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Old 10-05-2021, 02:16 PM   #1
Lilythebanana
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Sewer smell in heater vents

Hello all,

Recently we moved our trailer (Nuwa Hitchhiker 2004) and found that our tanks had leaked into the overflow part. We removed the panel from the bottom and cleaned all of it out, but when we went to use our heater there was an awful sewage smell coming from the bedroom vents. I was just going to pour baking soda down them but I don’t want to make it worse. How do I get the smell out??
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Old 10-05-2021, 02:25 PM   #2
sourdough
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What is the backdrop to all this? You recently moved it....has it been sitting unattended for a long time? Sitting but being used??

The tanks had leaked into the "overflow" part. What is that? Does the trailer have a covered belly that it dripped on to? When you say tankS, did the black tank leak (sewer smell) or did ALL of them leak (break)?

The reason I ask is that it doesn't really matter what you do to reduce the smell if you haven't fixed the problem. What WAS the resolution to the leak/what did you find?

If you had to drop an underbelly cover I assume you have foil looking heater ducts. Did those come loose? Are they perforated at some point and let the "stinky" water in? How did it get in the ducting? IMO those are things that need to be known and corrected prior to trying to reduce the smell.

I will say, do not start pouring baking soda down the vents as you will only end up with a bigger problem than smell. Post back so folks will know what it is they are dealing with other than odor elimination.
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Old 10-05-2021, 02:41 PM   #3
Lilythebanana
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I’m only going off of what my husband has told me, he just works too much to get it figured out.

Nothing broke, I think the tanks were just a little too full when we moved it. I think all of them leaked into the covered belly part.

We’ve been living in it for 7-8 months. I don’t think they came loose as I’ve looked in the underneath storage 2-3 times and everything looks fine.
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Old 10-05-2021, 03:05 PM   #4
sourdough
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Hooking up and pulling your trailer shouldn't have resulted in the underbelly being full of sewer water even if the tanks were full - you have a problem. They don't have "overflow" vents on them (waste water tanks) that dump to the belly of the trailer.

The furnace should be self contained and not get those smells into it except via drawing and spreading "stinky" air through the intake and/or if all the sewage water accumulated around the furnace and blower unit somehow. If any of those tinfoil ducts have been compromised with holes due to age, mice, damage etc. over the years they could have gotten the stuff into one or some of them.

Someone needs to look that entire waste water/furnace/ducting system over to see what is really going on. I know your husband is busy but someone needs to figure out why that happened or you may (I figure) have another, larger issue in the future. In the meantime you are basically trying to "mask" the smell since we have no idea where it is coming from. In any event baking soda in the vents isn't the answer.

If there is residue in the ducts running the furnace will eventually make that smell go away from the heated air just drying out the moisture....if that is it. If the furnace is sitting in a pool of sewer water you have larger issues.

You're in Henryetta OK so it should still be pretty warm there (it's over 90 here today) so you could open some windows to air it out. If the belly is still off you could blow fans under the trailer to dry it out. You can put out air fresheners (lots of them) etc.

In the end we (you) don't know what you're trying to fix so you will just have to throw things at it and hope it goes away. If there is "crap" all in the heating system that may be a long time. Others will chime in with their thoughts I'm sure. I wish you luck; BTDT with cleaning up the sewer water mess/smell and don't envy you.
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Old 10-05-2021, 03:38 PM   #5
notanlines
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What Danny said! No baking soda. And more information.
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Old 10-06-2021, 04:35 AM   #6
wiredgeorge
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It has been in the 50s here in the Hill Country last couple nights so maybe a heating her trailer is needed. Most folks plugged into shore power will opt for electric heaters rather than using the camper's propane heat.
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Old 10-06-2021, 06:12 AM   #7
JRTJH
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There is a definite problem with the black tank "IF" there is sewer smell in the heat ducting. It's not something that should be ignored. It's true that "eventually the heat will dry up the liquid and the smell will go away".... Until then, you're breathing the vapors of human waste in a confined area...

I'd get it checked by a competent RV repairman before sleeping in it any longer.

Looking at the "big picture", if there is liquid from the black tank in the heating ductwork, there's also mold/mildew growing in that same area.....

That trailer is no longer a "healthy environment" in its current condition...
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Old 10-06-2021, 06:37 PM   #8
Ken / Claudia
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That is a haz mat (hazardous environment) and no one should stay in it until cleaned out, cleaned up and or soiled items removed. People will get sick or worse. If that was in a stick built home any county or city code enforcement would not allow humans to occupy it.
No matter what the money situation is a motel, car, tent, shelter is the place to stay.
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