Toilet smell in cabin.

[Londog]

Hi All,

Need some help with a plumbing problem.

I have owned a 2000 HR Admiral for 4 years now and love it but the last coulple of trips we started getting the smell while on the road. Now it is really bad and I just cannot seem to find the source.

I pulled the toilet from the tank and tore up the pesdistal because I suspected a leak between the toilet and the tank. That seems to be fine. There does not look to be a vaccume break valve on the back or the toilet bowl.

What gives?

["007"]

Welcome to irv2 Londog.
Look under your bathroom sink for vent valve, your sink may empty into same black tank.

[CLIFFTALL]

Originally Posted by Londog

Hi All,

Need some help with a plumbing problem.

I have owned a 2000 HR Admiral for 4 years now and love it but the last coulple of trips we started getting the smell while on the road. Now it is really bad and I just cannot seem to find the source.

I pulled the toilet from the tank and tore up the pesdistal because I suspected a leak between the toilet and the tank. That seems to be fine. There does not look to be a vaccume break valve on the back or the toilet bowl.

What gives?

Gray water can smell as bad as black water. If your gray tank has water in it as you travel, the odor comes up through the sink drains.

[Martind4]

Our coach is plumbed for a washer/dryer (it was removed before we bought it) and the p-trap wasn't sealed. When the water finally evaporated from the trap, it allowed the odor to find its way into the coach.

We cured the problem by finding the p-trap and capping the drain pipe, no more odors.

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by "007"

Welcome to irv2 Londog.
Look under your bathroom sink for vent valve, your sink may empty into same black tank.

I'm with 007. The under-sink vent is famous for leaking over time. They simple unscrew, then clean or replace.

[Londog]

Thanks all of you for your help.

I could not find the under sink vent at first and then got to thinking about the basics, ie are there holes in the tank, ect.. and opened a can of worms when I found evidence of leakage where the toilet meets the tank.

Long story short: toilet is torn out of the RV (laying on the driveway, the wife is not happy) with repair parts costing about the same as a new unit.

While waiting for toilet parts I am tracking down an electrical problem where the DC lights do not work on the kitchen slide out when I find... TA DA! what looks like the under sink vent.

This thing looks like a dead end pipe going straight up at a right angle to the drain pipe. At the dead end it looks like there are two holes in a cap. Is this the part that unscrews so it can be repaired/replaced?

[Corkey]

That's the one!

There is almost always one under the bathroom sink. And sometimes one under the kitchen sink. Both will be the same. Many have said they are a standard plumbing part and can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot, but I never looked myself.

[Elkhartjim]

Originally Posted by Corkey

That's the one!

There is almost always one under the bathroom sink. And sometimes one under the kitchen sink. Both will be the same. Many have said they are a standard plumbing part and can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot, but I never looked myself.

I know Lowes stock them in most of their locations.

[rvGator]

Home Depot $6.00, also if you have a washer & dryer there will be another vent

[Dunnpe]

I usually have this odor after I have dumped the two holding tanks. What I do is go back and run water into all sink and shower drains (sometimes the dumping sucks the P-traps dry) and I put water in the toilet bowl on top of the closed flushed valve flap. This usually will eliminate the odor.

[CD]

Have you checked the tank vent on the roof? If the P traps are being sucked dry, that would be suspect. That's where I had a problem. Mud dobbers had filled the end of the pipe.

[Londog]

Thanks all for your help. I replaced the vent under the sink, it was bad and would not hold water, the new one would. Putting the toilet back turned out to be a job, had to replace the flooring.

[sam-rv]

I am new to RVing and this is one of the issues I've been trying to deal with for the past year. I always add water in the sinks before taking off and I also plug the sink holes which helps sometimes. It seams to be worse when I drive with my driver and passenger windows open. I will check the vent cap under the sink in the washroom and hope it helps.
I was considering replacing my roof vents with these Camco Cyclone Plumbing Vent. Has anyone tried these and know if they're worthed? and if yes should I replace both vent caps with this or just the black tank vent?

Thanks.

Sam.

[Chandler Bing]

The cyclone vent has totally eliminated any fumes. We used to have them off and on and were awful. Now, none. Great little product.