Sewer Odor

lleach

Member
We have a bad sewer odor in our trailer whenever we use our Fantastic Vent fan in the bathroom. Does anyone have an idea why this would happen and where the odor could be coming from?
 

StevieWonder

Well-known member
We have a bad sewer odor in our trailer whenever we use our Fantastic Vent fan in the bathroom. Does anyone have an idea why this would happen and where the odor could be coming from?

Sounds like the Fantastic vent is creating an air draw and literally sucking the fumes from your black water holding tank. If the odor goes away when the fan is on, your trailer is just too airtight. Crack a window or a vent and see if the odor goes away. Won't take much of an opening to equalize the pressure.
 

StevieWonder

Well-known member
Actually, John, on the newer 737's there is an automatic, slight negative pressure on the toilets to keep the aroma from wafting out of the holding tanks.
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I have the Dometic Toilet 210. My ball (the part that covers the toilet hole when you release the lever) does not close quite all the way if you release the flush lever gently. I called the dealer and he told me to just let the lever snap loose and let the ball cover the opening.

My opening looked like this..
210Toilet.jpg

Emailed Dometic and received the following.

**************************
From Dometic:
I do understand your problem with your toilet. We had a production issue with our Traveler Lite units for a short period of time. What it involves is the spring cartridge at the side of the unit that is attached to the shaft, connected to the half ball. It is not allowing a full rotation to close the half ball completely. And as a precautionary measure, we are also replacing the seal kit between the base and the bowl. It is a different seal kit then what it in there now. What would be removed is a hard plastic disk seal with a Teflon insert. What we are replacing is "two piece" Teflon and rubber seal. If you would send me a full name and address I would be happy to send the parts to you direct at N/C and you can repair the unit or take it and have some one fix it under warranty.
Waiting for reply, Thank-You.

customer service
Domtetic Sealand
*************************

The odor your smelling could possibly be caused by a similar problem.
Hope this might be of some assistance.

 
Contact Info

I would like them to send me the updated parts on the toilet

do you still have the contact information ?

Curently I have installed a shutoff valve to the toilet water and lubricate the seal regularly seems to keep this from happeningNone

Brent Hughes
 
I have my self experinced sewer smell from either the ball on the toilet not sealing, since corrected.

BUT THE ONE I HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD IS SEWER GAS I BELIEVE COMING FROM THE HALLWAY SLIDE DOOR WALL, IM SURE HAVING THE VENT IN THE BATHROOM WOULD HELP PULL THE FUMES

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL THE SEWER VENT PIPING DRAWINGS AND THE TANK DESIGN FOR THE BLACK HOLDING TANK or pictures of a trailor being assembled ( can anybody help)

maybe there is a relief of some type on the black tank ( i was holding water both times in the winter mode)or maybe a roof vent pipe bad and leaking between the rafters of the roof

Note: also I do not hold a p-trap design in my outside sewer hose during winter months use, since summer has arrived here down south. I now leave my black tank valve open most of the time. Winter I have only the gary 1 and 2 open fulltime
I have wondered if the septic tank could have back pressured on me somehow doing this also?

Noting: I have only seen this two times to date and the air flow was deemed to be pressured- helping the sewer gas to flow and do not rememeber a problem since i have starting "Running " in summer mode!

bring er back II
Brent
 
Last edited:

sailorand

Past British Columbia Chapter Leader
You can get some sewer smell in the Kitchen also. On our 3055 there is a "cheater Vent" under the sink. I have cleaned it put it back on and the smell was still there, so I put a plastic bag over it and the smell went away...
Rand
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I would like them to send me the updated parts on the toilet
do you still have the contact information ?
Curently I have installed a shutoff valve to the toilet water and lubricate the seal regularly seems to keep this from happeningNone
Brent Hughes

This is the information I have..

Customer Service
Dometic Sanitation Systems
13128 State Rte 226
Big Prairie, OH 44611
800-321-9886
sealand@dometicusa.com

You will need to know what toilet you have. Mine is the 210.
 

StevieWonder

Well-known member
If the odor goes away when the fan is on, your trailer is just too airtight.

OR ... the toilet is not closing up thoroughly and the fan is sucking the air out of the holding tank through the gap in the toilet.
:rolleyes:

I thought about the valve not closing but I've never seen that so I didn't mention it. Given your photo, that's the issue. Glad somebody else stepped in.
 

pickuphunt

Active Member
We had a 2002 Big Sky Montana that had a sewer smell when the fan was on. What we found was at the time the Inverter was put in, the installers had to use a saw to cut a hole in the plywood in the back wall behind where the inverter was installed. The installer cut too deep and cut a small hole in the vent pipe. The only way we could find the hole was to empty the holding tank, flush it out as best as possible and then keep filling with fresh water until we saw a water leak and then traced it back behind the inverter. I hope that didn't happen to you, but who knows!!!
 

timk

Well-known member
We had a 2002 Big Sky Montana that had a sewer smell when the fan was on. What we found was at the time the Inverter was put in, the installers had to use a saw to cut a hole in the plywood in the back wall behind where the inverter was installed. The installer cut too deep and cut a small hole in the vent pipe. The only way we could find the hole was to empty the holding tank, flush it out as best as possible and then keep filling with fresh water until we saw a water leak and then traced it back behind the inverter. I hope that didn't happen to you, but who knows!!!

Thats really a good idea. Where it leaks, its stinks.
 
K

Ken Washington

Guest
I would replace the vent valve at the kitchen and bathroom sink with one that has a spring in it. These valves are under the sinks and just screw off by hand and are the cheap type. You can get better ones at ACE Hardware or other big box stores. I had the same problem some of you are having and this fixed it!

Ken
 

Netem

Well-known member
If I heard you correct you said you leave the black water valve open. If you do this you won't hold water in the black tank and you are going to end up stopping up the drain pipe as it needs the water to flush things out when you do pull the valve open.
I always put about 5 gal of water in the black tank before we start using it.

This is for Brent
 

Oldlthrnecksgirl

Hisyoungercuterwife
Hmmmm our toilet seal looks the same as the picture. I will have to check out which toilet we have. We have been using the happycamper product as well. I bought the smallest container to check it out first and have since reordered a years supply of the stuff, it works Great,,, Lizzy
 

christianson

Active Member
We had a sewersmell when we used our fan to but we had valves open and was hooked to the park sewer system we found the smell was coming from our vents under our sinks that are hooked to the gray water tanks closed the valves smell went away
 

Oldlthrneck

Just an Old Jarhead
We had a sewer smell when we first bought our rig. Called the dealer and the owner himself came out to check it out. The odor seemed to be coming from the front closet. He checked it out and found that it was coming from the clothes washer drain. It has a p-trap in the drain and without water the odor, from the sewer hose, via the gray water tank was being sucked up out of there everytime we ran our fantastic fan. He poured the water in the line to seal the p-trap and no more odor. He mentioned that towing it will cause it to splash out of the p-trap, so the water will need to be replenished occasionally. I have noticed an odor lately so is probably time to replenish the water in the p-trap.
Fred
 

lleach

Member
We cracked a window and it took care of the problem of the odor when using the fantastic fan in the bathroom. Thanks for the help, as this was not pleasant.
 
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