Stop RV Black and Grey Tank Smells
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rv tank smells
Smells filling is every RVers biggest fear! No one wants to come home to black tank smells in the camper or gross grey water tank smells. Today, we help you prevent these unwanted stinky scents from barging into your RV and nostrils with a few simple tips!
Black Tank tips
Keep your black tank valve closed unless you are dumping. If you keep the valve open, liquids drain out, leaving the solids behind. This will create the much talked about poop pyramid. Once it dries out, it becomes difficult to remove.
Keep several inches of water in your toilet to prevent smells from sneaking into the RV. The water acts as a secondary barrier.
Add plenty of water after each flush to ensure the solids stay below the waterline.
Try to keep the tank's temperature below 85 degrees. On hot days, add more water to help decrease the temperature. You can also add 10-20 lbs of ice.
Flush your black tank after every trip if you are part-time and every 3-5 dumps if you are full-time. You can rinse for 20-30 minutes or fill the tank a few times. This will remove the particles on the sides of the tank.
Avoid using heavy chemicals or bleach in the toilet. They will kill the good bacteria in the tank that break down….. well, you know.
Do not dump the black tank until it is about 2/3s full.
Ensure the black tank vent is not clogged with leaves or other debris. If this happens, odors will find alternative areas to vent, including toilets with each flush.
Use septic-safe toilet paper. Regular toilet paper can clog the pipes, preventing solids from entering the black tank.
Clean on the other side of the toilet flapper. Many people forget to scrub this part of the toilet. It can hold debris, causing odors.
If you can smell odors from the black tank, add more water. When solids are below the waterline, it will reduce odor.
Add an organic tank treatment after each flush. Currently, we are using Unique. We have also used Happy Camper and made a treatment with Borax and Dawn Ultra dishwashing liquid. All of these methods work well.
GREY TANK tips
Prevent food particles, especially grease, from going down the sink. Grease coats the pipes and can lead to a clog. Food particles break down in the tank, potentially causing odors.
If you have full hookups, leave the grey tank open and use plenty of water when doing dishes. It helps food particles move through the pipes and out of the grey tank.
Using antibacterial chemicals or bleach will kill the good bacteria in the grey tank.
Check the P-trap and hepvo trap. They can clog with food particles, creating odors and allowing grey tank odors to seep up from the grey tank.
Add an organic tank treatment after each flush. Drop them in when dry camping, or close the grey tank valve for a day or so to let the treatment do its thing!
Tank treatment recipe
Prevent tank stank
We hope these tips help you remove and prevent the dreaded tank stick! We would love to know any tips you have to prevent unwanted smells from your black and grey tanks.
Meet Stacy! Stacy and her husband, Phil, are a wanderlust couple who have been roaming the great USA for an epic 6 years! They ditched the daily grind to embark on thrilling adventures and inspire fellow dreamers to chase their travel dreams. Curious about how they do it? Check out their awesome YouTube channel, Today is Someday, where they're spilling all the secrets to living a life on the move. Get ready to pack your bags and join them on this incredible journey.
