Odor Issues
Black Water Tank Odors
Dealing with holding tank odors at some point in time has puzzled the vast majority of us or will for those that have not experienced the issue yet.
Simply emptying the tank will not solve the issue of unwanted sewage odors inside your RV. The holding tanks must be back-washed and deodorized. Thru trial and error as well as on-line research I found what works for me.
Forget all the products that are made just for RVs to be put into your holding tanks. Spend your money wisely and buy products made for the everyday household.
Products I use are Dawn, Calgon and Borax. Dawn to loosen the slim from the sides and bottom. Calgon to soften the water which helps the dawn do it's job. Borax to deodorize the contents of the holding tank.
Steps for cleaning the holding tank
When you first notice the smell of sewage inside your RV then you panic wondering what to do. At this point your black water holding tank is almost full. Do not dump your tank just yet.
Run to a Walmart or Dollar store and get Dawn, Calgon and Borax.
Squeeze about 2 to 3 table spoons of Dawn into the toilet bowl and one cap of Calgon, then fill the toilet bowl full of water and as you flush the toilet pour a 1/2 cup of Borax down the toilet.
Let this mix sit in the holding tank for about 10 minutes before dumping the holding tank.
Now you are ready to back-wash the tank. I use a clear drainage gate that has a water hose connection built in.
When you start the water flowing into your holding tank for back-washing it is time to add the Dawn, Calgon and Borax again. This will mix the cleaning products with the fresh water and start to do their magic. I do this back-wash 4 times in a row once a month because we are not moving from park to park. During weekly dumps I back-wash the tank twice and add the Dawn, Calgon and Borax after I finish back-washing the tank. No more sewage odor.
Grey Water Tank Odors
You may also use the same system of back-washing your grey water tank as above but using the closest sink to the tank to add the cleaning products to the sink. The sinks have "S" traps that are made to keep odors from the drains from coming back into the RV.
If you notice a smell then look under the sink area and you will notice the drain pipe has what looks like a cap on it that is higher than the "S" trap, this is a Cheater Vent and it lets air into the drain pipe when water is flowing thru the pipe. This Cheater Vent may need replaced.
If water drains slow the Cheater Vent may be stuck closed. If water drains fast and tank smell is constant then the Cheater Vent may be stuck open.
