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Old 06-25-2018, 01:18 PM   #1
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Leaving Dump Valve Open at Campground

We are NEW FULL-TIMERS and have been set up at a campground for nearly a month. QUESTION: Is there any "method" for leaving your gray water dump valve open and keeping the smell from coming back into the unit? If not, I can deal with it. But, the gray water from showers and laundry is a regular occurrence and just looking for quick fixes when there may not be any.
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Old 06-25-2018, 01:33 PM   #2
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Always open

We leave ours open always and never smell anything
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Old 06-25-2018, 02:55 PM   #3
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On the Voltage, I’ve got 2 grey tanks. The 1st is for the bathroom, and the other is for the kitchen sink & washer-dryer in the garage. I leave the one for the washer open since I do laundry every 2nd or 3rd day, and I don’t usually have any odors.

That said, what I’ve seen some people do is create a P-trap in their sewer hose, which keeps some liquid in the hose, blocking any airborne aromas from reentering the rig.
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Old 06-25-2018, 03:49 PM   #4
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The sinks and shower have p-traps built into them, which blocks the sewer smell. When it's just the wife and me, I keep the bathroom gray tank valve closed. When family and friends visit, due to the larger number of showers, I keep the valve open. But, on the day prior to leaving, I close the gray valve to ensure I have some 'clean' water to flush the drain hose after draining the black tank. I also keep the kitchen sink gray valve open all the time 'cause it's a pain to climb under the slide to open and close it.

Recently we had a sewer smell that turned out to be a leaking propane regulator valve. Other than that, in 4 years, we've had no sewer smells.
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Old 06-25-2018, 03:59 PM   #5
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Thank you for the input. We may be getting the smell through the roof vents. We are experimenting.
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Old 06-25-2018, 10:07 PM   #6
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I never leave the valves open. The black because you need volume to get a good flush. And gray because I use it to flush the hose. Plus I read a story once where a guy left his valves open and the RV park he was at had a sewer backup and he was the lowest on the sewer chain, he had hundreds of gallons of raw sewage back flow into is RV.
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Old 06-30-2018, 08:55 PM   #7
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Create a little p-trap just before the hose enters the trailer and put some grey water in it. I leave my valves closed until needed. Black must have liquid in it or you will end up with a poop pyramid. Grey is saved until I'm done dumping and flushing the black tank OR I will dump some of it if it gets full and I'm not ready to leave.
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Old 06-30-2018, 10:42 PM   #8
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Leave them closed.
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Old 06-30-2018, 10:43 PM   #9
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We don't leave them open. As stated you need the volume of water movement to clean the tanks well.
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Old 07-01-2018, 02:44 AM   #10
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Possible cause of smells.

Check your drain from your washer, as the p trap may not have water to create as seal causing the smell you are getting.
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Old 07-01-2018, 11:33 AM   #11
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I leave my gray tank valve open until a few days before we leave so I can flush the hose. Usually do not have an issue although, I'm going to a new campground this week that is going to be completely full. New experience so I'll be on the lookout for new issues.
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Old 07-01-2018, 04:50 PM   #12
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Leaving the Black tank open may result in what is known as a “poop pyramid”,💩😬 resulting from solid waste dropping down without any other liquid to suspend it in. Your liquid waste just runs out the open valve. This pyramid can dry out enough to create a problem that needs pressure wand or dropping the tank. Neither of those are a pleasant job.

We leave our valves shut until black tank is full, then pull handle. Flushing the grey tanks afterward ensures the sewer line gets cleared and nothing dries out in it either.
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Old 07-02-2018, 09:49 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by franktafl View Post
I leave my gray tank valve open until a few days before we leave so I can flush the hose. Usually do not have an issue although, I'm going to a new campground this week that is going to be completely full. New experience so I'll be on the lookout for new issues.
This is what I do when we are camping short term. I was a full timer for 5-6 months by myself. I left the gray water valves open until my black tanks were both 2/3 full. Then I closed the gray tank valves and was ready to dump all tanks in 3 or 4 days. I never had sewer smell issues.
The poster about a propane leak issue is interesting and something to look out for.
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