Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Keystone Questions
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-25-2021, 09:37 AM   #1
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
Sewage smell in RV while flushing black tank

2020 Keystone, when I flush the black water tank I get the black water smell heavy in the camper. I can’t pinpoint where it is coming from but I believe it’s coming from the Anti Siphon valve which is under my bathroom sink. Any advice on this.
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2021, 09:48 AM   #2
Javi
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Waco, Tx
Posts: 5,454
Unless it's leaking water on the floor... no.

Do you have the vent fan open?
Javi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2021, 10:03 AM   #3
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by Javi View Post
Unless it's leaking water on the floor... no.

Do you have the vent fan open?
It’s not leaking, I’ve searched for leaks while flushing.
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2021, 07:11 PM   #4
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,772
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yamahafx4 View Post
2020 Keystone, when I flush the black water tank I get the black water smell heavy in the camper. I can’t pinpoint where it is coming from but I believe it’s coming from the Anti Siphon valve which is under my bathroom sink. Any advice on this.
Please explain "HOW" you are flushing the black tank. Some people "flush the tank" by filling the toilet repeatedly, some by using the built in black tank flush system, some by putting a flexible wand down the toilet, some by shooting water up the discharge outlet using a twist on device with a garden hose attached to that device...

All of the above is a part of dumping and servicing the black tank... Is one of those what is causing your smell? Or do you mean that after using the toilet, when you step on the flush pedal, the trailer fills with "odor".... ????

Please give us more details about what you're experiencing and what you're doing when it happens.....
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2021, 08:33 PM   #5
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Please explain "HOW" you are flushing the black tank. Some people "flush the tank" by filling the toilet repeatedly, some by using the built in black tank flush system, some by putting a flexible wand down the toilet, some by shooting water up the discharge outlet using a twist on device with a garden hose attached to that device...

All of the above is a part of dumping and servicing the black tank... Is one of those what is causing your smell? Or do you mean that after using the toilet, when you step on the flush pedal, the trailer fills with "odor".... ????

Please give us more details about what you're experiencing and what you're doing when it happens.....
Using the black water tank flush system. Once tank is filled, drain- hook up to flush system, turn on water, smell comes in side camper.
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2021, 10:23 PM   #6
LHaven
Senior Member
 
LHaven's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Wickenburg
Posts: 3,261
I doubt it's coming from your backflow preventer valve, because at the time the water is traveling into your tank from the hose, that entire connection is full of water and no vapors should be able to intrude.

Is the water traveling successfully from the hose into the tank? Because if not, your BF valve may have been installed backwards (very common) and that could conceivably result in something like you're experiencing.
__________________
2019 Cougar 26RBSWE
2019 Ford F-250
LHaven is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2021, 07:24 AM   #7
sourdough
Site Team
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,553
Just throwing things out but first, what year is your trailer; you don't specify anywhere.

If you are running water into the black tank flush, is water then coming out your drain hose? If so the anti siphon valve is correct (and you would probably be soaked in water either inside or outside if it wasn't).

Once the full black tank has drained it is a straight shot to the sewer system it's connected to; do you have anything drawing those odors in like the vent Javi mentioned? The toilet flange seal could be worn, askew or otherwise allowing the odors in. Likewise the ball seal in the toilet but if it's holding water you could rule that out.

Back to the anti siphon valve; to eliminate this and other probable issues that will come from it you could replace it, or better yet, eliminate it to rid yourself of those future worries. Just remove the valve and place a 90 degree fitting in its place. When done put a screw on anti siphon valve on the end of your flush hose and you're done.
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2021, 07:39 AM   #8
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,695
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yamahafx4 View Post
Using the black water tank flush system. Once tank is filled, drain- hook up to flush system, turn on water, smell comes in side camper.
Are you running the fert fan durjng this operation?
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2021, 08:32 PM   #9
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by LHaven View Post
I doubt it's coming from your backflow preventer valve, because at the time the water is traveling into your tank from the hose, that entire connection is full of water and no vapors should be able to intrude.

Is the water traveling successfully from the hose into the tank? Because if not, your BF valve may have been installed backwards (very common) and that could conceivably result in something like you're experiencing.
Yes water is going into tank. I fill and dump until I get clear water coming from drain.
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2021, 08:33 PM   #10
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
Are you running the fert fan durjng this operation?
No I don’t run any vents until the smell comes, once I’m done flushing I run both my vents to get smell out.
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2021, 08:34 PM   #11
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
Just throwing things out but first, what year is your trailer; you don't specify anywhere.

If you are running water into the black tank flush, is water then coming out your drain hose? If so the anti siphon valve is correct (and you would probably be soaked in water either inside or outside if it wasn't).

Once the full black tank has drained it is a straight shot to the sewer system it's connected to; do you have anything drawing those odors in like the vent Javi mentioned? The toilet flange seal could be worn, askew or otherwise allowing the odors in. Likewise the ball seal in the toilet but if it's holding water you could rule that out.

Back to the anti siphon valve; to eliminate this and other probable issues that will come from it you could replace it, or better yet, eliminate it to rid yourself of those future worries. Just remove the valve and place a 90 degree fitting in its place. When done put a screw on anti siphon valve on the end of your flush hose and you're done.
Sorry

2020 Avalanche 376RD
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2021, 08:36 PM   #12
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
What if my Black Tank Vent was stopped up, is there any where the air could escape other then toilet? What about wax ring on toilet; although it isn’t leaking water. Crap I don’t know.
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 12:13 AM   #13
LHaven
Senior Member
 
LHaven's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Wickenburg
Posts: 3,261
RV toilet uses a rubber mating piece, not a wax ring. Occasionally these get folded over during toilet installation at the factory. The only way to determine this is to lift the toilet.
__________________
2019 Cougar 26RBSWE
2019 Ford F-250
LHaven is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 05:55 AM   #14
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,772
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yamahafx4 View Post
What if my Black Tank Vent was stopped up, is there any where the air could escape other then toilet? What about wax ring on toilet; although it isn’t leaking water. Crap I don’t know.
There is a vent stack from the top of the black tank, through a wall (normally the bathroom interior wall) that exits on the roof. It us typically located within a few inches of the bathroom roof vent, so that's why the question about running the "fart fan" during dumping. If the fan is pulling air into the bathroom, it would pull through that vent stack and up the toilet hole, bringing the odor into the trailer. If the fan is not running, but the ceiling vent is open, being that close to the vent stack, often "air conduction" will pull the odors that short distance from the vent stack to the bathroom vent and into the trailer. Any open window or door will be enough to allow air circulation to create the "suction needed at the ceiling vent. A "front bedroom air conditioner" condenser exhaust blowing over that vent stack is enough to push the odors toward the bathroom ceiling vent and, if it's open, push them down into the trailer. So, any air movement on the roof toward that vent stack and the ceiling vent opening can push the smell into the trailer.

Now, as for the vent stack: If it is inserted "too far into the tank" once the fluid level is above the "tank end" of the vent pipe, it will no longer "vent air to the roof" but will pressurize the tank, pushing any liquid through any "weak seal in the system". If your toilet foam mounting ring is "weak" (but not necessarily leaking water), that pressure could be pushing air up the toilet flush pipe, meeting the ball valve in the toilet and as pressure rises, push that odor out a compromised leak in the foam ring. THERE IS NO WAX RING, only foam.

As a "test", next time you dump your holding tanks, do not close the black tank valve to fill the black tank when rinsing, leave the dump valve open, turn on the tank flush system and see if "when the dump valve is open, odors still enter the trailer"... My guess is they won't and your smell will not be as noticeable inside....

I'd suspect it's from the vent stack being too far into the black tank and a compromised foam seal.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 07:23 PM   #15
Yamahafx4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Natchitoches
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
There is a vent stack from the top of the black tank, through a wall (normally the bathroom interior wall) that exits on the roof. It us typically located within a few inches of the bathroom roof vent, so that's why the question about running the "fart fan" during dumping. If the fan is pulling air into the bathroom, it would pull through that vent stack and up the toilet hole, bringing the odor into the trailer. If the fan is not running, but the ceiling vent is open, being that close to the vent stack, often "air conduction" will pull the odors that short distance from the vent stack to the bathroom vent and into the trailer. Any open window or door will be enough to allow air circulation to create the "suction needed at the ceiling vent. A "front bedroom air conditioner" condenser exhaust blowing over that vent stack is enough to push the odors toward the bathroom ceiling vent and, if it's open, push them down into the trailer. So, any air movement on the roof toward that vent stack and the ceiling vent opening can push the smell into the trailer.

Now, as for the vent stack: If it is inserted "too far into the tank" once the fluid level is above the "tank end" of the vent pipe, it will no longer "vent air to the roof" but will pressurize the tank, pushing any liquid through any "weak seal in the system". If your toilet foam mounting ring is "weak" (but not necessarily leaking water), that pressure could be pushing air up the toilet flush pipe, meeting the ball valve in the toilet and as pressure rises, push that odor out a compromised leak in the foam ring. THERE IS NO WAX RING, only foam.

As a "test", next time you dump your holding tanks, do not close the black tank valve to fill the black tank when rinsing, leave the dump valve open, turn on the tank flush system and see if "when the dump valve is open, odors still enter the trailer"... My guess is they won't and your smell will not be as noticeable inside....

I'd suspect it's from the vent stack being too far into the black tank and a compromised foam seal.
That makes perfect since. I bet the AC Is pulling it in. Thank You
Yamahafx4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
black tank, tank

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.