cant get rid of the smell - Page 4

**Herk7769** · 10-23-2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimh

It looks like the probe was screwed in w the threads glued. I can't move them

Their video shows how to mount them in new holes. If there is not enough room for your drill, you may be trapped into cutting the soil pipe out of your way and using rubber unions to reassemble it.

jimh · 10-23-2010, 07:16 PM

I'll give u a little wishful thinking abt his tank: maybe the tank isn't ruptured, it could be an unglued line at the top of the tank. Could also acc for smell. My'84 gray water would pour out the top when full. My 02 will come back into the lowest drain. My tub was the low spot. My black water never got full while I had it.

**Herk7769** · 10-23-2010, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimh

I'll give u a little wishful thinking abt his tank: maybe the tank isn't ruptured, it could be an unglued line at the top of the tank. Could also acc for smell. My'84 gray water would pour out the top when full. My 02 will come back into the lowest drain. My tub was the low spot. My black water never got full while I had it.

Really in the big scheme of things, whether it cracked, burst, or came unglued, the result was the same. Big bucks repair and a big mess.

I learned a lesson from his unfortunate mishap and hopefully now others will as well. It is why we are all here, no?

camprat · 10-23-2010, 09:05 PM

Hi Jimh & herk ! jimh your right to say a vertical column 10' has about 4.5-4 psi pushing on top of tank. but also change weight of tank by adding volume with a full vent stack. I'm with you on bad glue joint. Just something to think about if that hose was at the bottom of thank & the vent was over flowing would the psi be the same.

jimh · 10-23-2010, 10:54 PM

the more i'm reading this, the more i leaning toward a seperated line or preexixting crack. that would account fot the smell before it was filled.
i don't know what it would take to get to them and see for sure. if it is (and the tanks can be accessed from the top) you may be able to get a fiberglass repair kit and repair the leak. if u have to pull the tank, might as well replace and fix it right. oh, if u opt to fix a crack, drill a small hole at the ends of the crack. if u don't, the crack will continue to run after the repair.
i would really like to know what is ultimantly found.

in one of the post it was said something to the nature that we do this to help one another. i do it for the same reason. it is also a tremendous help to me. i have learned a lot abt my trailer sense i have been on the forem. wheather my post or anyone elses are 100% correct, it gets us thinking and looking at problems from a different angle.

**Herk7769** · 10-24-2010, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimh

In one of the post it was said something to the nature that we do this to help one another. I do it for the same reason. it is also a tremendous help to me. I have learned a lot about my trailer sense I have been on the forum. whether my post or anyone else's are 100% correct, it gets us thinking and looking at problems from a different angle.

My sentiments exactly. I looked at holding tank costs (just the tank) and they are not all that expensive. If you are handy enough to get the old one out to repair (and you will have to drop it if the crack is on the top as you suggest) replacement might be the better option.

Having this repair done at a dealer is not cheap at all (my dealer charges a hundred bucks an hour for labor), but if you have a weekend to kill and gutsy enough, give it a whack.

PS Jim I totally apologize for correcting your post's shorthand. My spell checker complained bitterly. I am such a poor speller that I HAVE to use it or you would never figure out what the heck I was talking about.

jimh · 10-24-2010, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

My sentiments exactly. I looked at holding tank costs (just the tank) and they are not all that expensive. If you are handy enough to get the old one out to repair (and you will have to drop it if the crack is on the top as you suggest) replacement might be the better option.

Having this repair done at a dealer is not cheap at all (my dealer charges a hundred bucks an hour for labor), but if you have a weekend to kill and gutsy enough, give it a whack.

PS Jim I totally apologize for correcting your post's shorthand. My spell checker complained bitterly. I am such a poor speller that I HAVE to use it or you would never figure out what the heck I was talking about.

u mean....MY SPELLING IS BAD??...i thought it was everyone but me....guess i'm gg to have to figure out if i have a spelleng cker and how to use it.

**Herk7769** · 10-24-2010, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimh

u mean....MY SPELLING IS BAD??...i thought it was everyone but me....guess i'm gg to have to figure out if i have a spelleng cker and how to use it.

Not so bad actually. If you look in the upper right hand corner of the "Reply to Thread" menu bar there is a checkmark with ABC above it. It will point you to a web site called www.iespell.com It is easy as pie to use.

The_Stuff · 04-06-2011, 12:56 PM

I was looking over the thread and was wondering a couple more things.

Is there a laundry hookup in the bathroom? it might be from there depending on how its plumbed. Also check to see if the smell is coming from the walls. maybe a pipe is busted or has come apart inside?

campnqueen · 04-06-2011, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Water softener salt is NOT water softener.

It is SALT. NaCl - Sodium Chloride

It is used in water softener ion exchange columns to FLUSH OUT the resin.

It does NOT soften water at all.

Calgon Liquid is sodium polymetaphosphate
sodium polymetaphosphate - PubChem Public Chemical Database

It coats the sides of the tank with "slipperiness" to keep poo and grease from sticking to the walls. Period.

Lou... I am sooo glad you clarified that for me! I am having a heck of a time finding the Calgon Laundry water Softener in my area (north of Atlanta Ga.)...was wondering if there was a substitute for the Calgon... but now I know not! Thanks for your input.

**Herk7769** · 04-06-2011, 05:38 PM

Iggy posted a photo of the powder version.

As far as I know there is nothing like Calgon for this application.
Dry or Liquid does not matter; it just has to be the water SOFTENER version.

Here is the chemical mix in the liquid version that I prefer:

http://www.rbnainfo.com/productpro/ProductSearch.do?brandId=6&productLineId=192&searc hType=PL&template=1

Here is the chemical mix in the powder that makes it work:

http://www.rbnainfo.com/productpro/ProductSearch.do?brandId=6&productLineId=194&searc hType=PL&template=1

It is NOT water softener SALT. That is used to flush resin columns used to soften house systems.

Salt does not soften water; it just makes it salty and corrosive.

HomeSolutionsNews®: CALGON® Water Softener Neutralizes Hard Water Minerals in Your Laundry

to order online. They have powder and liquid.

The_Stuff · 04-07-2011, 12:57 AM

i looked for calgon tonight and no luck. laundry and cleaning chemical areas. notta.

also been looking for the RV-Digest-It and cant seem to find it in canada or anyone to ship to canada. something bout laws for the chemicals.

**Herk7769** · 04-07-2011, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Stuff

i looked for calgon tonight and no luck. laundry and cleaning chemical areas. notta.

also been looking for the RV-Digest-It and cant seem to find it in canada or anyone to ship to canada. something bout laws for the chemicals.

Sorry to hear that. Both are great products. Calgon can be hard to find because when the shipment comes in the RV's scarf it up. RV-Digest-It I have only see on their web site. Maybe a different enzyme based septic clog breaker is available there?

jimh · 04-07-2011, 08:05 AM

blue eyes...did u ever get rid of the smell?
i skimed the post looking to see if u tried replacing the seal between the commode and and sewer flange. u may have but i (in my haste) didn't see it.

The_Stuff · 04-08-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Maybe a different enzyme based septic clog breaker is available there?

and thats another thing. I was at a couple hardware stores the other day. saw toilet paper digester stuff. passed on it. went yesterday. all gone!!

blue eyes · 06-20-2011, 02:08 PM

Jim, sorry that I havent posted back, just havent been on for awhile, however, it is camping season once again..and yes,,,we still stink..lol...we are going to pull the tank and replace the seals as you have asked,,,we are just at wits end with this problem,,,wasnt really very bad at all when we first opened up, however, the smell has gotten extremely worse..stopped by a rv store and they suggested that maybe our vent pipe is too far into the tank, creating the situation as to why we cant smell anything when we are on the roof and looking down the vent pipe. The smell absolutely gets worse as the tank gets fuller...We will pull the toilet when we are up there for the 4th of july and I will let you know how it all worked out.

Fourn3833 · 06-20-2011, 03:34 PM

As a plumber I highly reccomend that you keep your hose as straight and direct to from the tank to the site hook up. If you don't you have a good chance of solids staying in th line and blocking it up.

Now for my thoughts on your stinky situation. The slide gates on these toilets and get paper lodged in the slide track. You can't see it sometimes and it will hold open your slide gate ever so slightly allowing the gases to come back in to the trailer/motorhome especially in the wind or while traveling. It creates a positive force on the tank and pushes the gas in. If you put water in the bowl and it leaks through over time that means the slide gate is leaking by and needs some attention. The other thing to check is to make sure if there is a wax ring it is set right on the closet flange. This system should be a sealed system.

jimh · 06-20-2011, 05:19 PM

i reread the post. still looking for the words "i installed traps in the shower, sink, and lavatory". thought one of the first post suggested they weren't there. i'd install them for ur own safety.
if u try to suck the smell out of the trailer, u will also be sucking the smell back in from its sourse.
i would suggest something on the vents that would pull air out. they make some that fit over ur vents but i believe they are designed to pull the air out as u drive down the road. if they rotate, they may take advantage of the air movement and pull the fumes out. (looks like an ell with a fin on top. if that rotates, it may solve ur problem.
one suggestion mentioned the vacuum breakers located by the sink, lavatory, and washer drain. if u have questions abt what they look like, let me know, i took pictures of them in my trailer..have to admit, i didn't know they were there. the sink one was after the drain passed thru the cabinet. the lavatory one was behind the lavatory. they allow the drain to drain. the p traps can prevent that.
when i hook up to the sewer, i open the drains on my gray water tanks and keep the black closed. you can get the sewer gas back from the campground sewer system. u can also get it from ur gray water tanks if anything has gotten there over the years (decaying protein produces H2S...rotten egg).

i believe my thought that us didn't have traps in the sink, lavatory...may have been misunderstood. it doesn't appear u said that.

basiclly what i have suggested doesn't solve the problem. it simply puts a slight vacuum on ur waste tanks so that air will be pulled into the vent from a possible leak.

if u are fairly sure it is coming from the toilet itself, the seal isn't hard to replace. just retighten the bolts that go into the floor snugg. that is some very thin stuff ur screwing into (on mine at least).

i've seen some good suggestions here and some, like mine, are guessing and hoping. when u do solve ur problem, i would like to know what u find.

u may be able to find a plumber with one of those cameras u can look down the vent pipe and tank with. i have threatened to buy one but back off when i see the $150 price tag (now that was Harbor Freight...doubt if it is as good as what a plumber would buy).

The_Stuff · 06-20-2011, 08:19 PM

is your trailer still being a park model and not moving?

blue eyes · 06-22-2011, 07:08 AM

Yes, we are still parked... and that seems to add to the problem...we cant do alot of the suggestions that people have given because we are in a permanent site,,we dont have sewage hook-up either...so it isnt so easy to do all of the flushing some has been suggested either...our plan is to pull the toilet the next time that we are up there and see if we can find anything there...maybe it will give us a better view into things once it is removed...will keep posted...

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