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Old 05-19-2008, 02:39 PM   #1
BobandCarol
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Stinky bathroom sink

We have a problem with our bathroom sink (it's in the bedroom). It smells bad every now and then and stinks the whole trailer up. Since it doesn't smell all the time we are puzzled. We have tried everything we can think of to fix this including changing the anode rod, but haven't come up with a cure yet. Has anyone else had this problem? We have a 3475 '05 Montana and love it except for this problem. The kitchen, shower and toilet have never had a bad smell, it's only in the small sink in the bedroom. Hope someone has a fix for this.
Thanks
Bob & Carol
 
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Old 05-19-2008, 02:48 PM   #2
Waynem
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Hmmm! Check to see if there is a "P" trap under the sink near the drain. There is supposed to be standing water in the trap to keep odors from coming back up. Is the odor more prominent after the unit has been standing without use for a while? If so, then the water is evaporating letting odors up through the pipe line. But, I would assume the same would happen to the other drains.

You could try putting a plug stopper in the sink and run water in the bowl before pulling it to allow the trap to fill. Also, a good cleaning of the holding tank may be in order.
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Old 05-19-2008, 02:57 PM   #3
Mrs. CountryGuy
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We had same thing, but NOT all the time. We did all the stuff, cleaned the anode, hot water heater, put some bleach in the fresh water tank, ran bleach solution thru the pipes, let sit, drain, etc. etc. etc.

Ran some extra stuff through the tanks and made sure the gray holding tank was cleaned out.

Still, the smell would return.

Some REALLY NICE MOC member (Sorry, I don't know your ID or you would be getting the right kind of acknowledgement) kept posting that they had the same trouble and until they drained off (and capped off????) the washer/dryer water pipes they had the problem. Drained that washer plumbing and this wonderful KIND MOC soul said that stopped the smell.

Well, Al and I kinda doubted that the washer plumbing could be the problem, but, finally after we had done EVERYTHING else, and I was getting rather testy he was desperate, so he drained that washer plumbing.

WELL WOWIE!! No more smell!

Hard to believe, but it worked. We doubting Thomas types no longer doubt!

If you have tried EVERYTHING else, and you are desperate, you just might try this.

By the way, if you have a washer and you use it somewhat regularly, then, this probably is not gonna work for you. We do not have the washer/dryer, yet.
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:02 PM   #4
Bill-N-Donna
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I had a thought that it might be a plug in the vent line somewhere but on second thoughts, if you’re not getting a smell from anywhere else, it may not be that. Just a thought though. I doubt it’s a plugged vent unless the sink would be on its own separate vent to the roof.
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:03 PM   #5
Imp
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Does your sink drain into the black tank or grey tank? Some of us with 04's have it draining into the black tank. If the p trap under the sink is allowed to dry out, then the smell can come into the rig. Also check that the vent cap is not blocked. We have not had a problem with smell even though the sink drains into the black tank, but we live in it full time and so the P trap never goes dry.
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:04 PM   #6
Okie Guy
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Bob and Carol,
Your bedroom sink and shower should be connected to the same gray tank. I put some thetford gray tank deodarizer in after I dump each time. This has taken care of my nasty tank smell.
Phil
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:21 PM   #7
rogue
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As Carol said, if you have the Washer Dryer (W/D) prep, you have hot and cold water pipes that "T" off the bedroom sink cold and hot water lines. So if you do not have the W/D, the water will just sit in the W/D section of pipe (because its pressurized and it comes straight up from the floor to the sink with a "T" off to the side for the (W/D). The water in that section of pipe does not flow, and sits and starts to smell. When you turn on the water in the sink, it will bring a small amount of that water up into the sink and thats what you smell. As long as you do not have a W/D you can cap off the "T" any you will be all set.
I read about this on this forum and caped of mine and have not had any problems. The caps for the "T" are very cheep, and only take about 10 minutes to install under the sink inside the cabinet.
Bob
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:55 PM   #8
Mrs. CountryGuy
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And, what is really bizarre about this washer plumbing thing, is that the ONLY place it smells is at the bathroom sink!
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:57 PM   #9
Jolu
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Bob you will get a hoot out of this one. Those little Pex Caps that are inexpensive?? I went to the parts department at Camping World in Colorado Springs, CO and asked for two. They brought them out and said they were $7.16 each. I looked at the guy behind the counter and told him No Thank You! He said I don't blame you.

I ended up picking up a couple of the caps at a camp ground in Poplar Bluff, MO for $1.39 each.

In a jamb one can use a 1/2" PVC coupler with a plug in the end and use teflon tape on the threads.

JB
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Old 05-19-2008, 04:06 PM   #10
tbhd2
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If you look under the sink inside the vanity you will probably see a pipe that comes up under the sink. it's against the wall and has a cap on it that has a rubber valve on it. I believe they call it a vacuum breaker. It probably needs replacing. We had the one on the kitchen sink go bad this winter and it stunk the whole trailer up.
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Old 05-19-2008, 04:49 PM   #11
scattershot
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We had the problem, too, and the solution was to install a shutoff in the line for the washer/dryer. As noted previously, that water just sits in there, and starts to stink after a while. Wish I could say it was my idea, but another MOCer suggested it. Just do it, it will stop the odor, guranteed. Also, you can get the fittings at Ace Hardware, for about 1/4 the price at Camping World. Install the shutoff under the sink at the T fitting.
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Old 05-21-2008, 12:44 PM   #12
BobandCarol
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Thanks you all for the imput. We are going to try some of the suggestions and see if they work. We never thought about the washer hookup so we will look into that. Thanks again to all of you.
Bob & Carol
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Old 05-21-2008, 01:53 PM   #13
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Al corrected me on this, he did not DRAIN the washer plumbing, he ran water through it, which got the stinkies out.

He hooked a hose to the faucet where it would normally fill your washer, ran the hose over to the toilet and flushed the pipes out for a few minutes.

IT WORKED!
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Old 06-20-2008, 05:04 PM   #14
rosyriz
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Everyone here seems to talk about the washer pipe maybe the problem. What if you don't have a washer installed yet? Could it still be the washer pipe? Rosyriz
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Old 06-20-2008, 05:35 PM   #15
rogue
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Yes, as long as the unit is W/D preped. The water pipes are there and capped at the end where you install the W/D. They fill with water and sit. On my unit (2955RL) the water lines run from underneath up to the bedroom sink. Just below the sink on the water (both hot and cold) there is a "T" fitting with the lines that go over to where you would install the W/D. Its fairly easy to turn off the water/pump, disconnect the lines going to the W/D area and put a cap on the "T" fitting.
Bob

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Old 06-20-2008, 05:36 PM   #16
Exnavydiver
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Yup! A large number of us that have the hookups don't have the units yet or ever. If you have a washer then you are changing the water in those pipes often. Where the problem arises is when you don't have the washer and the water just sits in the pipe and gets the stink as bacteria builds up in it and it starts to stink... Dave
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Old 06-21-2008, 02:26 AM   #17
Mrs. CountryGuy
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agree with Exnavydiver, we have no washer, and that is why the water gets stank.
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Old 09-02-2019, 04:41 AM   #18
Drdon1057
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Sink smell

Quote:
Originally Posted by BobandCarol View Post
We have a problem with our bathroom sink (it's in the bedroom). It smells bad every now and then and stinks the whole trailer up. Since it doesn't smell all the time we are puzzled. We have tried everything we can think of to fix this including changing the anode rod, but haven't come up with a cure yet. Has anyone else had this problem? We have a 3475 '05 Montana and love it except for this problem. The kitchen, shower and toilet have never had a bad smell, it's only in the small sink in the bedroom. Hope someone has a fix for this.
Thanks
Bob & Carol
Hi, I read all the posts on this and, well I didn't think it could be that easy. I can't remember which post it was but I cut the lines going to the washer\ dryer hook-up and installed shut off valves. I wasn't sure if this was going to help until I cut the hot water line and there was that smell coming from the water in that line. If you never plan on using the hook up, you can just cut and plug line, shark-bite makes a 1/2" line plug, if working with plastic lines, that you just cut line and push or tap on line and your done. Since our 5th wheel was a 2008, I figured this problem would of been fixed by Keystone sooner, but I guess it's cheaper to just plumb them up and ship. I hope this or another post fixes your problem. Happy Camping..
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