Sewer smell

Pulltab

Well-known member
Question for factory.

How are the tanks sealed to the drains and vents? I periodically and seems to be more and more, get a sewer VERY STRONG smell inside the rv. I have checked at the drains and vents under the sink and it is not coming from there, where I smell it is when I remove the wall in the basement it is spewing from the belly of the rv, so when it needs to get out it is vented into living space. Not acceptable. I need to know are the connections glued, screwed, just stuck in or what. I will have to fix this myself as we live in it and leaving it at the dealer is a no go. Please respond as soon as possible please.
 

Pulltab

Well-known member
Would it be possible to get a plumbing and tank layout of the 2925rk. This would help tremendously? :)
 

Scott

Well-known member
This is what our engineer said:
"The connections are glued into a male pipe thread adapter that is in turn
screwed directly into the tank. He could have a leak in the termination that is collecting in the under belly."
I think you should work with our Customer Service Dept. on this one. 574.262.8030 Ask for Jim Fenner who will get you to the right rep.
ST
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
I have some suggestions as soon as the factory has had time to answer. Don't want to stick my noise where is doesnt belong. :eek:
 

GARTH

Member
  • Pulltab I had the same problem with our 3055 this spring. After dumping it and flushing it with clean water I filled it complety full and rolled under. I could see it had two leaks one at the vent tank flange the other at the main tank flange on top. The only way I could get to that one was from the inside of the rig. It was under the toilet and I could get to it behind the electrical panel. I had to cut a larger opening around the pvc pipe but it gave me access to the top flange after using up two tubes of goop glue it sealed up both leaks. So for so good! Good luck!​
 

Pulltab

Well-known member
Thanks Scott, I got a PM from Jim F. last night quite promptly :) I will call him today. I appreciate how fast you guys responded to this.

Bill and Garth, first I will let the factory try to cure this if something goes wrong there which I don't expect I will chase it myself. Thanks for the input. :)
 

WRIGHT ll

retired Oklahoma Chapter Leaders
Though our present rig is not a Heartland product (but soon will be) I found that we periodically had sewer odors to contend with. I figured out that they appeared immediately after flushing the black water tank with the flushing system. What I was doing was, during the flushing operation I was closing the dump valve thinking I was getting more water in the tank and speeding up the whole operation. I was doing this even though there is a label saying the valves must be open while flushing. This apparently forced gases from the black tank out through the stool and into the atmosphere and they could be smelled in the basement storage area and in the stool room. The last couple times I did this operation, I didn't close the valves and took longer to get the tank clean but no more offensive odors in the rig. Maybe this will help you too.
 

cmart

Well-known member
I too have noticed what looked like sewer in the hose storage compartment of my 3055RL. I haven't noticed any odor but my smeller isn't as good as it once was either. At first I thought I had left perhaps some black water in the sewer hose, but this seems to be dripping from above. Here we go again. I addressed this to River City, but apparently nothing happened there. If I remove all the panels is there something I can see and tighten????????
 

Pulltab

Well-known member
No, not yet. We are on a trip and currently in Gettysburg. Will deal with it when we get back. Thanks for asking. :)
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Pulltab, guess I am going to stick my noise in here after all. Make sure you are not smelling in not propane. I went through that deal at a camp ground last year. Thought it might be the trap where the washer plumbing was so I sealed that up. Still had a smell. Found out a fitting at the propane regulator was not tight after doing the soapy water deal. Tightened it up and sure enough the smell went away. Boy was I POed!. Could have been a disaster! Propane is heavier than air and is not suppose to rise but with the right breeze conditions it found its way into the bedroom.
 

sailorand

Past British Columbia Chapter Leader
I was at the marina the other day and talking to the boys. Holding tank smells came up in the conversation. Some said they were using Oxy-clean for laundry in thier tanks. Seems that the raised oxygen levels cuts the "smell" bacteria somehow.
Rand
 

Goldenwingers

goldenwingers
Rand, do you mean that it actually cuts the bacteria, or just the smell of the bacteria? We were of the impression that you needed a certain amount of bacteria to eat the organic matter.
 

iefpro01

Well-known member
We have been having a major problem with sewer odors. We finally discovered it was coming from under the kitchen sink. It was stinking up the whole trailer. I could only get rid of it by flushing the tank well... But as soon as we started using the toilet again it would get worse and worse.
 
K

Ken Washington

Guest
iefpro01,
Replace the valve under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and that will solve your problem! The valves are cheap and do not have a spring in them so go to ACE Hardware or a plumbing supplier and get a replacement valve and just screw the old ones off and replace them with the new ones with springs in them!

Ken
 

phranc

Well-known member
iefpro01.. A quick fix till you can get to the harware store is to put a sandwich bag over the vent (studor valve) and rubber band it in place ..
 
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