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Old 06-12-2020, 11:55 AM   #1
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Sewage smell when tanks are empty?

My Navion sat all winter with empty and power flushed holding tanks. As I was getting it dewinterized a noticed a faint but persistent sewage smell in the bathroom. The tank holds water; checked that first. I just returned from a week camping trip where the black tank was filled about half way and never noticed any smell at all, none, until I emptied the tanks. Once home I noticed the sewage smell was strong, very strong even with some water held in the bowl.

This all seems a bit counter intuitive to me but I hope someone with more insight can help me diagnose why this is happening.

Thank you!
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Old 06-12-2020, 12:16 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Free Ranger View Post
My Navion sat all winter with empty and power flushed holding tanks. As I was getting it dewinterized a noticed a faint but persistent sewage smell in the bathroom. The tank holds water; checked that first. I just returned from a week camping trip where the black tank was filled about half way and never noticed any smell at all, none, until I emptied the tanks. Once home I noticed the sewage smell was strong, very strong even with some water held in the bowl.

This all seems a bit counter intuitive to me but I hope someone with more insight can help me diagnose why this is happening.

Thank you!
Sounds to me like they just need a good flushing. Emptying, is often not enough. Once you add some water, it covers the bottom of the tank, and that’s probably why you don’t smell anything then. There’s most likely some crap still stuck on the bottom of your tanks.
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Old 06-12-2020, 12:38 PM   #3
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Well that could be. I’ll add that idea to the list. However, I did power flush the tank prior to winterizing it until things ran pretty “clear”. Thank you for the prompt response !
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Old 06-12-2020, 01:14 PM   #4
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I might go with leftover smelling but go a different way to clear the question. I never feel we get the tank spotless, so just go with adding chemical of choice after dumping.
As an added thought, why does the smell get inside? Normally keeping a bit of water in the stool is what forms the trap to keep odors out, so you have that covered but is the smell coming back in from the roof vent stack or how doe it get back inside?
Any chance it is a smell from the grey water tank and getting back in through a shower, vanity, etc which does not have water in the trap or perhaps there is and airgap gizmo up under a sink which is not noticed but not closing well enough to keep smell out? ?
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