waste smell trap

lexi
lexi Forum Participant Posts: 42
edited August 2017 in Caravans #1

Hi,

Anyone used a waste smell trap for caravan? Our drains smell going to use a cleaner but want to know if traps would prevent smell happening in the future?

Comments

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #2

    Sorry can't help with the trap. However, I think it is more about trying to keep them as clean as possible. Avoid washing any very messy or greasy items without pre treatment. Although we wash up in the van, something like a frying pan we would wipe out with kitchen paper before washing it. Also when moving on I put a tank of very hot water through the pipes into the waste master. If all else fails some Thetford tank freshener, left in the pipes overnight, works very well. Also of course stops the waste master smelling when packed away.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #3

    steve, just as an aside, Im sure the Lidl washing tabs would do as good a job as keeping the Wastemaster clean as they do for the toilet cassette.....no limescale whatsoever and 'as new' clean.....and a lot cheaper than any proprietry product.

    perhaps one in there every other 'fill'.....?smile

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #4

    Slightly different as we have a motorhome but we put washing soda down the plug holes followed by hot water. 

    I agree with SteveL about wiping out mucky pans with kitchen roll, always wash up in the van.

    Is the smell there when you open caravan when not in use? What about just putting the plugs in the plug holes and leave the outlet plugs open? 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #5

    Prevention is much better than cure. Pre-wipe messy dishes, as Steve describes and keep the pipes as free of muck as possible by washing up in a bowl and disposing of the water either at the service point or, if necessary, directly into the wastemaster. Although the latter method will still mean dirty water will be in the wastemaster, at least the pipes will be muck free. 

    It shouldn't be necessary to alter the van's plumbing and, without investigating, I'm not sure it will be possible. 

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2017 #6

    Was thinking of dropping in a Lidl bio tab as well. I have been happy with them in toilet cassette. 

    We used to get an occasional Wiff from the waste. Like Steve I use hot water from tank on departure by emptying into waste via kitchen sink. I fill sink with hot water and then remove plug to flush pipes.

    Nowadays I do not put waste pipe down into wastemaster. The end of flexible waste from caravan sits over the wastenaster opening with the pipe horizontal. Waste goes where it should but odours do not travel up tube to caravan. I use the bungee on wastemaster to hold pipe.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited August 2017 #7

    Agree with everything above. When we switched to a Motorhome last year we made the mistake of leaving the waste too long and spent the rest of the year trying to get rid of the smell. We don't put any food etc. down the waste nor greasy water. Now we tend to put a bucket under the outlet and dispose of the grey water as we can, depending on the type of site and location.

  • lexi
    lexi Forum Participant Posts: 42
    edited August 2017 #8

    hi, The smell must be from pipes as the waste smells ok, and gets cleaned regular. Don't use grill or frying pan so its not grease, must just be bits of food.

    Have tried hot water, vinegar & bi carb, soda crystals in past cleared until we went away and smell came back.

    Think I'm going to use waste cleaner before next trip and use bio pod if smell comes back on holiday.

    will be making sure no bits gets down so hopefully wont smell.

    thanks

  • Merve
    Merve Forum Participant Posts: 2,333
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    edited August 2017 #9

    The bio tab idea works a treat BB. With my type of caravanning I now use my grey water disposal system wherever possible so I hope the wastemaster is very rarely used if at all. We now, because of the new system use a plughole filter to prevent any bits escaping from the sink.  As previously stated though, it is vital to keep all plug holes, pipework and wastemaster as clean as poss. It goes without saying - It prevents the buildup of bacteria causing the pong. I would certainly be tempted to use a bio pod. They seem to be able to tackle most things- including the loo- nuff said! 

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
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    edited August 2017 #10

    Hymer fit smell traps as standard and have done for years.  They also use rigid waste pipes with a fall so it drains

    Just sayin wink