Grey waste smelling

M

Margaux2

Joined
Jan 25, 2021
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78,954
MH
a class 890 hymer
When the waste water tank is more than half full there is a smell of drains in the van. Despite the plug holes being closed. It’s a Hymer if that makes a difference? Any clues please? Also what Is suggested as a disinfectant please?
Thanks
 
If you cleaned out the fresh with food grade citric acid, run taps and shower, leave 24 hours and then run the water from all taps on all settings, then leave again in the grey tank, you’ll get rid of all smells, much, do a descale and get the gauges working etc.

Might we’ll be that the waste pipes (which aren't smooth), have a build up of yuk in the ridges.

Have a look at the search above, literally dozens of threads on the subject and I’m sure you’ll find the answers there.

Here we go.

<Broken link removed>
 
Some will say cheap coke cola. Some dishwasher tabs. Puriclean.

Put some in, go for a drive and empty.

There was a recent thread on this so I guess a search might help.

Found it

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Stinking grey waste tank…

My grey waste tank has suddenly developed a stink and needs a good clean, I’ve previously used elsan tank freshener but assume all that has done is masked the smell rather than cure the problem. I was thinking of buying the fenwicks grey tank cleaner but having read about so many cheap...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
Any toilet duck type disinfectant . I also dilute a couple of dish washer tabs down the drain maybe once a month. Let it all swill around for a couple of hours. Always drain the grey water ASAP
 
I always keep drain tap open and let it flow directly into tote tank outside for disposal or hose to hedge/site drain where OK. That prevents a build up on holding tank sides.

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If you can ,fit a u bend or similar trap,just under the sink, it will stop the smells coming back into the van through the waste pipe.
 
PP Bear said:
If you cleaned out the fresh with food grade citric acid, run taps and shower, leave 24 hours and then run the water from all taps on all settings, then leave again in the grey tank, you’ll get rid of all smells, much, do a descale and get the gauges working etc.

Might we’ll be that the waste pipes (which aren't smooth), have a build up of yuk in the ridges.

Have a look at the search above, literally dozens of threads on the subject and I’m sure you’ll find the answers there.

Here we go.

<Broken link removed>
Click to expand...
Thanks so much.
 
PP Bear said:
If you cleaned out the fresh with food grade citric acid, run taps and shower, leave 24 hours and then run the water from all taps on all settings, then leave again in the grey tank, you’ll get rid of all smells, much, do a descale and get the gauges working etc.

Might we’ll be that the waste pipes (which aren't smooth), have a build up of yuk in the ridges.

Have a look at the search above, literally dozens of threads on the subject and I’m sure you’ll find the answers there.

Here we go.

<Broken link removed>
Click to expand...
Thanks
 
Chucked a bio pod into the waste tank this morning and hopefully, having drained it seventy miles later, it might be a bit more wholesome but I'm not, I mean I am, holding my breath.
 
Plugs in basins but have you covered the shower drain hole with a wet cloth

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PP Bear said:
If you cleaned out the fresh with food grade citric acid, run taps and shower, leave 24 hours and then run the water from all taps on all settings, then leave again in the grey tank, you’ll get rid of all smells, much, do a descale and get the gauges working etc.

Might we’ll be that the waste pipes (which aren't smooth), have a build up of yuk in the ridges.

Have a look at the search above, literally dozens of threads on the subject and I’m sure you’ll find the answers there.

Here we go.

<Broken link removed>
Click to expand...
Where is the best place to buy “food grade citric acid” ?
 
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The bio-pod failed miserably to swill the contents around and the tank still smelled worse than a Turkish wrestler's armpit. Spent half a day scrubbing it out and rinsing through by hand. It's a bit of a stretch through the inspection hatch so arms like an orang-utan would be an advantage.
 
Puraclean one table spoon per gallon of water for gray tank cleaning, and one tea spoon per gallon for fresh water tank. When I clean the fresh tank I dump some in the gray tank via shower, cleans the pipes this way to, then add a strong one gallon of water with two spoons of puraclean in the gray via shower drain and sink. If you have this concussion in the tank and drive to the shops and back, then leave overnight. Drain in the morning the gray. No smell guaranteed for some time, as some puraclean will still remain in the system for some time.

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A couple of times per year, we put Puriclean in the fresh tank and leave it a few hours. Then run it through all the taps into the waste to the brim. Leave it overnight. Then dump and flush through with fresh. Keeps the stink down.
 
All these remedies are great at sorting out the wiffly smells, but none descale the parts you can’t see.

Also use the aqua tablets between descaling to keep any hidden nasties away, but can’t use it as per the recommended dose, as it smells of chlorine if you do and that’s off putting for sure.
 
Larrynwin said:
I always keep drain tap open and let it flow directly into tote tank outside for disposal or hose to hedge/site drain where OK. That prevents a build up on holding tank sides.
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When we bought our MH best advice the hand over chap gave was, leave the tap open, last year while in Cornwall had no choice worst possible smell when I opened the tap over drain when leaving site, bought a waste carrier that sits under the van, no more smells
 
Thoroughly recommend this stuff, can’t do a link easily as Bev buys it on her Amazon account

Less than £10 I think so for 40 doses great value

98A5AC07-848E-4303-BE74-6114D8380490.jpeg


E6529CC1-59F7-49DD-A47A-310496C8D6BD.jpeg


I would suspect you are smelling the outlet from the vent pipe so nothing you can do apart from neutralise the odour 🤔👍
 
Thetford do some waste tank clean.
Yes, I've seen/read threads on coke, bleach, washing powder, wee, beer, whatever.

Some sort of work but not for a long time.

Just back from 2m trip in 35-39' heat which is really bad for smells. We got a wiff, put in some thetford stuff, and that "dump" was smell free as were the next 3 or 4 . So put some in every 3rd/4th dump.

And at times, the waste was in for many days which would normally be bad news.

So try the cheap ideas, but the thetford stuff is (for us) longer lasting and does what it says.

(Same as loos - we've tried every alternative, but still find the best is a bit of blue (we use eslan double concentrate) - even with a sog-esque kit - breaks everything down including home grade thick loo roll, and no wiffs).

But as with everything, ask 100 people get 251 answers.

(2000+ nights experience testing this stuff lol)

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Soda crystals dissolved in hot water down every drain.
 
I just use whasing machine descaler diluted in warm water then poor down the plug holes used it for year's to good effect
Bill
 
I work on the basis that the grey is always going to smell to a greater or lesser extent and just ensure there are traps on all the outlets so you cant smell it inside the mh. It smells when dumping it but at least thats in the open air.
When in storage I make sure the drain tap is open to let air into the tank which helps.
 
After emptying, add a dissolved Bio washing tab - work great
 
cyberyacht said:
The bio-pod failed miserably to swill the contents around and the tank still smelled worse than a Turkish wrestler's armpit. Spent half a day scrubbing it out and rinsing through by hand. It's a bit of a stretch through the inspection hatch so arms like an orang-utan would be an advantage.
Click to expand...

So, are you saying that something that everyone recommends for cleaning the loo does not work for grey water??

It seems to work for me. I put mine in very warm water until the skin holding the contents disintegrates and then pour it down the furthest sink (kitchen) from holding tank and leave it till tank needs emptying when it drains with grey water?

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