Tank Dump

[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by egwilly

I'd be upset if I found paper towels in any of my tanks.



Time for a family pow-wow.

You don’t know what people do when in shop.

[egwilly]

Originally Posted by jeffz

thanks everyone. i filled gray and black tanks with fresh water and exercised the valves. the black tank valve worked fine and felt solid and shut off the flow so i feel pretty good it isnt that one. the gray tank valve felt less "solid" when i closed it but it did stop the flow. i then used a pressure washer to backflush the system. it all seems ok and maybe something was preventing it from closing. with that said the gray tank valve handle feels less solid so i'm still concerned. now the problem is taking off the sheet of insulation to take a look. it covers the whole underside and its riveted on so thats going to be a pain. great idea about the valve at the end of the drain, $22 at amazon so that will be piece of mind until i get a better plan. thanks again everyone, i appreciate the guidance

If you know the approximate location of the valves, just cut the coroplast sheet on three sides, with the hinge facing forward to access them. Then seal it back up with Gorilla tape. I've done this on both my trailers.

[Super Thirty]

I had my black tank valve leak twice while we were on our Alaska trip. Purchased this and the Valterra valve while in Whitehorse and now I flush the valves at the dump stations where and when I can. The twist on Valterra valve gives me a back up if there is another problem but haven’t since I started flushing the valves regularly. I think small pieces of toilet paper and waste get caught in the slide and the gate can’t close properly. I use drain valve lube every so often to keep the valves operating freely and no more problems. Touch wood.

[Super Thirty]

Forgot to attach the picture.

[Highway 4x4]

The only time my valves are open is when I am dumping. I do not leave them open when hooked up. Every time I dump, I flush. I have had no issues.

[mjoconnell77]

Great advice! For those that don't know, or haven't read the owner's manual, you should never leave black water valve open while hooked up to your RV site dump. That encourages toilet paper to build up in the system. You need to let the black water tank fill-up and have the appropriate treatment in it to dissolve the poop and toilet paper so that they flush when you empty the tank. Otherwise you risk toilet paper and poop mounding up in the bottom of the tank and causing problems.

Originally Posted by Highway 4x4

The only time my valves are open is when I am dumping. I do not leave them open when hooked up. Every time I dump, I flush. I have had no issues.

[Cornbinder]

As to the valves not feeling "solid", try this trick before you cut into the coroplast looking for the valves. When closing them, push the handle shut, then with just the palm of your hand, hold pressure on the handle, about 5 pounds worth. Mine seem to be closed, but doing this always get the handle to move about 1/4 inch more as the knife seats itself in the valve. No leaks downstream this way.

As for the external valve, it is a must have! If anything bad is going to happen, it is always the slinky's fault! Having that valve at the weakest link is a very good thing!

[ALLOY]

A valve (glued one on) at the end will allow grey water to transfer into the black tank but don't put black into grey unless the grey tank is plumbed with 3" ABS.

Adding a clear Valterra T1020-1CLR cap to the valve will show if there is a leak/open valve.

[Northcal]

Originally Posted by jeffz

this cant be rocket science but... whenever i pull the cap off the gray/black drain pipe to hook up the stinky slinky, waste comes pouring out. the blade valves are closed so i assume something busted. or am i missing something?
man its gross.

Hey jeffz,

Just saw your post so i hope you have it fixed. I had an issue similar to yours. Mine was the gray water barely draining and when I pulled the plastic cap lots of gray water coming out so the valve wasn't sealing. I got a plastic cap with the 3/4 male hose thread and got a 3/4 female hose x female hose adapter. Attached my garden hose and back flushed leaving the black water valve closed. Problem fixed, gray water now pours out when valve is open and totally sealed when closed. I think the plug or something was obstructing the valve.

[jfriedhoff]

Experienced same thing once....fix was easy ....just ensure black valve ROD is seated correctly...found that pushing black rod "straight in" needed a bit of help to get past a slight hang-up... moved rod sideways about 1/8" to get past hangup and continued pushing in black rod fully in (about 2-3 in) until seated. Problem solved.