# Smell from grey water tank



## carmha (Oct 17, 2017)

The grey water tank in our new Globecar Roadscout R is really smelly, and nothing we do seems to help. We've tried pouring Elsan grey water Tank Fresh down the sink, basin and shower drains and leaving the tank fairly full before driving; we've tried emptying the tank every day during use; and we've tried leaving the tank empty whenever possible. Can anyone advise how best to manage the grey water tank, and especially how to get rid of the strong, unpleasant smell coming up from it?


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## Nesting Zombie (Oct 17, 2017)

Hi ya,
That's unpleasant for you,

You could try Filling the Tank to the Brim, Putting an OVER generous slug of Milton in & Leaving it for a cpl of days with All the Plugs in !. Then Flush through & Rinse, & add a Deoderiser (I just use White Viniger for just about everything).
Again you could just leave the Plugs in as often as time allows in everyday use !,,,


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## iampatman (Oct 17, 2017)

This usually only happens when it’s warm weather. We empty our tank and chuck a few large bottles of cheap cola in, after a drive to our next stop we drain off the tank and are always amazed at the detritus that comes out. Our fault for allowing food scraps and peelings to get in the tank in the first place. We try and keep it sweet smelling by putting some white vinegar in the tank which is available in large containers and cheap as chips in European supermarkets. There are loads of other suggestions and a frequently asked question on this forum, have a search and you will find other folks remedies. Good luck,

Pat


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## runnach (Oct 17, 2017)

Iampatman is spot on I love the cola trick too, it does work. As Pat suggests , it is important you don't let veg peelings etc down their they ferment and create an unpleasant honk ...try the coke trick 

Channa


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## maingate (Oct 17, 2017)

Put all the plugs in the shower basin and sinks while travelling. Otherwise you will get bad smells in the van.


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## spigot (Oct 17, 2017)

If it's a new van, you've been letting a lot of muck get down the sink.

Here's what to do........Fill waste tank half full of water, pour down sink half bottle of ordinary household bleach (Milton is expensive bleach dilute), leave overnight. Next day drive over local speed bumps & immediately empty down nearest drain. It's surprising how much crud comes out.

In future wipe all plates, dishes, pans & cooking utensils with cheap paper towels before washing up. We also use a fine wire strainer in the plug hole when emptying the basin.


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## delicagirl (Oct 17, 2017)

i had a rotten stinky tank before i realised that food particles that go down the sink tend to rot and become putrid.  I use a washing up bowl now after wiping used crockery clean as suggested above and i generally empty my washing up bowl on grass or down a convenient drain. 

You can also  pour a bottle of bleach down the sink, followed up by a couple of kettles of boiling water.   But *I nearly gassed myself* by staying in the van afterwards.  But  if you do this   open all vents and windows and STAY OUTSIDE  and when you come back it will have loosened the detritus and rotting stuff so that after you have taken the van for a bumpy ride they will drain away.  Then rinse your tank through several times with fresh water.


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## jagmanx (Oct 17, 2017)

*A plunger helps*

As others have posted use coke or whatever

Pour a good quantity (1 litre) down each of the 3 drains (not at the same time) and use the plunger.
This agitates and helps to dislodge crud.
You would be surprised how much crud develops !
Even in the shower bathroom .. hair shaving foam toothpaste.
The drain pipes on a MH are not as big as those in a house and sometimes a house has a problem

As others have said take care with food and the kitchen sink.
We often use a bowl and dispose of the dirty water outside (so not into the grey water tank)
It is usually possible to sensibly do this.
Again as others have said use No problem for browsing email and updates towels/tissue to wipe plates etc before washing.
As Mr Tesco says "every little helps"

Ps our van was 2nd hand. It was  hardly used by first owners but the drainage was always slow and we ended up with a blockage.

In many ways the more you use the vehicle the better .
Not easy to solve but now OK hence the extreme care !


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## Wully (Oct 17, 2017)

Any kind of tea coffee with milk in put down sink can cause this Im with the coke seems to work but watch out for dairy stuff down sink


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## gypo (Oct 17, 2017)

We bought bleach tablets when in France.  Popped one of these in the sink as they were dissolvable, they work a treat
D


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## delicagirl (Oct 17, 2017)

can you get them in UK?


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## jeffscarborough (Oct 17, 2017)

hairydog said:


> My Hymer has smooth, rigid waste pipes from the kitchen sinks and the draining board. The drains from the washbasin and shower have some flexible sections, but are smooth inside. And all the drains have traps. To an extent, you get what you pay for.
> Many motorhomes seem to be designed for no more than two or three weeks per year, on campsites.



Mine also has water traps fitted. Never smelt the grey water tank inside.
Perhaps they could be retrospectively fitted?


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## iampatman (Oct 17, 2017)

delicagirl said:


> can you get them in UK?



Never seen them in the UK. We buy them in France and chuck one, when dissolved, down the sink every now and again - works a treat.
Pat


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## delicagirl (Oct 17, 2017)

iampatman said:


> Never seen them in the UK. We buy them in France and chuck one, when dissolved, down the sink every now and again - works a treat.
> Pat





The next WCer returning from France could be onto a nice little earner at the next big Meet !!!


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## harrow (Oct 17, 2017)

A supermarket 2 litre bottle of bleach 28p, 

in a bucket of tap water and tip that down the drain.

Bleach will kill any germs.

:drive::drive::drive:


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## colinm (Oct 17, 2017)

Our Globecar tank was ok for couple of years but eventually started smelling, I decided to give it a thorough clean, couple of gallons of caustic soda cleaning mix, followed by litre of caustic soda blocked drain mix shared between each drain hole, drove for 5 miles then dumped and washed through with clean water, it was two years before it smelled again, so repeated and it's just started to smell after another two years.


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## trevskoda (Oct 17, 2017)

I have what is in efect a built n u bend as my pipes go down across back axle and up into tank at side,if they ever stink coke will be used as i detest drinking the sugery s--t.


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## Wully (Oct 17, 2017)

trevskoda said:


> I have what is in efect a built n u bend as my pipes go down across back axle and up into tank at side,if they ever stink coke will be used as i detest drinking the sugery s--t.



Like that we have a saying jobs not done proper unless it’s done in copper. Last for years no corrosion won’t bust in frost and sulphur kills germs.


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## trevskoda (Oct 17, 2017)

Looser cruiser said:


> Like that we have a saying jobs not done proper unless it’s done in copper. Last for years no corrosion won’t bust in frost and sulphur kills germs.



In winter put some antifreeze down drain to stop ubend pipes and tank freezing.


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## trevskoda (Oct 17, 2017)

Chainsaw Charlie said:


> And moss !
> We have run a few copper strips along the ridge on some old stone roofs



Simple to make osmostic wire from copper,fit clamp bracket at gable end of house sticking up six inches,then a eye bolt into ch breast,stretch wire from one to other across ridge,no more moss.:dance:


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## Deleted member 5816 (Oct 17, 2017)

Yes Trev I also use windscreen wash in our toilet fresh water tank as we use the van all year round in winter we drain the fresh water tank and use bottled water but the windscreen wash stops the toilet flush freezing and is not a bad smell as well.

Alf





trevskoda said:


> In winter put some antifreeze down drain to stop ubend pipes and tank freezing.


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## wineciccio (Oct 17, 2017)

the only solution is what I have done to  most of my motorhomes and camper vans, if you can drill a few half inch holes front and back of the tank, this will help the air flow, this in turns will stop the bacteria inside to form and emanate that awful smell, and now and then do not use any chemical as advised , but just dissolve one or two dishwasher tablets in a bucket of warm water and pour it down  the sink , obviously the tap should be closed, pour two or three more buckets of warm water, leave it for  a while, or better still take the van out for a drive and let the contents of the tank slush around, the longer you leave it the better the tablets will helps dissolve the crap and crud in the tank, when you empty it, just watch the crap that comes out, I do this twice a year and so far no nasty niffs.


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## gypo (Oct 18, 2017)

Here you go,
Blitz Bleach Tablets 36 Pack for Toilet Cleaning 1 TABLET=1 LITRE OF BLEACH -T | eBay


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## campervanannie (Oct 18, 2017)

channa said:


> Iampatman is spot on I love the cola trick too, it does work. As Pat suggests , it is important you don't let veg peelings etc down their they ferment and create an unpleasant honk ...try the coke trick
> 
> Channa



I use cheap coke for everything cleaning grey water tank plug holes and toilet tank I have even been known to mix it with Vodka if I run out of the good stuff but I never buy cheap vodka.


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## iampatman (Oct 18, 2017)

campervanannie said:


> I use cheap coke for everything cleaning grey water tank plug holes and toilet tank I have even been known to mix it with Vodka if I run out of the good stuff but I never buy cheap vodka.



I’ve heard that folk less sophisticated than us do a blind test on homemade vodka and coke.

Pat


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## Wooie1958 (Oct 18, 2017)

Another vote for cola     :hammer:

Chuck in a few bottles of Tesco`s finest 17p for 2 litres of gut wrenching, stomach churning, vomit inducing, bio hazard cola.

Drive around for a while and then empty, quick rinse with fresh water and job`s a good un   :dance:


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## Bearcraft (Oct 19, 2017)

No matter how you treat a grey tank it will always smell. The only way to fix your problem is to fit Smell traps (these are like the S bend used in household plumbing) to the sink, hand basin and shower. The Smell traps have a small water trap which prevents smells coming back up the pipes into the van. In NZ to get a Self Containment compliance the fitting of smell traps is mandatory and is one of the mods that we have to do to most UK motorhomes and caravans imported into NZ. In my first UK Motorhome the wife kept complaining of smells in the toilet area and after a couple of months of blaming the toilet and trying various different chemicals I had a look underneath and found that there was no smell trap on the shower. How it got compliance I do not know. Anyway fitted a smell trap and problem solved. No more smells from the grey tank.

Rob


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## Deleted member 58330 (Oct 19, 2017)

Chainsaw Charlie said:


> Totally agree with you and cannot understand why any manufacturer would think it is acceptable not to fit them from new.
> Dead skin and clingons from shower water will eventually smell, don't get me started as to me people that wash their hair in their bath water had just as well wash their faces with used toilet paper :banana:
> If I have a bath I always shower afterwards , OCD I think lol



always done it, no wonder i went from ginger to stawberry blonde....


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## Herbenny (Feb 24, 2019)

I use distilled vinegar to get rid of any small down pipes. 
Seems to work well


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## molly 2 (Feb 24, 2019)

Try flushing the tank with clean water  ,put a hose pipe in the drain  tap and back fill the tank  keep an eye on the shower drains  ,could fill shower tray  ,their should be an overflow on the drain tank  .if it doesn't work you have lost nothing ..


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## CavityandLacey (Feb 24, 2019)

We were given some ‘advice’ from a moho dealership who said they would deny telling us to do this is asked.   If your waste tanks smells and you cannot get rid of the smell, put some of the blue cassette toilet fluid down the plug holes flushed through with water.   Fill the tank, take a drive, leave overnight and then dump the water.   And always travel with the sink plugs in.   He said it never fails to work.   I can’t confirm or deny. - sorry.


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## The laird (Feb 24, 2019)

You two are full of a great wee bit info there,I’m impressed


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## TeamRienza (Feb 24, 2019)

I used the cheap cola trick last year in France in high temperatures. Maybe over dosed at 6 litres but it was cheap and despite some scepticism it worked well. I had read of this cure at various times but always thought it was a bit apocryphal. Pleased to be proved wrong. 

As a footnote, I am pretty scrupulous in keeping food particles and grease from getting into the tank in the first place.

Davy


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## Canalsman (Feb 24, 2019)

The final sentence is the clue.

If all that goes into the tank is soap, detergent and water it won't ever smell.

Use a washing up bowl in the sink and if the water is greasy dispose of it on a nearby hedge or down a road gully.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Feb 24, 2019)

Marvelous how a 2 year old thread gets brought back to life.... 

Alf


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## Sharon the Cat (Feb 25, 2019)

Alf said:


> Marvelous how a 2 year old thread gets brought back to life....
> 
> Alf



The old ones are the best.


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## Borders2 (Feb 25, 2019)

Got to say we have neve3r had a smell from our vans. But if we did my cure would be something that so far has not been mentioned. 

We home brew and the sanitizer we use is something that we have found is wonderful for a number of purposes including getting rid of tea stains on crockery and cutlery. We used this at our Guesthouse to keep the utensils looking pristine. 

Used on the grey tank I rather think it would also be very effective for that. 

Product is: VWP sterilizer VWP Cleaner Steriliser 100 from Home Brew Online 100gms goes a VERY long way. 

B2


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## antiquesam (Feb 25, 2019)

A bucket of hot water with a generous handful of soda crystals mixed in and poured into the empty tank before setting off home, lightly agitated on the journey, and emptied on arrival. If you are really tight then empty it into the bucket and clean your home drain with it


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## Minisorella (Feb 25, 2019)

POI Admin said:


> The final sentence is the clue.
> If all that goes into the tank is soap, detergent and water it won't ever smell.
> Use a washing up bowl in the sink and if the water is greasy dispose of it on a nearby hedge or down a road gully.



Even soapy water alone can cause a build up of black slime inside the pipes and the problem is far worse with corrugated pipes. In your house, if you've got one of those push-type sink plugs that pop up and down, unscrew it and take a look at the gunk underneath... which smells too by the way. It's the same when I hook hair from inside the bath/shower plughole at home... always dark and slimy with soap/shampoo scum that obviously is a good breeding ground for smelly bacteria.

I'm scrupulous about not allowing 'bits' down the sinks in the van and the coke trick works really well on the tank, as does Milton, soda crystals and all sorts... but I find it almost impossible to completely eradicate the smell when I very first open the waste pipe because I'm positive it's stale soap scum in the ridges of the pipes. Any gunk that comes out of the waste tap in the initial surge is always the same as the black stuff that builds up under those pop-up sink plugs in the house. One that first gush is out, the rest of the waste water is clear, sudsy and smells fine, like it was still in the washing up bowl, so I'm pretty sure it's not the tank or anything I'm doing wrong.

Does anyone know if it's OK to replace the corrugated pipes with smoother ones? I'd still need flexible pipes because they wiggle up and down and around all sorts under the van. Is there such a thing?


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## Deleted member 5816 (Feb 25, 2019)

Most of the new van conversions use a corrugated type pipe but with a smooth interior no ridges inside so yes you could change all the waste pipes for these. 

Alf




Minisorella said:


> Even soapy water alone can cause a build up of black slime inside the pipes and the problem is far worse with corrugated pipes. In your house, if you've got one of those push-type sink plugs that pop up and down, unscrew it and take a look at the gunk underneath... which smells too by the way. It's the same when I hook hair from inside the bath/shower plughole at home... always dark and slimy with soap/shampoo scum that obviously is a good breeding ground for smelly bacteria.
> 
> I'm scrupulous about not allowing 'bits' down the sinks in the van and the coke trick works really well on the tank, as does Milton, soda crystals and all sorts... but I find it almost impossible to completely eradicate the smell when I very first open the waste pipe because I'm positive it's stale soap scum in the ridges of the pipes. Any gunk that comes out of the waste tap in the initial surge is always the same as the black stuff that builds up under those pop-up sink plugs in the house. One that first gush is out, the rest of the waste water is clear, sudsy and smells fine, like it was still in the washing up bowl, so I'm pretty sure it's not the tank or anything I'm doing wrong.
> 
> Does anyone know if it's OK to replace the corrugated pipes with smoother ones? I'd still need flexible pipes because they wiggle up and down and around all sorts under the van. Is there such a thing?


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## Beemer (Feb 25, 2019)

carmha said:


> The grey water tank in our new Globecar Roadscout R is really smelly, and nothing we do seems to help. We've tried pouring Elsan grey water Tank Fresh down the sink, basin and shower drains and leaving the tank fairly full before driving; we've tried emptying the tank every day during use; and we've tried leaving the tank empty whenever possible. Can anyone advise how best to manage the grey water tank, and especially how to get rid of the strong, unpleasant smell coming up from it?



I have not read through all of the comments, but we thought we had a smelly waste tank, a couple of years ago, and it turned out to be a leisure battery that was on its way out.  A smelly eggy smell.


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## Rockburner (Feb 25, 2019)

maingate said:


> Put all the plugs in the shower basin and sinks while travelling. Otherwise you will get bad smells in the van.



And make sure they STAY in place!  

I've had to buy (and cut down) a load of plugs just to make sure the damn things stay in the hole while driving.


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