Bathroom Drain Valve

[Commanche]

The bathroom drain valve, should it be in or out when you drain the gray tank. I have been leaving it open (out) and when I drain the gray tank it really smells up the bathroom.

It seems to me back when, we had it closed and somehow that prevented the tank from draining.

 

Stan

[Mike and Carol]

Stan, if you are talking about the shower drain in the floor, we leave it open when we drain.  No odor issues.  If it is the handle on the lower wall, we keep it open too,  with no odor issues.  We tried draining once with it closed and it seriously slowed the draining process.  As soon as I pulled it out, whoosh, gray tank drained!  What I remember from our orientation was that it should be closed for travel, but open the rest of the time.

[Try2Relax]

Leaving that open or closed shouldn't matter, I would think, there is a breather/vent pipe for the kitchen sink, which is open to the tank, under the counter behind the upper right drawer, which would allow flow for draining and grey tank odors to escape. I would guess your odors came from the dump station venting back up the connection (not your grey tank) and into your trailer, which would have happen or the sink vent anyways, probably won't happen at a different station. This is why I would NEVER leave my grey valve open at a full hookup camping location.

 

Edit: and I think there is a trap in the grey line from the shower floor drain, but I'd have to double check to confirm this.

[SharonCynthia]

I am not having the same issue but drain valve need replacement and it ended up hiring a plumber who'd replaced the valve for me.

Edited December 17, 2019 by Overland
edited to remove suspicious link

[John E Davies]

On 7/28/2016 at 11:37 PM, Try2Relax said:

Leaving that open or closed shouldn't matter, I would think, there is a breather/vent pipe for the kitchen sink, which is open to the tank, under the counter behind the upper right drawer, which would allow flow for draining and grey tank odors to escape. 

Edit: and I think there is a trap in the grey line from the shower floor drain, but I'd have to double check to confirm this.

Really? My kitchen sink has no such vent. It drains poorly if the grey valve is closed (airlocks), plus it may burp noxious gases into the cabin through the trap during severe elevation changes. Plus my grey tank will drain slowly if the valve is closed and the kitchen sink is stoppered, since the big roof vent up front is not able to operate. 

There is a trap under the shower drain.

All three traps must not be allowed to dry out through evaporation, or odors will get past those points. Just like in your home, they are there to retain water and keep the sewer pipe gases isolated from the air inside the dwelling space.

Treating the grey tank (and the traps, during storage) with a deodorizer helps to stop the smells. As does being very picky about what you let go down into the tank. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited December 17, 2019 by John E Davies