Fresh water in toilet/shower cassette starting to smell mildewy

[Jharness81]

Hi all!

We just got back from another adventure in our 2516G, and while we were out, I noticed that whenever my kids used the cassette toilet the fresh water that was getting pumped out had kind of a mildew smell to it. I fill the tank up before every trip, and most of the water typically gets used between my wife and kids. Lol. I dunno if anyone else has run into the same problem with their setup, but would it be safe for me to run a small quantity of bleach through the system to kill anything sitting in the tank? Is there a better product that I should look at?

Thank you!

Jeff

[SomeName]

Originally Posted by Jharness81

Hi all!

We just got back from another adventure in our 2516G, and while we were out, I noticed that whenever my kids used the cassette toilet the fresh water that was getting pumped out had kind of a mildew smell to it. I fill the tank up before every trip, and most of the water typically gets used between my wife and kids. Lol. I dunno if anyone else has run into the same problem with their setup, but would it be safe for me to run a small quantity of bleach through the system to kill anything sitting in the tank? Is there a better product that I should look at?

Thank you!

Jeff

I noticed the same thing on our last trip. I put a cap full of fresh water treatment in the tank to hopefully combat it. However, after doing that, I read somewhere that the chlorine in the water treatment neutralizes the treatment chemicals used in the black water tank. Not sure if that’s true but the real tell will be when we take it out again in a week and we see what comes out of the fresh water tank on first use.

[Mike91]

I've had 2 pop ups with the same thetford toilet. Never have I ever had a smell.

Don't put any chemicals into the fresh water, it can ruin the rubber gasket that seals the toilet, and cause the bowl water to start leaking around the cassette into the enclosure and ultimately come out under the enclosure onto the camper floor.

If it gets bad smelling, just drain it, and refill. In fact, I'd do that a few times just to flush it out as you may have mineral deposits in there causing the smell.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by Jharness81

Hi all!
I noticed that whenever my kids used the cassette toilet the fresh water that was getting pumped out had kind of a mildew smell to it.

If the fresh water has a smell to it, you need to disinfect the fresh water tank. It should be done at least once a year. Here's a video that explains how.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEepug8N-aE&t=46s

[Mike91]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

If the fresh water has a smell to it, you need to disinfect the fresh water tank. It should be done at least once a year. Here's a video that explains how.

Its not the fresh water tank but the "cassette" toilet flush water tank, totally different.

[itat]

Originally Posted by Mike91

Its not the fresh water tank but the "cassette" toilet flush water tank, totally different.

Does the toilet in those popups come out and have a built-in water tank for flushing?

[Mike91]

The flush water tank is a permanent ~3 gallon tank just for toilet flush water. The 5 gallon black water cassette is removable for dumping. The toilet is permanently installed.

I misspoke in an earlier post and called the flush water, fresh water.

[Jharness81]

Originally Posted by Mike91

I've had 2 pop ups with the same thetford toilet. Never have I ever had a smell.



Don't put any chemicals into the fresh water, it can ruin the rubber gasket that seals the toilet, and cause the bowl water to start leaking around the cassette into the enclosure and ultimately come out under the enclosure onto the camper floor.



If it gets bad smelling, just drain it, and refill. In fact, I'd do that a few times just to flush it out as you may have mineral deposits in there causing the smell.

This is definitely the first time we’ve ever had a smell... and it’s not even the black tank that smells. Lol. Since we put a squirt of treatment solution into the tank before we head out every time, the tank always smells clean. Our camper sat unused for years at someone’s house before we bought it (they had never used it at all), and the flush water tank was full of slimy grossness that had to be flushed out the first time I filled up the system. After that we never noticed any kind of smell, except for on this last trip. The flush water typically always gets used up while we’re out, and I’m always filling the tank back up... so I don’t think old water is the issue. I can definitely try a flush again, but if it’s something growing in the tank I think any improvement that’s noticed will only be short lived until we let the water sit in the tank for a few days... hence the bleach question. I do worry about the chemicals messing something up though...

[Jharness81]

Originally Posted by SomeName

I noticed the same thing on our last trip. I put a cap full of fresh water treatment in the tank to hopefully combat it. However, after doing that, I read somewhere that the chlorine in the water treatment neutralizes the treatment chemicals used in the black water tank. Not sure if that’s true but the real tell will be when we take it out again in a week and we see what comes out of the fresh water tank on first use.

You should just be able to flush out the fresh water tank by opening up the top and draining through the little plastic water level gauge, correct? Should keep the chemicals from effecting the blank tank chems I would think. Let me know if the treatment works!

[Thomas ho]

A little bleach 2 tbsp. wont hurt anything. Rubber seals arent made of the old types of rubber. Never had a bad seal ,gasket in 20 years of r-ving.

[itat]

If it smells moldy, I'd be inclined to put a bleach solution in that small tank and leave it overnight, like sanitizing the fresh water tank. You can always call Rockwood and ask them if they think it would do any harm.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Mike91

Its not the fresh water tank but the "cassette" toilet flush water tank, totally different.

Different tank, SAME Solution if they want to solve the same problem!!

[Amartin453]

Originally Posted by Jharness81

Hi all!

We just got back from another adventure in our 2516G, and while we were out, I noticed that whenever my kids used the cassette toilet the fresh water that was getting pumped out had kind of a mildew smell to it. I fill the tank up before every trip, and most of the water typically gets used between my wife and kids. Lol. I dunno if anyone else has run into the same problem with their setup, but would it be safe for me to run a small quantity of bleach through the system to kill anything sitting in the tank? Is there a better product that I should look at?

Thank you!

Jeff

We have the same unit and never had the mildew smell issue. We use Porta pods and they work great and help sanitize. However, when I get home, I pull the cassette out fill it up have way with water and 1/4 cup of bleach and rinse. Never had an issue with the rubber gasket and the cassette is sanitized!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Porta-Pak...ckets/37020518