Anybody install a siphon360 to prevent black/grey water odor?

[WaltP]

A popular way to scrub out the black tank is to pour in a bag of ice cubes and a little dish detergent just before a long drive. It works very well. Unfortunately there's no way to get the cubes into the grey tank, barring a fairly major modification.

Walt

[jenbooks]

Hi all, brief update. I did the flush again (because, yeah, the first time I did it, I left the grey valve open and the shower valve closed.) So I flushed with them open, then flushed with them closed, adding odorloss to the sink. It helps somewhat but the distinct pew odor is still there. I really am not quite sure where it's coming from, but if I open the toilet, it smells fine. But I haven't exactly stuck my nose right on the shower drain.
Also, when I run the sink water, at first, it smells a little moldy coming out of the tap. So something in there is not clean--it could even be the shower hose itself. Maybe I need a new shower hose. Or maybe it's the plastic piping under the sink.

I did go to Lowes and get a new p trap (a green rubber thing) and two clamps. The guy who can change it for me for a few bucks, was working today from noon to eight, and I didn't get there in time. I got a little cute microfiber rug for the entrance, various cleaning and waxing stuff at autozone. DH did the whole exterior with soap and water but didn't have time to wax--does that mean we have to soap and rinse lightly again before waxing? It looks nice and clean now.

I didn't get a chance to clean more on the inside either (we'd cleaned the bathroom and all the surfaces of the wood/fiberglass, but not the interior sides of the surfaces, nor the fridge interior. We also haven't vacuumed, nor steam cleaned etc.

So anyway I hope we can get back tomorrow to get the p trap done in the morning.

Clearly there's SOMETHING in the grey or black tank or piping, probably the grey tank/piping. It smells bacterial.

Eddie recommends the hepvo mod (I need to order by email--little customs wrote me back)--the dometic ceramic toilet and maybe cleaning and even waxing the bathroom fiberglass if it absorbed the odor but it seems okay from a sniff. Who knows.

Questions:

1) To clean the grey tank with the tank wand--is there some opening I can stick it through, the way Carol does with her scamp? All I have is the valve i open and close but that has a handle. I don't want to damage anything.

2) Someone at the campground told me I must always have some water in my black and grey tanks especially in the hot summers here. And I now understand a p trap must have water to keep back the odors. That seems such a hassle to remember (use the grey tank, and periodically dump it--I doubt I will be using the black tank much unless it's middle of the night kind of thing)--I definitely want the hepvo valve. I guess I can't just use the sewer hookups at campgrounds except for periodic dumping of grey and black tanks. I'm new to trailers and this is kind of bothersome to me--that I can't have empty tanks ever, without potentially causing them to crack?--and that without the hepvo mod I am vulnerable to odors from a dry p-trap. Moreover, I agree with everybody, sheesh, every time you want a shower, go out and sit down and pull the valve out near the tongue, and then every time you're done, go out and push it back? So a hepvo mod seems essential.

So I will report back if I still have odor after a new p-trap (or see if the old one has gunk.) Ziggy recommended leaving the tsp or odorloss in a full grey tank overnight...I haven't done that yet.

[WaltP]

You think your shower valve is a PITA you should have seen the one on my Bigfoot. It's on the street side behind a locked exterior door. You bet I replaced it with a Hepvo, real quick. Unfortunately I couldn't also remove the p-trap because of the way it's plumbed in.

Walt

[WaltP]

If you are suspicious of the fresh water system, you're probably due to sanitize it, something that needs to be done at least annually. In fact it's a good idea in any case, in a just-acquired trailer. Here are two links, one to a video and the other to a text description take your choice. I prefer the text version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEepug8N-aE

How to Sanitize Your RV Fresh Water System

Walt

[WaltP]

Now back to the grey water system.
Draining the grey water, you are always left with a 1/2 inch or so in the tank because of the way it's plumbed. So it's never really dry unless it sits a long time.

Once you get the new p-trap installed, see if you still have the smell and still feel it's coming from the grey tank. If so, I recommend something like the fresh water sanitizing routine on the grey water system. I recommend a bit stronger solution, 2 or 3 times as strong. Make certain all of the system is filled, with both the dump valve and the shower valve open. Once you get water backing up into the shower floor, close the shower valve and then pour solution into the sink till it backs up as well. Wait overnight before flushing. As mentioned in the video, the best place to flush is at a dump station if there's one in easy reach. Otherwise find a place where it won't damage desired vegetation. Make sure you close the dump valve before attaching the hose, then re-open. Unlike the fresh system you won't really need to do a second flush unless the bleach smell is too strong .
You can do both the fresh and grey system at the same time so it won't take so long.


Walt

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by jenbooks

Hi all, brief update. I did the flush again (because, yeah, the first time I did it, I left the grey valve open and the shower valve closed.) So I flushed with them open, then flushed with them closed, adding odorloss to the sink. It helps somewhat but the distinct pew odor is still there. I really am not quite sure where it's coming from, but if I open the toilet, it smells fine. But I haven't exactly stuck my nose right on the shower drain.
Also, when I run the sink water, at first, it smells a little moldy coming out of the tap. So something in there is not clean--it could even be the shower hose itself. Maybe I need a new shower hose. Or maybe it's the plastic piping under the sink.
I did go to Lowes and get a new p trap (a green rubber thing) and two clamps. The guy who can change it for me for a few bucks, was working today from noon to eight, and I didn't get there in time.
So anyway I hope we can get back tomorrow to get the p trap done in the morning.
Clearly there's SOMETHING in the grey or black tank or piping, probably the grey tank/piping. It smells bacterial.
Eddie recommends the hepvo mod (I need to order by email--little customs wrote me back)--the dometic ceramic toilet and maybe cleaning and even waxing the bathroom fiberglass if it absorbed the odor but it seems okay from a sniff. Who knows.

Questions:

1) To clean the grey tank with the tank wand--is there some opening I can stick it through, the way Carol does with her scamp? All I have is the valve i open and close but that has a handle. I don't want to damage anything.
2) Someone at the campground told me I must always have some water in my black and grey tanks especially in the hot summers here. And I now understand a p trap must have water to keep back the odors. That seems such a hassle to remember (use the grey tank, and periodically dump it--I doubt I will be using the black tank much unless it's middle of the night kind of thing)--I definitely want the hepvo valve. I guess I can't just use the sewer hookups at campgrounds except for periodic dumping of grey and black tanks. I'm new to trailers and this is kind of bothersome to me--that I can't have empty tanks ever, without potentially causing them to crack?--and that without the hepvo mod I am vulnerable to odors from a dry p-trap. Moreover, I agree with everybody, sheesh, every time you want a shower, go out and sit down and pull the valve out near the tongue, and then every time you're done, go out and push it back? So a hepvo mod seems essential.
So I will report back if I still have odor after a new p-trap (or see if the old one has gunk.) Ziggy recommended leaving the tsp or odorloss in a full grey tank overnight...I haven't done that yet.

Jen, I have the same model you do. I know if no way to use a wand in the grey tank. Carol gave some good advice on how to clean it out. Kind of a design flaw having the drain opening higher than the tank bottom.
Your rubber p trap can be changed out with just a screw driver. I added the Hepvo shortly after I bought my trailer. Not for any smells but as it hangs so low I didn't want to have it get torn off. I did have to cut and readjust the pvc so the Hepvo valve lined up properly.
Yes you do need to keep water in the tanks while you are using the rig. If you are at a CG with hook ups the dump valves need to be closed. Only open them to dump the tanks, you need the liquid and pressure of the volume to force any solids out. I have never had a problem with odors. I have been using Pine Sol in both tanks for 20-25 years now and always keep a few inches in the tanks even when stored.
It's funny how the grey tank can get a worse odor than the black tank

[jenbooks]

What about the Geo method? I like that idea--I meant to go buy Calgon today but forgot. I think he adds bleach sometimes.

Thanks for the video! And all the wunderbar advice from everybody.

We'll change the p trap tomorrow. I also ordered hepvo valve from Little House customs--along with a utopia faucet and swivel aerator for the main part of the trailer, new a/c filters, and a towel rod for the bathroom.

I'm seriously thinking about the ceramic toilet that Eddie got. I hate that plastic toilet.

I can't say for SURE its the grey water tank but I really think so. But I think I may have inadvertantly created the problem by having the trailer towed to a nearby RV park and leaving it for a week (we are back now, camping in the area in tents at a BEAUTIFUL park OMG!!) and going over every day to work on the casita. The casita is not all that close to where we live and we have nowhere to particularly store it, and I paid the full month as if living there, because he gave me a nice space right up front, and because I don't want to let it sit, I need to learn all about it.

So that week we were gone, I left the a/c on all the time, and both valves open! Naivete. The a/c "froze"--something I had no knowledge of, but was explained to me by several RV owners. We turned it off and condensate went off for a few hours! Some dripped on my table but I was in the trailer and wiped it up immediately. So I won't do that again!

So I think I had indavertantly dried out the p trap.
And I noticed today when I went back, I had the grey valve open. I think I'm gonna be making myself a checklist soon.

The main cabin smells fine though. I'm still in the process of cleaning it thoroughly. First I used branch basics (best natural based enzyme cleaner, which is so safe it's edible), then I use Biokleen oxygen powder. I haven't done under the cushions yet, and I plan to steam clean the cushions and leave them out in the sun this weekend for a day. Then steam clean the walls lightly (they look clean)--and definitely vacuum and steam clean the floor.

Sorry for all this trivial detail. LOL.

Anybody have a favorite shower curtain for the casita bathroom? You don't really need one though, do you?

[WaltP]

Yes, you do need a shower curtain if you plan to shower. There is no watertight seal around the bathroom door and water will run into the main cabin. Also that bathroom door cannot stand up to a lot of water. It's only MDF with a good coating of paint.

BTW, I never have understood what people have against the plastic toilet. I've had both in my various FG trailers and I can't see much difference.

Walt

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Jen, I have the same model you do. I know if no way to use a wand in the grey tank. Carol gave some good advice on how to clean it out. Kind of a design flaw having the drain opening higher than the tank bottom.

Thats to bad that Casita didnt leave a way to flush out the grey tank throughly.

How about filling the grey tank with a mixture of bleach and water and letting it sit for a few hours and then running the trailer up on a few levelling lego blocks on the none dump valve side so it is very titled to the dump valve side and then draining it out - that might get what ever crud that is stuck on the bottom out.

[jenbooks]

Carol, what about the Geo method? Apparently that works pretty well.
Now that I learned how to keep the p trap "full", the smell is very mild in the bathroom.
I'm waiting on my hepvo valve.
I need to order that Dometic toilet, so I joined Good Sam to get free shipping according to Eddie.
We still have more cleaning to do, like the cushions, and the carpet on the floor, and lightly steam clean the carpet and walls (I have a steamer). Then I have to try setting up the bed, and figuring out what kind of mattress pad to get. And a screen shelter. And...yada yada! :-)

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by jenbooks

Carol, what about the Geo method? Apparently that works pretty well.
)

Nothing! Lots of people use it to clean their tanks - I tried it once as well and it worked pretty well on a real dirty black water tank - The softener actually works at getting stubborn stuff to release. Although I did use a toilet brush on a long stick from both the top down and also up from the valve to helped it out a bit ;-) Your Casita my not allow you to get into the tank from below but suspect if you hold the flush open with your foot you can get into the tank from above with a brush.

If your concerned about the state of all your plumbing lines you might just use the bleach and water only first & run it through everything and let it sit for a few hours in all the pipes to kill what ever may be in the water lines as well.