Everyone knows the RV black waste tank can be a stinker, but as veteran RVers know, the kitchen, often called the galley grey tank, can sometimes be worse. Rotting food particles, cooking grease, and restricted flushing action when draining can contribute to a putrid-smelling tank.
I find, like my RV, many of the galley tanks use only a 1 1/2 inch drain pipe versus the 3 inches used on the shower/bathroom and black tank drains. This smaller pipe produces a choke point, severely reducing the natural flushing action of a tank emptying. Because of this, more solids are left behind.
The black tanks often have built-in flushing spray nozzles for flushing or convenient access to use a manual flushing wand through the toilet.
Not so for the smelly galley tank. Most people are left to use expensive tank treatments or homemade cleaning concoctions for galley tanks.
I’ve used several varieties over the years, such as Happy Campers, Tank Techs RX, Walex PortaPaks, Valterra Pure Power, and Borax, to name a few. However, nothing works for me as well as lots of water and a thorough flushing every few months. So about five years ago, I modified my OEM kitchen sink plumbing by installing a Hepvo valve.
The Hepvo Waterless Trap replaced the regular RV p-trap and antisiphon valve. It did away with any odor problems caused by the kitchen drain and simplified the plumbing freeing up extra storage space. Another perk is it’s easily removable for cleaning.
I installed the Hepvo valve near the kitchen floor, which gives me access to the galley tank when it is removed. I can shove a flushing wand down the drain hole and clean the galley tank. I find an RV water heater flushing wand works great for this. Its powerful stream frees stuck debris and gets it to flow out of the tank.
How I Flush Our RV Galley Waste Tank
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