Camper Smells Like Sewage (What to Do?)
Campers and RVs usually offer a great way to enjoy the outdoors while utilizing some of the facilities found at home.
However, your comfort can be compromised when your camper starts smelling like sewage. Obvious you cannot assume that everything is alright and continue enjoying your camping with that smell coming out.
So, you need to find a solution as quickly as possible. Read on to understand how you can quickly fix this issue and continue enjoying your adventure.
Before you can fix the issue, you need to identify its root cause. This is important because some of these RV odor problems are quite easy to fix.
Remember you can waste a lot of money on expensive cleaners or fixers when you could have used the materials already available to you.
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Causes of the Camper’s Smell and How to Get Rid of It
There are several reasons why your camper may start stinking. Some of these issues can be fixed easily while others need to be handled by professionals. Here are some of the causes and their remedies:
- Toilet Clog – If drains are clogged, the debris stuck inside starts to decompose and produces a bad smell. Fixing this can be easy and quick. To unclog your camper toilet, consider opening the toilet valve and pour hot water inside. This helps to soak the debris, which eventually loosens and flushes through. You can also use de-clogging chemicals. If, for instance, you have been using household tissues, consider buying a tissue digester, which eats all the tissue clogs.
- Shower Drain Clog – Clogged shower drain can be a cause of sewage smell inside your camper. The first thing to do is to check if the grey water tank is full. If so, try to empty it because it may be causing the clog. Using a sink plunger, you can plunge the shower with the sitting water. Buy an enzyme-based opener specifically designed for RV and pour it on the drain. Using a flashlight, look down the drain to see if you can spot the object causing the blockage. If you see any, use a coat hanger wire to remove it. If all your trials fail, consider calling a licensed plumber.
- Dirty Toilet – Smelly odors can occur if the toilet is not regularly cleaned. This may be caused by
the decomposition of toilet papers and waste that gets under the rim. Using a wet rag, wipe down the entire toilet. Pay keen attention to the rim and drop seat as waste could have been trapped in such places thus causing the smell. - A Broken Wax Ring – Broken the sealing ring, which connects the black water tank and the toilet tank may create space for smells to leak out. Call an expert to fix this.
Video Overview: RV black tank odors – remove them forever in 2 simple steps
Clogged RV Sink-Just like unclogging shower drain, start by checking if the grey water tank is full. You need to check if the kitchen down-pipe is blocked too. If water flows normally, then there is no clog. In case water doesn’t drain, use a sturdy wire to clear the drain.
- Failure to Flush the Black or Gray Tank– If wastes accumulate inside the tanks, the bad smell starts coming out. Leaving the valves open means the odor will drift back into the vehicle. It is, therefore, advisable to flash out these tanks quite often.
Video Overview: Getting Rid of our Black Tank Smell in our Airstream RV using the GEO Method
Conclusion
Whether it is unclogging or fixing a broken wax ring, it is always advisable to hire a professional to do the job. A specialist is not only going to do a perfect job but will also advise you on how to avoid such nasty smells in the future. Always go for a licensed and insured plumbing contractor.
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