Sewer Smell

[Roxy1]

Sometimes when I flush my toilet the people outside get a smell of sewer this doesn't happen every time once in a blue moon the smell will be in the camper. What would cause this?

[drstimpy]

Bathroom fan can reverse the flow of vent air if you have it on when you flush 🤢

[Itinerant1]

Is the sewer pipe actually through the roof and not cut short with the insulation in the roof? You would have to take the little round cover off and peek down the sewer vent.

[Steve578]

May be that the tank could use a holding tank treatment like Oxy-Kem. One packet knocks down any unpleasant odor. I have had good results with that brand.

[Roxy1]

We got the inside part figured out now it's the outside sewer smell when we flush the toilet we can't get figured out?

[Roxy1]

I want to thank everyone for helping me get one part of my problem resolved!!!

[MtnTrek]

Originally Posted by Roxy1

Sometimes when I flush my toilet the people outside get a smell of sewer this doesn't happen every time once in a blue moon the smell will be in the camper. What would cause this?

Welcome to the forum.
I guess we are taking for granted that your black tank gate valve is closed and the grey is open (if equipped)? Style of camper?

So, while it is often debated whether holding tanks smell bad or not, use chem. or not, enough water or not. The fact remains the RV holding tank should be a vented vessel. Technology just hasn't perfected totally odorless sewage storage. Anytime you introduce a pressure change, a flush, there is a disturbance. There is a belch of air transferring, plus the fluid being introduced displaces a small volume of aromatic (perfumed or not) gas / air ideally through the roof vent. Does a more experienced camper feel there is a deficiency in the system?

Happy camping.

[Roxy1]

Correct both the black and the grey are closed. I've never notice the smell from the vent on the roof drifting down to where we all sit sometimes it goes to the other side of the camper.I thought it went up and we never smelled it till this year.

[Hurk]

Does it happen at most sites or did it just happen. We had this we had a similar problem but found out it came from the outside septic tank system where there is a vent that vents for a bunch of septic tanks and it happened to be near our site.

[Roxy1]

different sites. The only thing we have noticed is every time it has been evenings/nights and its been warm muggy nights.

[Starchief13]

Originally Posted by Roxy1

different sites. The only thing we have noticed is every time it has been evenings/nights and its been warm muggy nights.

Best guess..........normal venting, no breeze, settling fumes.......no biggie......

[drstimpy]

Better out than in I always say 🤢