Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system under
each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.

Leroy Eckert
1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
In DeFuniak Springs

Could they possibly be 'vacuum breakers' Leroy?

On 27/05/07, jwasnewski wrote:
>
> There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system under
> each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
> with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
> an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.
>
> Leroy Eckert
> 1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> Niceville, FL
> In DeFuniak Springs
>
>
>



--
Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
94 WLWB


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I don't know. Since they are normally closed it seems that something would have
to push on it to open. I rarely have odors in the coach, maybe 2 times in 3
years, once while driving which I attributed to pressure differential while
driving with the drivers window open. I had a small sewer odor this AM after
running the kitchen sink. No exhaust fans were on. That puzzles me as there is
a water trap in the sink drain. As usual, my prints call for seperate roof
vents for the Black and Grey tank, and there is only one. Therefore, I cannot
isolate where it originates, and it happens so rarely there is no trail to
follow. It has only happened when the kitchen sink or shower were turned on.
Soooo, I guess I will get me one of those LilStankers and install it in the vent
line. Those little check vents can be easily removed from the pipe. Inside is a
rubber piece with a white plastic center rod and it is spring loaded closed.
Thanks;

Leroy Eckert
1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Robinson
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 9:24 AM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Check Vents


Could they possibly be 'vacuum breakers' Leroy?

On 27/05/07, jwasnewski wrote:
>
> There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system under
> each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
> with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
> an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.
>
> Leroy Eckert
> 1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> Niceville, FL
> In DeFuniak Springs
>
>
>

--
Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
94 WLWB

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Leroy:
Do you have "P" traps under your sink?

Bill
84FC35SB

jwasnewski wrote:
There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system
under
each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.

Leroy Eckert
1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
In DeFuniak Springs






Bill 84 FC 35 SB "$quanderlodge"
Terrace, B.C. Canada


---------------------------------
Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yes. I just looked and the check vents are T'd off of the drain lines after the
"P" traps.
Leroy Eckert
1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Nivceville, FL
----- Original Message -----
From: Wilhelmus Schreurs
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 10:30 AM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Check Vents


Leroy:
Do you have "P" traps under your sink?

Bill
84FC35SB

jwasnewski wrote:
There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system under
each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.

Leroy Eckert
1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
In DeFuniak Springs

Bill 84 FC 35 SB "$quanderlodge"
Terrace, B.C. Canada

---------------------------------
Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot
with the All-new Yahoo! Mail

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The whole point of the vent system in waste lines is that the moving
water creates high/low air pressure in front and behind the 'blob' of
water. Venting allows the air pressure to equalize, allowing the
water to flow quickly and without 'glugging' as it moves down the pipes.

Because of the way the pipes have to run in an RV (any RV, not just a
BB), there are often under-sink vent valves as a (second or third)
through-the-roof vent may be impractical. If properly installed, and
not stuck open, the under-sink vents should not be allowing sewer gas
from the tank(s) to enter the coach.

The primary vent (to the tank) is designed to allow sewer gasses to
escape and prevent a build up of pressure as well as to allow air to
be displaced as water runs through the pipes... but there may be
turns and drops in the run that isolate sections of pipe when they're
filled with water, hence the need for an additional vent to relive
the pressure differences.

If you look at a piping diagram for a typical home, you'll see that
there are multiple vent lines that often join together to minimize
the number of through-the-roof vents -- but usually there are vents
serving each 'set' of drain lines. For example, my home has a vent
stack near the kitchen, another near the washing machine and laundry
tub, and a third near the bathrooms (that are 'siamese-style' to
share plumbing). This multiplicity of vents often isn't practical in
an RV.

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
aeonix1@...
On the road at Lockhart Texas



On May 27, 2007, at 9:16 AM, jwasnewski wrote:

> There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system
> under
> each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
> with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
> an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.

Thanks for that Pete. I think I might check out these vents to see if I have
a stuck one. I do sometimes get a smell when dumping the tanks and always if
I leave a window open as I'm going down the road.

On 27/05/07, Pete Masterson wrote:
>
> The whole point of the vent system in waste lines is that the moving
> water creates high/low air pressure in front and behind the 'blob' of
> water. Venting allows the air pressure to equalize, allowing the
> water to flow quickly and without 'glugging' as it moves down the pipes.
>
> Because of the way the pipes have to run in an RV (any RV, not just a
> BB), there are often under-sink vent valves as a (second or third)
> through-the-roof vent may be impractical. If properly installed, and
> not stuck open, the under-sink vents should not be allowing sewer gas
> from the tank(s) to enter the coach.
>
> The primary vent (to the tank) is designed to allow sewer gasses to
> escape and prevent a build up of pressure as well as to allow air to
> be displaced as water runs through the pipes... but there may be
> turns and drops in the run that isolate sections of pipe when they're
> filled with water, hence the need for an additional vent to relive
> the pressure differences.
>
> If you look at a piping diagram for a typical home, you'll see that
> there are multiple vent lines that often join together to minimize
> the number of through-the-roof vents -- but usually there are vents
> serving each 'set' of drain lines. For example, my home has a vent
> stack near the kitchen, another near the washing machine and laundry
> tub, and a third near the bathrooms (that are 'siamese-style' to
> share plumbing). This multiplicity of vents often isn't practical in
> an RV.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> aeonix1@...
> On the road at Lockhart Texas
>
> On May 27, 2007, at 9:16 AM, jwasnewski wrote:
>
> > There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system
> > under
> > each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
> > with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
> > an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.
>
>
>



--
Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
94 WLWB


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

One of the 'cautions' I received from friends and others with more RV
experience than I was to avoid driving down the road with windows or
vents open as it causes a reduced pressure (due to the Bernoulli
effect) inside the coach. Under those circumstances, it's possible to
pull sewer gasses past the water in the p-traps, resulting in
unpleasant odors in the coach.

You might check your black and gray tank vent pipes to ensure that
they're not blocked. They should provide sufficient air flow to
preclude odors from entering the coach during a tank dump. (I haven't
experienced any odor in the coach during/after a dump. I have gotten
some slight odor (most noticeable in the bathroom) when I've
forgotten to close the center roof (Kool-matic) vent. I've not run on
the road with windows open, except for the driver's window for a
short period as I approach a toll booth, etc.

I do get occasional odor from the Microphor toilet -- sometimes, it
seems the chamber below the bowl doesn't (fully) clear after a flush
cycle and some odor can result in the next flush cycle. Fortunately,
it's only mildly annoying, not a serious problem. (I plan to spend
some time studying the Microphor documents after we return home from
this trip, so I better understand how the toilet works and if it is
working properly.)

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
aeonix1@...
On the road at Lockhart Texas



On May 27, 2007, at 12:06 PM, Rob Robinson wrote:

> Thanks for that Pete. I think I might check out these vents to see
> if I have
> a stuck one. I do sometimes get a smell when dumping the tanks and
> always if
> I leave a window open as I'm going down the road.
<snip>

Thanks, Pete:
Your post make perfect sense to me. Apparently these vents open very quickly
and minutely when the water is draining. Otherwise I would think an odor could
occur just as if one were stuck open?? Mine seem to be operating fine as the
phenomenon does not occur often.

Leroy Eckert
1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
----- Original Message -----
From: Pete Masterson
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 11:38 AM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Check Vents


The whole point of the vent system in waste lines is that the moving
water creates high/low air pressure in front and behind the 'blob' of
water. Venting allows the air pressure to equalize, allowing the
water to flow quickly and without 'glugging' as it moves down the pipes.

Because of the way the pipes have to run in an RV (any RV, not just a
BB), there are often under-sink vent valves as a (second or third)
through-the-roof vent may be impractical. If properly installed, and
not stuck open, the under-sink vents should not be allowing sewer gas
from the tank(s) to enter the coach.

The primary vent (to the tank) is designed to allow sewer gasses to
escape and prevent a build up of pressure as well as to allow air to
be displaced as water runs through the pipes... but there may be
turns and drops in the run that isolate sections of pipe when they're
filled with water, hence the need for an additional vent to relive
the pressure differences.

If you look at a piping diagram for a typical home, you'll see that
there are multiple vent lines that often join together to minimize
the number of through-the-roof vents -- but usually there are vents
serving each 'set' of drain lines. For example, my home has a vent
stack near the kitchen, another near the washing machine and laundry
tub, and a third near the bathrooms (that are 'siamese-style' to
share plumbing). This multiplicity of vents often isn't practical in
an RV.

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
aeonix1@...
On the road at Lockhart Texas

On May 27, 2007, at 9:16 AM, jwasnewski wrote:

> There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system
> under
> each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
> with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
> an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

There is a sort of vacumn formed inside when the front window is opened and it
acts like the vent fans. It sucks inside air out. I had that happen once and
have since closed all the drains with their respective plugs before traveling
and have not had the problem since. I have yet to determine how the smell gets
through the water traps???I would understand if a trap was dry. Perhaps the
vacumn opens the check vents somehow?????

Leroy Eckert
1990WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Robinson
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 12:06 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Check Vents


Thanks for that Pete. I think I might check out these vents to see if I have
a stuck one. I do sometimes get a smell when dumping the tanks and always if
I leave a window open as I'm going down the road.

On 27/05/07, Pete Masterson wrote:
>
> The whole point of the vent system in waste lines is that the moving
> water creates high/low air pressure in front and behind the 'blob' of
> water. Venting allows the air pressure to equalize, allowing the
> water to flow quickly and without 'glugging' as it moves down the pipes.
>
> Because of the way the pipes have to run in an RV (any RV, not just a
> BB), there are often under-sink vent valves as a (second or third)
> through-the-roof vent may be impractical. If properly installed, and
> not stuck open, the under-sink vents should not be allowing sewer gas
> from the tank(s) to enter the coach.
>
> The primary vent (to the tank) is designed to allow sewer gasses to
> escape and prevent a build up of pressure as well as to allow air to
> be displaced as water runs through the pipes... but there may be
> turns and drops in the run that isolate sections of pipe when they're
> filled with water, hence the need for an additional vent to relive
> the pressure differences.
>
> If you look at a piping diagram for a typical home, you'll see that
> there are multiple vent lines that often join together to minimize
> the number of through-the-roof vents -- but usually there are vents
> serving each 'set' of drain lines. For example, my home has a vent
> stack near the kitchen, another near the washing machine and laundry
> tub, and a third near the bathrooms (that are 'siamese-style' to
> share plumbing). This multiplicity of vents often isn't practical in
> an RV.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> aeonix1@...
> On the road at Lockhart Texas
>
> On May 27, 2007, at 9:16 AM, jwasnewski wrote:
>
> > There is a check valve vent, normally closed, on the sewer system
> > under
> > each of my sinks. What is there purpose? The only thing I can come up
> > with is to relieve gas pressure and stink up the coach in the event of
> > an external roof vent becomes clogged??????Any ideas.
>
>
>

--
Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
94 WLWB

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]