Draining Tanks

[Yonderin']

Well, it finally happened! Four years to the month after purchasing my (then new) N.H. 5W, I was draining the black water tank today, and had the flushing hose connected and running, while I watched the indicators (0 - 1/4 - 1/2 - 3/4 - FULL) from inside the rig. The indicator seemed to be staying quite a while at 1/2, when all of a sudden, I heard this splashing sound outside. Running out, I found 'material' running down off the roof!
Shut off the water, hit the drain button, and stand back!
Rinsed everything off, including the roof, so all is well, I guess, but what an embarrassing event!

So friends, watch it!

[Yonderin']

I see that I wasn't too clear on how this happened. I'm going to be boondocking the next couple weeks (Grand Canyon, N Rim - so you know what area to avoid ;-) My black water tank was about 1/4 full, so I decided to add water via the flushing 'port' so I could get a high-volume flush once the water level was higher. I hooked up a garden hose to the flushing port and started adding water, at which point I went inside to monitor the water level indicator, planning to open the dump valve when the water level reached 3/4 full. Then it started raining....well,...you know.

[Wandrin]

Must have been some photo op as you donned your hazmat suit with mask and started to rinse the "hazardous" material from your rig.

[thomasmarik]

Hey, when I did that it was on the second rinse, so my neighbor thought it was just a garden hose on the roof.

Aren't we glad that the wax ring held?????!!!!!!!

[Yonderin']

You mean I'm really NOT the first?
What a relief - still, it was mortifying.

[mwilliams]

Thanks for reporting your incident. I think some of these little "events" could happen to any of us. I have some assumptions about how the flush system works but my assumptions could be entirely wrong. I assume that when water is connected to the flush inlet that it sprays water in the black water holding tank loosening material as it enters. If this is true it would not be a great benefit to completely fill the tank because the spraying action wouldn't get to the material. If there is no spraying action then water the function of the action would be to simply give more liquid material to rush out when the dump valve is pulled. Sorry that you had this embarrassing event. At least that is one that you likely will not repeat.

[thomasmarik]

I consider myself blessed if I can make a low or no cost mistake and learn from it.

[Loren B.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomasmarik I consider myself blessed if I can make a low or no cost mistake and learn from it.

I consider myself blessed if someone else can make a low or no cost mistake and I can learn from in by reading about it in an on-line forum. Thanks for posting.

-- Loren