We have the dreaded intermittent gray water aroma in the area of the bathroom/shower/washer Dryer. I just changed out the vent valve under the bathroom sink and thought that took care of it. Nope.
Does the shower and or washer have a separate vent system like those used under the sink? Or do those vents go out the roof? Thanks

pumper9x9
Usually, (but not always), tub or shower and clothes washer drains each have their own P-trap in the drain plumbing...NOT "air admittance valves",(which are more common in sink drains).
If any P-trap "drys out" gray water stink can/will enter the RV.
Sometimes simply pouring a cup or 2 of water down those drains will refill the P-traps and eliminate the gey water stink problem.
Mel
'96 Safari

**NLOVNIT** · 09-16-2015, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel s

...If any P-trap "drys out" gray water stink can/will enter the RV.

I often forget about the washer P-trap because we don't use it often. When "odors" start seeping in the coach, 2 cups of water in the drum & then set the cycle to SPIN/DRAIN takes care of it.

Lori-

phays · 09-16-2015, 05:59 PM

On my 2000 Magna, there are 3 of those vent/valves or whatever they are called. Two under the bath sink, one for the sink the other for the shower. Also there is one for the galley sink.

According to the plumbing diagrams I got with my coach there is another with the black tank flush system but I haven't found that one. I believe it may be behind a closet wall and I haven't bothered to remove the back wall of the closet yet.

My washer doesn't have one of those valves so I set the washer to wash, turn it on for about 30 or 40 seconds, turn it off, rotate the knob to spin and run it on spin for about 30 or 40 seconds. Then turn the washer off. This sequence adds water to the washer and then pumps the water out which fills the trap.

I still get the odor unless my tanks are empty.

deandec · 09-16-2015, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumper9x9

I have a 2002 36' Intrigue. We have the dreaded intermittent gray water aroma in the area of the bathroom/shower/washer Dryer. I just changed out the vent valve under the bathroom sink and thought that took care of it. Nope.
Does the shower and or washer have a separate vent system like those used under the sink? Or do those vents go out the roof? Thanks

My older rig has three roof vents.

Washer Dryer
Black Tank
Grey Tank

Wesslvm · 09-16-2015, 07:31 PM

If you have traps that don't get used, consider filling trap and then top off trap with a little vegetable or mineral oil to form a surface film so the water doesn't evaporate.

Wes

**CountryFit** · 09-17-2015, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wesslvm

If you have traps that don't get used, consider filling trap and then top off trap with a little vegetable or mineral oil to form a surface film so the water doesn't evaporate.

Wes

be careful with adding any kind of oil. it will form a ring where it floats and stick to the walls where it passes.

two years ago i added mineral oil to flooded batteries i was using. all sounded good until one day i was to test specific gravity - the floater stuck on the tube because of the oil. mission couldn't be accomplished and i had to trash the tester

**CountryFit** · 09-17-2015, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumper9x9

I have a 2002 36' Intrigue. We have the dreaded intermittent gray water aroma in the area of the bathroom/shower/washer Dryer. I just changed out the vent valve under the bathroom sink and thought that took care of it. Nope.
Does the shower and or washer have a separate vent system like those used under the sink? Or do those vents go out the roof? Thanks

this is one of mysteries still hanging with me. the smell comes from under the bathroom sink although the vent is capped. just yesterday i had a well known rv shop in eugene to look at this issue. the tech, a former cc tech for 14 years, removed the access covers/channels in wet bay and neighboring compartments, removed the carpet under the bath sink, but no cracks/loose connections could be seen. at the end, he asked me if i wanted him to continue digging but he was not sure he could pinpoint the issue quickly. we stopped there but to keep minds open for it.

my washer/dryer has been removed. i capped the vent which is used by shower too. kitchen vent is good as no smell from there. one member said his had another vent behind the drawers in bathroom, but i don't have one. finding the gremlin is still a daunting task for me...

stkhlm · 09-17-2015, 02:06 PM

I also had a second air admittance valve in bathroom behind vanity drawers, this was for shower next to it. This is on 40' 2000 Intrigue.

That was the bad one.

Good luck

Bob Stockholm
2000 Intrigue

JustCruzzin · 09-17-2015, 04:44 PM

Just a thought, but I have been told that aftermarket dishwashers have the
"air admittance valve" and those become a problem. I only found out because
we were considering installing a dishwasher. But we both decided not to
create any new problems.

bcbounders · 09-18-2015, 01:08 AM

If you're unable to identify a faulty air admittance valve inside that's the root cause of the odor, you may want to try installing upgraded roof vents for the gray and black tanks. The 360 Siphon vents (which use a venturi effect to create suction to pull odors up out of the tank... and don't rely on moving parts) are really effective. Watch this... and maybe you'll decide to go ahead and install them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xX60cCHwlM

phays · 09-18-2015, 04:39 AM

I put the 360 Siphon Vents on all three of my stacks, no change. Still have the odor.

**CountryFit** · 09-18-2015, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stkhlm

I also had a second air admittance valve in bathroom behind vanity drawers, this was for shower next to it. This is on 40' 2000 Intrigue.

That was the bad one.

Good luck

Bob Stockholm
2000 Intrigue

hi bob, my shower is at passenger side while the bathroom is at driver side. they are facing each other cross the alley. is your layout like this, or both are at same side?

pumper9x9 · 09-18-2015, 09:09 AM

UPDATE: I put a couple of cups of water in the washer and ran it on spin dry and it took care of the problem. A thought on the oil in the pipe suggestion, we tend to drive some place and stay for 3-14 days at a time. Unless the roads are straight and flat we get slosh water in the sink from the p trap. I imagine the oils would do a pretty good job of coating all the pipes and would probably be washed out when that drain was used due to turbulence of the water flow. Happy Trails and thanks for the replies.