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Topic: Pepe le Pew aroma solved (Read 682 times) previous topic - next topic

Pepe le Pew aroma solved

It seems that I've gotten the odor problem inside the coach under control.  I had suspected the toilet, thought I'd found the grail when I found out the overflow traps needed to be filled but no joy.  My wife mentioned that there was a scented hangie in the closet closest to kitchen when we got the coach...pulled the cover off the plumbing access box inside closet and Yowza!  There are two automatic vents on the drain plumbing for washing machine along with a 2" trap which has never seen water as there's never been a washing machine installed.Both of these had failed and were letting sewer gas in.  They are now taped up, I'll replace them or "revent" to the stack and eliminate them if I'm feeling ambitious when I install Splendide.  The auto vent under the bath vanity was also a minor culprit, it's replaced with the only one the local hardware store had in stock.  Exact replacement, 3 bucks.   

Does anyone know if the shower and kitchen sink have auto vents also?  Their location is not apparent. 

This is an easy fix, if you're not familiar with the auto vents they are little top hat looking goobers screwed into the top of vent pipes inside coach where it's not practical to run a vent stack out the roof.  These are stock plumbing items, hand tighten only, use thread compound when you reinstall.  If your coach is 10 years or older I'd strongly consider hunting em down and replacing with new. 

Chuck
"Not so  long ago we were a nation of risk takers, riding five million pounds of  thrust straight into space."  Joe Gresh
Chuck Pearson
1996 U295
2018 Can Am X3 TurboRS

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #1 –
Quote from: Chuck Pearson –
There are two automatic vents on the drain plumbing for washing machine along with a 2" trap which has never seen water as there's never been a washing machine installed.Both of these had failed and were letting sewer gas in.  They are now taped up, I'll replace them or "revent" to the stack and eliminate them if I'm feeling ambitious when I install Splendide.  The auto vent under the bath vanity was also a minor culprit, it's replaced with the only one the local hardware store had in stock.  Exact replacement, 3 bucks.   

Does anyone know if the shower and kitchen sink have auto vents also? 

Chuck,

In our coach, one of the two behind the Splendide was for the shower. 

We also have one for our toilet.  It's in the "hamper" cabinet that's behind the toilet.

If you search the board for "air admittance valve" and "stinky coach syndrome", Air Admittance Valves, aka "Stinky Coach Syndrome" you'll find some other info.  We bought our replacements at Lowes. 

Michelle
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #2 –
I, like many others had that problem and I cursed for a long time (before joing this forum) trying to find the problem. In our coach the culprit was the one behind the toilet below the corner cabinet for the shower. Another one I replaced was for the washing m/c that had been removed and under the vanity in Bathroom there is one. Simple fix once found. None under kitchen sink. The smell was so bad it has tainted that cabinet woodwork behind toilet and it is slowly dissapating. I even put an exterior vent inline with the underneath of the toilet base to try and get fresh air in there too.
And, yes , I really did do this fix myself. Had FT send the vent and I applied it and painted it to match.
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #3 –
John, you are way too handy. Can I adopt you as a brother-in-law?

You do really nice work.
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #4 –
John, that's a nice vent setup.  I can not for the life of me figure why the toilet would need to have a vent, though as it obviously does not have a trap.  Or do you guys have a snazzier throne than a Dometic Traveler? 

Thanks Steve and Michelle for the other links.  I'd never heard these things called air admittance valves.

Chuck
"Not so  long ago we were a nation of risk takers, riding five million pounds of  thrust straight into space."  Joe Gresh
Chuck Pearson
1996 U295
2018 Can Am X3 TurboRS

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #5 –
As I said in the Post it was put in to try and get the smell out of all the area under toilet, and actually it does not hurt anything. I should mention when I got this coach I ripped out the carpet in bathroom and dining area (along with hardwood) and installed tile (myself). I could not see the point of the vent under toilet in the front of the box so tiled over it. There is a vent under the corner cabinet in bedroom that connects to the underside of toilet thru' the shower base so figured it was kind of a inlet feed  of air when the sliding door is closed to bedroom !!! So, as I had closed the toilet one off I decided to put the outside one on. There have been no negative results but it sure has helped clean the air under the toilet. I am sure the previous older owner also had a problem with his aim as when I  took the carpet of unit below toilet for doing the tiling it had a rather strong odor to it.
When I say vent under toilet I should have said vent grille and same in bedroom.
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Chuck Pearson link=topic=12978.msg69843#msg6984
 

This is an easy fix, if you're not familiar with the auto vents they are little top hat looking goobers screwed into the top of vent pipes inside coach where it's not practical to run a vent stack out the roof.  These are stock plumbing items, hand tighten only, use thread compound when you reinstall.  If your coach is 10 years or older I'd strongly consider hunting em down and replacing with new. 

Chuck

I generally agree with changing out these air admittance valves after 10 years.  But our experience was anything but happy.  I bought an exact replacement valve at Lowe's.  When I replaced the one in the hamper we soon began to notice that Pepe Le Pew was in town.  I removed the new vent and used Teflon tape on the threads. Still had the odor.  Fortunately, I had kept the old air admittance valve and put it back in place.  Odor went away.  So if you do this, save the old one until you are satisfied that the new valve is working properly.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Chuck Pearson –
I can not for the life of me figure why the toilet would need to have a vent, though as it obviously does not have a trap.  Or do you guys have a snazzier throne than a Dometic Traveler? 

Thanks Steve and Michelle for the other links.  I'd never heard these things called air admittance valves.

Our black tank does not have a vent on the roof, so I believe (and y'all correct me if I'm wrong), the air admittance valve is needed for dumping (otherwise you'd create a vacuum as you tried to empty an unvented black tank).  We did learn from experience to make sure the Fantastic fan wasn't running when dumping the black tank.  Talk about Pepe le Pew as the F.Fan would pull air up from the tank when that admittance valve opened!

I only know of the "air admittance valve" term because Dave Head posted about them a few years ago.  The wealth of knowledge shared between members here is nothing short of amazing!

Michelle
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #8 –
we call them "back vents" up in Canada, or cheater vents.
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #9 –
Yes, but you folks in Canada call electricity "hydro" and you have Loonies and Twonies...(sp)
Larry
1996 U295 36'
Build # 4805
Actually we sold it but just like to lurk
 

Re: Pepe le Pew aroma solved

Reply #10 –
There are Loonies all over the world-correct!!
John H
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.