Deffheads Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Having been in lockdown in our Dethleffs Esprit 7870 A class motorhome, I have become aware of 2 slight problems whilst long term living with the heating on, one is the water from the bathroom cold tap develops an odour even after using water from the fresh water tank that has been cleaned. I think this is because the water in the feed pipe is warmed by the routing of the the heating pipes. The second, and more unpleasant is that as the the van is winterised the contents of the toilet cassette are kept 'warm' and on opening the flap, the stink is vile. I think I will have to try and reroute the cold water feed pipe, the cassette problem could be solved by fitting a SOG unit, but the cost is excessive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 There is a LOT of on-line discussion about minimising odour from a cassette toilet https://tinyurl.com/94ch8dh4 with it being generally advised that the cassette be scrupulously cleaned to begin with and then that the toilet ‘chemicals’ used be carefully chosen. Otherwise a SOG-type ventilator will draw air from the toilet-bowl into the cassette (and on to outside the motorhome) and prevent stinky smells rising upwards into the bathroom when the cassette’s valve is opened. However (as you’ve said) retro-fitting a SOG ‘kit’ nowadays can cost £160-£205 for the kit itself (depending on the toilet model and the design of the kit) and - for the same considerations - installation may prove very challenging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Hope this won't come across as flippant, but the might the cassette odour problem be overcome by more frequent emptying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deffheads Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 I do empty frequently,I am blaming the fact that the heating has been on 24/7, hence warming up the contents of the cassette and as the cassette is airtight, on opening the flap the stink gushes out! In cooler weather the heating is not on and the odour is less noticeable. Has anyone devised there own SOG type system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Chodkowski Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 We have had a SOG in our last two vans, greater of kit, no chemicals and we empty every morning when possible, normally after washing up breakfast things when we then put the washing up water down the toilet to aid cassette rinsing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Chodkowski Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Damn spell check, we don't have a smelly DOG in the van but a nice Clean SOG. (Corrected by Keithl. BTW You have 30 mins to edit after posting) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Good lord they blame Alde for Smell. Clean it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deffheads Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 Hans - 2021-02-16 6:02 PM Good lord they blame Alde for Smell. Clean it. Thanks Hans very constructive! You obviously are not in your moho at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajohno Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 the toilet smell might be the toilet chemical or rinse aid not doing its job, try increasing the dose or go to a different make. i tried the recommended laundry stuff, the smell was terrible from the loo, so went back to proper chemicals and all is now good. As for the water having an odour, this won't be down to heat but maybe due to contamination or stagnation in the tank (which you say has been cleaned already) or system and pipework It might be worth, if you can, flushing the system through and dosing with a system cleaner (you can always use water containers while doing this). You might have to leave the dose in the system for 24 hours before flushing it out. you could also try dosing with a small amount of chlorine or water purification tablets (check labels for dosing amount) into your main tank whilst still in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deffheads Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 Thanks for a positive reply. I know that the water from the cold tap is affected by having the heating on as after the first running of the tap it starts cold, then warm and then back to cold,I know the main tank is good as sterilised and topped up regularly, As with the cassette I am convinced the heat in the ALDE system pipe causes: A , bacteria in the water feed to the bathroom taps and B: exaggerates the gas build up in the cassette. I understand that these vans are not designed to be lived long term and I may need to modify things to achieve the desired long term in cold weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocsid Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 Should not the cassette's "auto vent valve" be venting the cassette so no pressure builds up under the slide? I think it only seals when you pull out the cassette? With the cassette installed the cam top pushes the vent open, pulling the cassette out lets it reseat so not leak when carrying the cassette. They can certainly get clogged up, but removing it and cleaning its bits with a discarded tooth brush readily sorts it out. Is not the transfer of heat from the Alde's circuit to anything near it, simply down to a "naff" MH design, placing the cold water pipes that close? After all, heating its surrounds is the heating circuit's sole purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 Deffheads - 2021-02-16 10:42 AM Has anyone devised there own SOG type system? Years ago Clive Mott-Gotobed came up with the “PONGO” system http://www.motts.org/Pongo.htm and I vaguely recall seeing an on-line article about a (hideous) cassette ventilation system another DIYer had invented. It’s stating the obvious (or should be) that Thetford cassette toilets are not all the same and (unlike some Dometic equivalents) none are designed to accept a SOG kit. Some Thetford models can have a Thetford extractor fan-unit fitted and others can be vented to the outside air, but each SOG kit will have been designed and developed for particular Thetford models and it should not be anticipated that a one-off DIY approach will have the sophistication, reliability, automation and ease of installation of the ‘proper’ SOG product. All standard Thetford cassettes have a pressure release valve (PRV), though the position of the PRV varies according to the model of toilet. When the cassette is inserted into its locker the PRV should open and, if the locker has not been hermetically sealed from the motorhome’s interior (as was the case with my 2005 Hobby motorhome) stinky odours will then permeate the bathroom. :-( If the PRV does not open properly (eg. if the cassette is overfilled or the PRV sticks shut) and there’s a pressure build-up within the cassette, when the slide-valve at the base of the toilet-bowl is opened it can be like a volcano erupting. But even when the PRV is functioning correctly, it should be expected that, when the slide-valve is opened, there will be air movement upwards from within the cassette, into the toilet bowl and on into the bathroom. Even if a brand-new cassette were fitted, that wouldn’t cure the problem. https://www.primaleisure.com/category/thetford-toilet-fresh-up-kits To stop the smelliness, either some ‘magic stuff'’ will be required to immediately treat the waste in the cassette to make it completely odourless, or a ventilation system will be needed to prevent the odours from ascending into the toilet-bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLou Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 It occurs to me that it might be possible to loosen the "filler" cap which should vent the cassette into the cassette locker. This locker is sealed off from the van so no smells should come in. Then if you leave the locker door slightly ajar that might do the job. Would this work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 The only less smell system on the market is Called INDUS Made Thetford. First on the market and agreement whit burstner. On their Elegance 2021.. Just need a i- Phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 Thetford’s iNDUS system Is described here https://www.thetford-europe.com/gb/why-indus and in these May and June articles https://www.practicalmotorhome.com/news/thetfords-new-toilet-aims-to-make-off-grid-life-easier https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/news/thetford-revolutionises-motorhome-sanitation-with-smart-toilet-system It was also discussed in this May 2020 MHFun thread https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/thetford-indus-toilet-system-new.219840/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 Andy&Lou - 2021-02-18 9:34 AM It occurs to me that it might be possible to loosen the "filler" cap which should vent the cassette into the cassette locker. This locker is sealed off from the van so no smells should come in. Then if you leave the locker door slightly ajar that might do the job. Would this work? Kevin’s motorhome is a 2006 Dethleffs Esprit 7870i A class design and I’m guessing that its Thetford toilet is a C-223CS model. If that’s correct, the cassette will have an automatic pressure-release-valve (PRV) on the cassette’s upper surface as shown in the photo attached below. The SOG kit for a C-223CS is the type described on the following link https://www.soguk.co.uk/sog-type-h-thetford-c223-cassette-toilet/ with installation involving removal of the PRV (and sticking a ‘bung’ in the hole), modifying the filler-cap to accept a ventilation hose, and fitting a ventilation fan-unit to the cassette locker’s door. (Instruction leaflet on link.) Compared with retro-fitting a SOG kit to some other Thetford toilets, the task should be reasonably straightforward, though it would still likely take a couple of hours to do properly. I can’t see why loosening the filler cap to vent the cassette would be any different to what the PRV does when the cassette has been fully inserted into the cassette locker (which it has to be for the toilet to be usable). Leaving the locker’s door ajar might allow wind-flow over the door in the right direction to aerodynamically ‘extract’ odours from the locker and reduce pressure within the cassette. On the other hand, wind-flow in the wrong direction might do the opposite and increase pressure within the cassette (via the PRV or loosened filler-cap) and worsen the odour rising from the cassette when its slide-valve is opened. While Kevin’s motorhome is static, he could take the filler-cap completely off, which would remove any risk of pressure building up inside the cassette, but (if the locker IS hermetically sealed from the motorhome’s habitation area - and, as I mentioned above, my Hobby’s was not) there should be no need to leave the locker door open. As Kevin said in his original posting, a SOG kit should satisfactorily address the current odour problem, but that approach won’t be cheap and it’s not really a ‘lockdown’ task when the motorhome is being lived in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 When we bought our first motorhome we were using the "blue" chemicals in the cassette. IMHO the odour suppressing fragrance was worse than the cause. We changed to two caps of nappy cleaning powder . This coupled with a splash of eucalyptus oil is a much more pleasant option even on a hot day. cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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