Shower smell when showering

[debbc1952]

We have a 2019 384-GK. We use the Pine-sol/water softener in each tank, after each dump. We started having a smell when we shower. It's NOT the water. We left for several days and put bleach water in the tank and let it sit. Got home, emptied the tank, back flushed and it was okay for a couple days. I put baking soda and vinegar down the shower drain. Also okay for a couple days. Smell came back when showering. We changed the AAV under the vanity. Still had a smell when showering. We bought a Lippert 360 siphon vent and installed it. The next day, the smell was worse. We checked all the pipe connections underneath and everything was secure. We are at a loss as what to do. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[howson]

We have a 2019 384-GK. We use the Pine-sol/water softener in each tank, after each dump. We started having a smell when we shower. It's NOT the water. We left for several days and put bleach water in the tank and let it sit. Got home, emptied the tank, back flushed and it was okay for a couple days. I put baking soda and vinegar down the shower drain. Also okay for a couple days. Smell came back when showering. We changed the AAV under the vanity. Still had a smell when showering. We bought a Lippert 360 siphon vent and installed it. The next day, the smell was worse. We checked all the pipe connections underneath and everything was secure. We are at a loss as what to do. Any suggestions are appreciated.

The gray tank that collects the water from your shower also collects water from the sink ("lav"), washer, and exterior kitchen sink. There's an anti-siphon vent associated with the washer drain line. (Do you have a washing machine?)

Based on what you've done it is not the vent, not the contents of the tank, and not the AAV under the sink so that leaves the exterior sink line and the washer drain line. You might try a "sniff check" of the washer drain line opening.

Might not be applicable, but I had "smelly" water in my washer's drain line: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...f-smelly-water

Hopefully a more knowledgeable 384GK owner or my fellow moderator Cate&Rob will chime in here soon.

Howard

P.S. Welcome to the forum!

[Cate&Rob]

debbc1952
From your description, it sounds like the smell is coming up through the shower drain while the water is going down. Although I have not heard of this before, this could be possible if the grey tank is not venting properly through it’s vent stack. Does this problem get worse as the grey tank fills? Perhaps the smell does not occur when the grey tank is completely empty?

Rob

[debbc1952]

Howard and Rob, thank you for your response. Forgot to mention that we do, periodically, hook up a hose to the washer lines and run fresh water through them (we do not have a washer and dryer). When we do that we put some of the Pinesol/water softener in those lines The smell happens as the grey tank fills up, less space for the gas. That is why we put a new vent stack on. The smell is coming from the tank. We feel like we've covered everything and just frustrated right now.

[boyscout]

We have a 2019 384-GK. We use the Pine-sol/water softener in each tank, after each dump. We started having a smell when we shower. It's NOT the water. We left for several days and put bleach water in the tank and let it sit. Got home, emptied the tank, back flushed and it was okay for a couple days. I put baking soda and vinegar down the shower drain. Also okay for a couple days. Smell came back when showering. We changed the AAV under the vanity. Still had a smell when showering. We bought a Lippert 360 siphon vent and installed it. The next day, the smell was worse. We checked all the pipe connections underneath and everything was secure. We are at a loss as what to do. Any suggestions are appreciated.

It seems that you've covered the common issues well. I wonder though, what AAV did you use to replace the one under the bathroom sink?

If it was another $5 junker like the original, there are very frequent reports of failures with them. Is the odor especially strong under the sink? Maybe your new AAV is no good. Consider installing the following instead:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/STUDOR-1...0341/202275238

Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Please post results here if you do.

[Canyonlight]

In addition to what has been shared by all,as Mark shared in post #5, we replaced both of our our AAVs with a low cost valve like GDRV installs at build and one or both of those were defective. I went with the Studor in both the bathroom and the kitchen and all has been gtg for a few years.

We thought the bathroom AAV was the area with the issue (smells are challenging to isolate at times) but it may have been the one under the kitchen sink or both AAVs were defective. As Mark shared, I would replace all your AAVs (2 I suspect but the 384 may have more ?) with the Studor.

Attached are pictures from our replacement events. The largest black was the one installed by GDRV at build and the smaller black one was the low cost defective one first installed. The last 2 pictures show area under our BR sink and the kitchen island sink with the quality Studor AAV.

Your situation may or may not be defective AAVs but over the years when folks have shared sewer/bad smell odors......replacing the AAVs has addressed the vast majority of "stinky" episodes.

Dan

[Cate&Rob]

debbc1952

A clue to the cause of this is your comment that “the smell happens as the grey tank fills up”. The air in the tank is supposed to go up the vent stack as it is displaced with liquid. If the vent pipe is pushed too far through the grommet and into the tank, when the liquid rises to the bottom of the vent pipe and covers it, the air has no place to go but back up the drain opening into the shower.

Rob

[debbc1952]

Rob, makes sense. We appreciate all the responses. We did replace the AAV under the vanity (with a good one!), but did not consider replacing the kitchen one, since the issue was in the shower. This has been going for about two months. Never had it happen before...we will figure it out!

[howson]

...the issue ... <is> in the shower.

Cate&Rob

Rob,
Since the sink is tied into the same gray tank, Deb should be able to run the water in the sink for a significant amount of time and duplicate the smell problem if it is indeed a vent issue, right? The tank and vent wouldn't care where the water originated.

If running water in the sink does NOT duplicate the issue, the only possible problem I can conceive of is the short connector between the shower stall and the gray tank itself may have an issue. If there's a gap somewhere in that connection that could act as a "vent", too.

Pure speculation...just trying to think outside the box on this one.

Howard

[Cate&Rob]

howson debbc1952

The shower would have either a “duckbill” trap or a conventional “P” trap to prevent odours from the tank coming back up the drain. Water from the sink would not disturb this block. It is possible that water swirling down the shower drain could allow tank air back up the center of the swirl if there was not an easier path for the air up the vent stack.

Rob

[howson]

howson debbc1952

The shower would have either a “duckbill” trap or a conventional “P” trap to prevent odours from the tank coming back up the drain. Water from the sink would not disturb this block. It is possible that water swirling down the shower drain could allow tank air back up the center of the swirl if there was not an easier path for the air up the vent stack.

Rob

The Parts Lookup for the '19 384GK shows the fitting and two different types of traps. (The Hepvo is on the list, but if like my 315RLTS that's used in the washer drain lines.)



So going with the theory that the vent is not working right, how does a user verify it isn't blocked or other issue with the vent pipe itself? Come down through the roof with a long inspection camera?

[Cate&Rob]

I would block the shower drain (a cloth would be sufficient) and fill the shower pan with about an inch of water. Then remove the cloth and watch for air bubbles back from the drain as this shower pan of “still” water drains. I would try this at different grey tank fill levels to see if air comes back through the drain as the grey tank nears full (indicating that the vent pipe has been covered by liquid in the tank)

Rob

[H22EG8]

Resurrecting this thread...

2022 265bh - replaced the aav with the studor one and after a shower, the smell is still there. Could the vent stack have failed? We've only used this camper on only 8 trips.

Is there any way to troubleshoot the vent stack? Are there any other items I may be missing?

Thank you for your time.

[howson]

H22EG8 there have been threads documenting separation of the vent from the tank. May be tough to isolate.

[H22EG8]

Dang.. ok. I reached out to the dealer. General information - I went to shower and for some odd reason, the smell didn't permeate in the camper. The difference in showers between myself and the others in the family is merely the length of time. Seems to happen to them after about 5 minutes or so. I'll keep everyone informed as this goes on. Thanks!