Simple Sink Drain and Vent

In our first pop up (a tent trailer), the sink was always slow to drain because of not having a vent. I saw another thread where one of the WTW members had made a vent, but being basically a lazy person, I took the easy way. It's just an inexpensive hose splitter, with some washing machine hose as both the vent and drain... Easy peasy...



Cat litter bucket for the catch basin

Sweet.

I like your simple, easy vent idea.

Well, how's the rig working out for you sir? First impressions, ideas, accolades, gripes, suggestions, reports...

Recently I met a local man here (a friend of a friend) who's been eyeballing a pop-up for a while I think, and he came over to look at my Hawk in the garage with his wife last week. Seems to me like a really nice family. He liked the idea of the quality workmanship, light weight, and minimalist approach to back-country travel/exploration like we do. He has a new Tundra like mine. I think he ordered a Hawk last Friday... You'll see him on here as "K-O's" I think. Bottom line is we're talking about doing a Steens Mt. trip sometime this summer to meet up with some other FWC owners in the NorCal or Oregon area (or farther) who want to explore the Steens or maybe Hart Mt. National Wildlife area, with a hot springs or two thrown in. When we get the particulars, I'll throw a post up so you can maybe join us.

Cheers,

KILR0Y

We haven't been able to get away yet, so I am just working on little projects like this one. In addition to some elder care for mt dad, I had some dental surgery because of a failed root canal. Right now, I'm a big proponent of good chemicals, because my jaw feels like the dentist took a big hammer and chisel to it. Stitches come out next week, and hopefully the ache will go with them.

I think I'm going to run over to Mitchell for some winter shots of the Painted Hills, and then maybe down to Virgin Valley and Hart Mountain. Yes, I would be interested in a Steens trip. If I am back from the desert, I'll probably be over there in April for a few days of sage grouse photography, and the early part of the migration. Should be lots of white geese in the Burns area. Send me a PM of dates, and what you want to see. I've got a few areas that I like, and would share.

that would be most excellent, sorry to get off topic!

That other vent person was me. Since I installed an ABS gray water storage over my wheel well I don't really use this anymore unless I'm hooked up to sewage:\

BobM said:

That other vent person was me. Since I installed an ABS gray water storage over my wheel well I don't really use this anymore unless I'm hooked up to sewage:\

Ineedtovent.jpg

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Bob, thanks for the idea! The most sincere form of flattery is plagiarism, and I definitely copied you.

I like the idea of a vent at the discharge from the camper. I will be putting my sink drain toward the front of my Hawk build. This is so I have more clearance loading the camper. I will have a grey water tank in the truck bed. I might build in a vent inside the camper exiting with a marine vent like below. Drain would always be ready to go.

I don't understand the need for a vent, especially in that location. The sink inside is open to air pressure and it is a direct downhill flow from there. My Ranger II drains as fast as the hose will allow.

CWD

Gee-a vent -never thought of that -me, over the last many years of over flowing and stopped up sinks, I replaced the original "piping" with large clear flexible plastic tubing (when the original pipes sprung a leak) and bought one of those small hand suction devises (plunger) designed for small sinks to use that replaces my cupped hand ! Nice idea thoooo, I'm not smart enough to think about doing that vent thing, just direct action and a little swearing fixes allot of things !

Smoke

Smokecreek1 said:

Gee-a vent -never thought of that -me, over the last many years of over flowing and stopped up sinks, I replaced the original "piping" with large clear flexible plastic tubing (when the original pipes sprung a leak) and bought one of those small hand suction devises (plunger) designed for small sinks to use that replaces my cupped hand ! Nice idea thoooo, I'm not smart enough to think about doing that vent thing, just direct action and a little swearing fixes allot of things !

Smoke

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Smoke, being an old Jarhead, I've found that swearing is one of the best tools in the box. I just hope I remember when the grand kids are around.

Wandering Sagebrush said:

Smoke, being an old Jarhead, I've found that swearing is one of the best tools in the box. I just hope I remember when the grand kids are around.

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WS-me thinks the Army taught me a new word or two along those lines-if nothing else swearing makes you feel better-for a while at least !

Smoke

If I recall aright, Mark Twain called swearing "A satisfaction never obtained by prayer."

N'kwala said:

If I recall aright, Mark Twain called swearing "A satisfaction never obtained by prayer."

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You made my morning, N'kwala. Thanks!

ski3pin said:

You made my morning, N'kwala. Thanks!

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2X

Smoke

My guess is that the vent is helpful for people who drain their sink water into a closed bag or tank. The drain water displaces air in the bag or tank and if the only place for the displaced air to go is back up the hose, through the sink trap and bubble up in the sink, a vent could help.

But the better practice is to drain the sink water into an open bucket (or one with a loose-fitting lid or a lid with a hole a bit bigger than the drain hose) so the displaced air just goes directly out into the atmosphere. If you use a flexible bag to catch your waste water, make sure it's all folded up (no air inside) when you start using it. Then, as it fills up with water, there's little or no air inside that needs to be displaced.

I used the collapsible "covered bucket" http://www.amazon.com/Zebra-RV-7701-Covered-Bucket/dp/B008XKGLS4
like the one that FWC offers. It collapses down easily and stores in the propane cabinet.

In a house, vents provide a means to release sewer gases outside instead of inside the house and provide a way to equalize the pressure on both sides of a trap, thereby allowing the trap to hold water. Given the short distance from a camper sink to an outside bucket or bag, a vent isn't necessary for those reasons.

esimmers, Those vents I understand completely, but that is not what the photos depict. If you are draining into a closed container, then the vent needs to at the container and not in the line. I ma just trying to understand the vent function since everything is open to the atmosphere.

CWD

I don't know why, as it doesn't match my understanding of how things should work, but sometimes the hose into an open bucket just doesn't drain. It may have to do with the water level in the bucket covering the hose opening breaking the siphon effect. If a vent would fix this, I'd be a happy camper.

Last weekend I ran into a slow draining sink when otherwise its never been a problem. The culprit turned out to be a low spot in the hose outside of the soft pail that we drain into. As soon as I moved the hose to eliminate the low spot the draining markedly improved.

That other vent person was me. Since I installed an ABS gray water storage over my wheel well I don't really use this anymore unless I'm hooked up to sewage:\

Ineedtovent.jpg

Click to expand...

Here are some photos of the gray water storage I built:

A year later and still going strong. I have not used my portable container since.