# Bad Smell From Toilet



## caseyclan (Mar 14, 2007)

Apparently, i am one of the few members on this site that does NOT have a quickie flush installed. During our maiden 2 week trip, we used the toliet non-stop (4 boys really give it a work out), without any smell. Well, we dumped the last day, put new "stuff" in the tank, and dropped it off at the dealers for repairs. we picked it up 2 days ago, headed out for this weekedn trip and low-and-behold major smell. Any suggestions as to what i am doing wrong or how to correct it?

joe


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## Humpty (Apr 20, 2005)

Generally, the more water you can run through the system, the better. That is way so many add a flush device of one flavor or another.

Rinse well, any way you can. Hose or wand down the toilet, Flush King, QF, anything you can do.

Be sure to 'start' with plenty of water and the right amount of chemicals.

You can install a Maxx Air cover and leave the bathroom roof vent open, that would help during storage.


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## Morgueman (Dec 3, 2006)

I don't have a Quickie Flush either. Then I used to do extra flushes of the black tank/lines by pushing the toilet pedal down for a really long time until I saw it coming up. Then I let it all run out through the sewer line. However.....this got old real fast as it takes a very long time to fill up the black tank/lines. Given that the tank is now used and I'm not real handy, I bought a Flush King, which allows you to backfill the black tank/lines using the hose from the outside. Much faster. Plus, and this is an extra BONUS, it has a clear plastic segment that allows you to see all the extra goodies you get out - and it's alot, even after backfilling five times. After the last backfill, I add a bottle of the chemicals along with about 5 gallons of water (by pressing the toilet pedal), and let it swish around and sit in their until the next trip. No smells after I do this procedure.

There are better and faster techniques, eg. a wand that you stick down the toilet to mix everything up before flushing, etc., but I've never used them.

Great topic right before dinner.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

We don't have a quickie-flush installed either, but haven't had an odor problem yet (knock on wood). I add a small bottle of the blue toxic stuff to the tank when we go camping, and it works great. I don't add anything else while it's sitting in the driveway between trips.

I did purchase a holding tank wand at Walmart. It attaches to a hose and has a spinning nozzle on the end that sprays water in a circular motion. You might want to try one of these just to give your tank a good rinse.


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## Northern Wind (Nov 21, 2006)

We don't have a quickie flush, I hesitate to put one on because I keep reading about them blowing off!
I do have a clear adapter with a check valve and hose adapter, this works great, I just rinse about 3 times and its great. What I find very useful is it can be used the rinse both grey tanks as well something the quickie flush don't do.

Steve


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## mountainlady56 (Feb 13, 2006)

Some people put ice in their holding tanks and let it ride, so to speak, along with a little water, in case there's a build up of that "stuff" in there. I tried that, and the ice got stuck in the drain, and somewhere, someone has a bottle of body wash in the 27RSDS black tank that they know nothing about.







It slipped, as I was trying to unblock the ice in the terlet drain.
However, like Dawn, I use the wand and I didn't know what the Flush King was called, but I got one of them, too!! In fact, I got so much "stuff" I need to keep inventory. So, if we're camping together somewhere, and you need a new water hose, or pressure regulator, or just about anything (I've got another sprayer gizmo somewhere, I can't find), just mosey on over and ask. That is, unless you're camping around Tommy (O'Shields).....Tommy's got EVERYTHING!!!








Darlene


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

Well, to answer your question, you don't have enough water in your tank. You need to have enough water in the tank to cover the bottom of the tank, and "anything" that may not have drained from the tank when you dumped. Add more water to the tank, keep the vents open and the smell will go away.


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## caseyclan (Mar 14, 2007)

thanks for the tips. I will try adding more water to see if this helps. I admit that i am curious about the wand mentioned - to use it, does one hook up a water hose outside, then drag it in the camper to use with the wand?

Also, how hard is it to install the back-flush set up?


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

As perverse as it sounds, this is a subject near and dear to almost every Outback owners heart. Specifically, how do we get a squeaky clean tank and avoid all the odors.

1. I had a spell where the stench was lingering. I soon discovered that the black tank vent pipe on the roof was missing the cap. I installed a new one and everything has worked well since then. Peek up there and see if one of the caps is missing.

2. All the tank deoderizer in the world actually depends upon an adequate amount of water to be left in the tank. I have seen advice from one to five gallons.

Hope this helps,

Reverie


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Northern Wind said:


> We don't have a quickie flush, I hesitate to put one on because I keep reading about them blowing off!


Don't let this put you off. A small percentage of people have had trouble (me included). Even if the hose comes off, it is an easy fix and you get to learn about what's underneath (ugly, but serviceable). Those who have had a total failure are an even smaller percentage.

Ed


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

caseyclan said:


> I admit that i am curious about the wand mentioned - to use it, does one hook up a water hose outside, then drag it in the camper to use with the wand?


The answer to your question is "Yes"


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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

caseyclan said:


> I admit that i am curious about the wand mentioned - to use it, does one hook up a water hose outside, then drag it in the camper to use with the wand?


 I dump at the campground, when there is a dump, and use a wand at home to clean out the tank. You do hook up a hose and drag it into the camper, but it's an easy process as my bathroom is right across from the door..

I like the fact that I can tilt, turn and aim the water jet to get every square inch of the tank and even get inside the "neck" (?) of the toilet. I've never had an odor problem - well, at least not during this step of the whole waste process.


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## palod (May 17, 2005)

We had a bad toilet odor problem as well. Opening the ceiling vent and turning on the fan made the problem worse!

Added several gallons of water to the tank, and ran an (no longer used for anything else - and with ends removed)old hose down the vent stack to clear up any possible blockages.

Examination of the fan showed that the darned thing was wired backwards - so it was blowing the fumes coming from the vent stack down INTO the RV. The fan doesn't blow very efficiently in reverse, and apparently whenever we used it before, the wind was blowing away from the ceiling vent and towards the vent stack. I switched the wires on the fan motor around, and now it works just fine!

If you have an odor problem - check your fan!

Palod
2005 30FRKS
Escanaba, Michigan


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

palod said:


> We had a bad toilet odor problem as well. Opening the ceiling vent and turning on the fan made the problem worse!
> 
> Added several gallons of water to the tank, and ran an (no longer used for anything else - and with ends removed)old hose down the vent stack to clear up any possible blockages.
> 
> ...


Gillian!!!


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## Rubrhammer (Nov 27, 2006)

Here is a twist on the odor problem. On one of our trips this summer when the GREY tank was quite full we experienced a foul odor in the TT. Turns out that there is a vertical vent pipe INSIDE the trailer under the kitchen sink! I dumped the tank aired out the trailer and all was good again. Never really determined what caused the problem but a definately traced it to that vent.
Bob


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## gaoutback (Feb 11, 2007)

I have been following the below method for several months and no longer have the burning eye syndrome or a bad smell from the black tank. It's worth the read and will help you have a better understanding of how to maintain your tanks. Others have posted this on outbackers.com and it's worth seeing again. Hope this helps!

Taken directly from rv.net:

Everyone who owns an RV should be concerned with maintaining its wastewater tanks. Problems with wastewater tanks that can be avoided should be avoided. Wastewater tank repair is expensive. Due to health concerns, many service facilities will not work on wastewater tanks and lines until the tanks have been completely emptied and sanitized. This may be quite difficult when the tank(s) is in need of repair. So, common sense dictates that the tanks should be kept relatively clean at all times. Additionally, improper use of the wastewater tanks can lead to a build up of solid wastes, which in itself may cause the system to fail.

I've discovered very simple, effective, and inexpensive methods of maintaining my wastewater tanks in a relatively clean condition at all times. I developed these methods myself through my understanding of chemistry, physics, and biology with a smidgen of common sense thrown in for good measure. I also read my RV owners manual. Although we are not full time RVers we use our fifth wheel camper at least one weekend a month. We never use public bathing and toilet facilities. In other words, our wastewater tanks are fairly heavily used. Since I've met a number of RVers who don't seem to know how to maintain their wastewater tanks I thought many RVers would find my tips useful. If you have not been maintaining your tanks I believe you will be pleasantly surprised the first time you employ these tips. I do these things and they work.

1. DUMP A FULL TANK

When you are camping and your RV is connected to a sewer/septic intake, leave the drain valves closed until the tank is full and ready to dump. Dumping a full tank provides a sufficient quantity of water to flush solids from the tank. Leaving the drain valves open allows the water to drain off without flushing out solid waste. That solid waste will collect in the tank(s) and cause problems over time.

2. DUMP TANKS IN ORDER FROM DIRTIEST TO CLEANEST

In other words, dump the black (commode) water tank first, then dump the galley tank, then dump the shower and bathroom sink tank. This way you will be flushing out the dirtiest water with progressively cleaner water.

3. USE WATER SOFTENER

**Calgon Water Softener link**

This stuff is amazing and it works. Buy a couple of boxes of powdered water softener at the grocery store. You'll find it located with or near the laundry detergent products. I prefer Calgon Water Softener because it dissolves quickly in water. Cheaper water softeners work just as well but dissolve more slowly. Dissolve two (2) cups of the water softener in a gallon of hot water. Then, pour the solution down the drain into the empty tank. Use two cups of softener for each wastewater tank in your RV. The tanks drain valve should be closed otherwise the softened water will just drain out. Then use the tank(s) normally until it is full and drain it normally. Add a cup of laundry detergent to the black (commode) water tank at the same time. This will help clean the tank. The gray water tanks should already contain soap through normal use.

The water softener makes the solid waste let go from the sides of the tanks. If you've ever taken a shower in softened water you know that after rinsing the soap from your body your skin will feel slick. That's because all the soap rinses away with soft water. Softened water also prevents soap scum from sticking in the tub. Get the connection? With softened water gunk washes away instead of sticking. The same thing applies to your RVs wastewater tanks.

I use one of those clear plastic elbow connectors to attach my sewer drain line to the wastewater outlet on my RV. It allows me to see how well things are progressing during a wastewater dump. Before I began using water softener regularly the black water tanks water was brown, the galley tanks water was brownish, and the bathroom tanks water was white. The first time I added water softener to the tanks the water coming from the black water tank was actually black (not brown) and the kitchen tanks water was also black (not brownish). The bathroom tanks water remained white. That told me that the water softener had actually done what I had intended for it to do and made solid waste, which had been stuck to the interior of the tanks, let go and drain away. I added water softener to all the wastewater tanks for the next few dumps to be certain all the solid waste possible had been cleaned away. The wastewater only appeared black on the initial treatment. I now add water softener to each tank once after every few dumps to maintain the system.

Occasionally, I pour a gallon of liquid bleach into each tank to sanitize and disinfect them. I no longer use the blue toilet chemical because it isn't necessary. I have no odors coming from my black water tank. Generic brand liquid bleach is cheap and very effective.

4. USE A WATER FILTER ON YOUR FRESH WATER INTAKE LINE

Most fresh water contains sediment. Sediment will accumulate in your wastewater tanks and your fresh water lines. It also tends to discolor your sinks, tub/shower, and commode. I use the disposable type and have found that they eventually fill up and begin restricting the fresh water flow resulting in low pressure. That's how I know it's time to get a new filter. It works, it's cheap, it avoids problems, do it.

SOME OTHER THOUGHTS

-- I believe occasionally traveling with partially filled wastewater tanks that contain softened water promotes cleaning by agitating the water. The same goes for chlorine bleach. 
-- I believe this process works faster and more efficiently during warm weather. However, I know it works well even during cool/cold weather. 
-- I believe the process works best the longer the water softener remains in the tanks. So, I don't add water softener during periods of heavy wastewater generation. I wait until I know we won't be generating wastewater quickly so that the softened water remains in the tanks for several days before dumping. 
-- I add a small amount of chlorine bleach to the fresh water tank twice a year to disinfect and sanitize the fresh water tank and fresh water lines. A weak chlorine bleach solution will not hurt you. However, it certainly makes the water taste bad. When we have chlorine in the fresh water system we use bottled water for drinking and cooking until the chlorine is gone. 
-- My tanks are plastic and my pipes are PVC. 
-- Don't be afraid to use your tanks. Just use common sense about their care and maintenance. 
-- These tips are inexpensive to do. Some of them don't cost anything. You have nothing to lose in trying them and I encourage you to do so. I actually feel a certain amount of pride in the condition and cleanliness of both my waste and fresh water systems. Naturally, these tips make dumping a much more pleasant and sanitary procedure. 
-- If you have odors in any of your water systems these procedures should eliminate them. Odors indicate a sanitary problem and degrade the enjoyment you derive from your RV. 
-- When my RV is parked and not in use I place stoppers in my sink and tub drains. This allows the wastewater tanks to vent through the vent pipes to the outside instead of through the drains into the RV.


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

I also fall under the "not too handy" category. I haven't seen it mentioned lately but I add a capfull of the Calgon Water Softener to the tank about every other trip. This helps things not stick to the tank sides (in theory). After dumping, I fill the tank with a bag of ice through the toilet and let it slosh around cleaning the tank. Haven't had problems yet but do want to buy a Flush King type product. I add a bottle of the blue stuff and park it in storage.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

when using the above system, do you dump every trip regardless of the tank level when you are leaving or only when the tanks are full?

My first few trips my tanks have been about half full at the end of the trip and I dump them before we leave. i then add about 3 gallons of water and the chem packet to the black tank and let it slosh around for the drive home. I think ill start adding the water softner after each tank dump.


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## gaoutback (Feb 11, 2007)

I empty my tanks after every trip regardless of the tank level. I then pour the Calgon in both the grey and black water tanks and add one cup of laundry detergent to the black water tank. I then add about 1-2 gallons of water to the black tank. I had a problem finding Calgon in a powder and went with the liquid Calgon from Wal-Mart. I use the above black tank 101 as a guideline and it has solved the tank smell issues.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Good to know. Thats how i thought it was to be done. Thanks!
DT


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## gaoutback (Feb 11, 2007)

Glad to help. Please let us know if it helps your situation. It’s not much fun to work with the black water tank and even less fun to deal with the unpleasant odor. However, once you get things under control using the above methods life will be good. We came back from a trip two weeks ago and the temperature in GA has been over 100 for several days this week. I opened up the camper today to check on things and there was no odor.


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## jdpm (Apr 12, 2007)

TORNANDO! TORNADO! TORNADO! I will never have another rv without it.....amazing what it gets out! Basic to install. PCM


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