Will dumping more tank chemicals down the toilet get rid of the smell in my RV?

There are a number of reasons why your RV may smell like your black tank. It could be a problem with the vent pipe, you may have a seal issue with your toilet, or you could not be using enough water in your tank. Or, it could just be that your black tank is full of waste that has turned into a thick, sticky mess from all those tank additives you use.

Adding more enzymes, biological agents, harsh chemicals, etc. to your holding tank – especially the black tank – only makes things worse. As those additives dissolve the solids in your tank (as they are intended to do), you get left with a tank full of sludgy, pancake batter-like mess. Your tank rinser can’t get rid of it and over time, it builds up and starts to stink.

The best thing to do is follow best practices when caring for your RV’s holding tanks:

1. Empty tanks when they are 75% to 100% full
2. Keep the tank rinser on in your black tank as you empty it
3. Use a backlash valve like the Valterra Flush King Reverse Flush Valves to truly rinse your tanks clean
4. Prime your tanks after emptying by adding three to five gallons of freshwater to each of them to keep the waste-to-water ration down
5. Use extra water in your toilet bowl: Start with a half bowlful, do “your business”, flush, add another half bowlful, and flush that down

No one likes an RV that stinks like your black tanks. But following best practices and eliminating the harmful tank additives that dissolve the solids into a sludgy mess will help to keep odors down. If you want to use a tank additive that will actually keep your tanks healthy – and fight smells – use our simple recipe instead.