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Old 01-24-2020, 11:14 AM   #1
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Black Tank Odor

I use Tank Tech RX in my tanks and it seems as though it is working ok however when we start moving down the road we get a bad odor from the tank. We have checked All vents and windows to assure they are closed and not getting any backdraft but we still get the Oder. Any ideas Thanks
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Old 01-24-2020, 11:24 AM   #2
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You could try one of those aerodynamic vent caps.

I've had the same issue with a Thetford Aqua Magic plastic toilet. The problem was that the odor was coming up through the very poor sealing system in the swivel mounted through the housing at the back of the top side of the toilet.

I removed the toilet and liberally sprayed white grease into that area. Then I did the same on the top side, wrapped the top side shaft with a couple of pipe cleaners and soaked them liberally. No more smell. I did this about a year ago.

Due to the arrangement of my Roadtrek I'm limited on the height of the toilet. I need a very short one as it sits on a raised landing and it has a very handy cabinet behind it that hinges down. Too high of a toilet would preclude use of it. So it was either find a fix(which I did, above), replace the toilet every two years, or live with the smell.
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Old 01-24-2020, 11:44 AM   #3
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Hi and welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined us!

I haven't used the vent cap below but it hear that it solves the odor problem!

https://www.amazon.com/Lippert-Compo...s%2C299&sr=8-1

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
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Old 01-24-2020, 11:44 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lex30 View Post
I use Tank Tech RX in my tanks and it seems as though it is working ok however when we start moving down the road we get a bad odor from the tank. We have checked All vents and windows to assure they are closed and not getting any backdraft but we still get the Oder. Any ideas Thanks
It's more likely to be odor from the gray tank. The gray tank smells as bad as the black tank and the drain system has many more places likely to leak. Each sink or drain will have to be vented. Most drains are vented internally with an air admittance valve. They are prone to failure, especially the cheap ones installed by RV manufacturers. You will usually find them installed near the p-trap on a drain. Try smelling under the sink or near any drains to locate the source.
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Old 01-24-2020, 01:01 PM   #5
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Holding Tank Solutions

You are absolutely correct. It took us a while, but we eventually realized that a vent leak in the cabinet under the bathroom sink was the problem in our DP coach when we purchased it at 2 years old.

We then eliminated odor in the black tank itself by having the tank steam cleaned and then used only dish detergent and borax powder after dumping, and occasionally between dumps. This form of treatment made a huge improvement in odor problems, toxic chemicals disposal, and a huge difference in the cost of treating the holding tanks....

When we purchased a new coach after the above-mentioned coach went up in flames (set by the Norcold refrigerator), we started off with the detergent/borax method and never had an odor problem.
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Old 01-24-2020, 01:17 PM   #6
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double up on the Tank Tech RX or switch to a different brand.I use Thetford 32900. add it to your grey tank also.I know every VIP has to VIPOO but we use the washroom at the campground for #2 and only pee in the rv.
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Old 01-24-2020, 03:32 PM   #7
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We use Happy Camper. It is the best.
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Old 01-24-2020, 03:59 PM   #8
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As was mentioned, most all of the sewer odor we have occasionally had was from the grey tank due to a vacuum break under the sinks going bad. Pine oil from the Dollar Store works well in both tanks. Happy Camper is another one we have used. Some use nothing at all, but keep plenty of water in the black tank with good results.
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Old 01-24-2020, 04:00 PM   #9
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I solved the problem by adding 5 gallons of water to the tank after I dumped and flushed.
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Old 01-24-2020, 04:02 PM   #10
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I've only used water in either of the tanks. No other chemicals and we have never had a oder problem in the last 50 years and several different RV's.

After dumping and using the tank flush system in my 14 year old coach, I decided to use my endoscope and see what the inside of the black tank looks like. I was shocked at how clean the interior of the tank was. I can see one tiny flake of "stuff" in the center of the picture. See??
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Old 01-24-2020, 04:23 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod View Post
We use Happy Camper. It is the best.
X2! Never have any odors!
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Old 01-24-2020, 04:45 PM   #12
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Thought we had a gray tank odor the same way,ended up being toilet seal clamp was not positioned with the worm gear in the back of the toilet. Also air vents on the sink drains fail and do the same thing. Good luck.
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Old 01-24-2020, 05:34 PM   #13
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My grey tank was the problem. No more food waste down the kitchen sink. I wipe everything dry before doing the dishes, eliminated the problem entirely. A bad wind straight from behind about drove me Out of it one night.
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Old 01-24-2020, 07:24 PM   #14
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My grey tank was also the source of odor. My fix was to install an in-tank flush head in the grey tank just like what is in the black tank. Problem solved.

As additional info I simplified the whole dumping process by having both the grey and black flush inlets run off of my fresh water intake hose. SAY WHAT?

Yep it's true, but I have one common check valve to both tanks, plus two additional check valves to each tank.

A very experienced and long time RV'er told me the secret to keeping tanks as clean as possible was to flush the tanks every time they're being dumped using copious amounts of water. I'm a visual believer but no need to go into detail here.
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