Community Forums

RetiredFPD · 05-21-2013, 09:13 AM

SO.....we all know the if you use the right kind of cheap 2ply TP, keep good bacteria in the black tank, and dump it before it gets overly full you rarely encounter this situation, BUT, if you haven't done so already, get to a good hardware store and get a female to female garden hose adapter. Should your black tank ever get plugged at the tank, you can put your garden hose adapted sewer outlet cap (I'm assuming everyone has one of those?) on the sewer outlet, screw on the female to female, hook your garden hose to it and back pressure the tank to get wad of solids moved back into the tank to get it flowing again. It works well. If the wad is stubborn, use some "Crystal HEAT" drain clog remover and let it sit in the tank overnight before using the hose on it. That stuff is the best drain cleaner and solids eater I've ever seen. By-the-by Walmart brand 2 ply TP is much cheaper than "RV" toilet paper and , you know....works.

LMAO! Just beneath this bl

Tom N · 05-22-2013, 06:52 AM

Without a back flow preventer valve what you suggest could contaminate the drinking water supply.

TEFFY · 05-22-2013, 10:28 AM

I hope that anyone doing this would use a back flow protector.

puttin · 05-22-2013, 10:48 AM

A problem occurs when you're done filling the black tank and you have to dump. You've got the garden hose but how is all that stuff going to get out? If you remove the cap, you'll get junk all over you. I use a Flush King- it also comes with a ball valve that only allows water to go one way plus a back flow preventer.

flaggship1 · 05-22-2013, 11:08 AM

OP - unless I am mistaken or experiencing deja vu - you have this posted twice now - and back in October posted essentially the same problem and solution. Are you sure something isn't awry in your tank that is causing this to recur. I don't want to jinx myself, but this has never happened to me since 1991. In your other post in October you indicated a really good regimen of cleaning and dumping and that you are full time. It just doesn't make sense to me that this keeps happening to you. Or maybe I'm reading you wrong and it hasn't happened since last year and you're just passing the info along again (and again).

Not being flippant here - if it keeps happening you might try dumping - cleaning and scope it from both directions to see if something is more permanently hung up and causing the problem to repeat itself. It's not normal - especially if full time and dumping and cleaning on a routine basis. JMHO.

BFlinn181 · 05-22-2013, 11:41 AM

Rather than back flow through the dump valve, which I don't see "back pressure," you're just filling and draining the black tank. I believe a wand down the toilet (if it sits right on the black tank) gives a better 'jet' of water to blast loose a 'pyramid of doom.' If this is a re-accuring issue, it sounds like you're not adding enough water to the tank, either with each flush or starting with a few gallons added after dumping.

rvjimmy · 05-22-2013, 04:31 PM

I don't know if you are leaving your black tank valve open when at a full hook-up site or not. If you are leave it closed until the tank gets 1/2 full or more then open the valve and dump it, this allows the sh-I mean stuff inside to break down and flow out. If you leave it open the liquid drains out and the rest builds up in a pile. JMHO Jim

djbmsu · 05-22-2013, 07:27 PM

When we bought our second MH the black tank pluged almost every time. After much frustration and hours of draining and flushing I removed the toilet and put a mirror on a telescoping rod and used a flashlight to see what the problem was. When the manufacture built the coach and they drilled the hole in the floor for the toilet guess what dropped into the black tank ????
and they left it there for the customer to contend with.

Fl_Richard · 05-23-2013, 06:02 AM

Lets see....
60 PSI from the street VS gravity pressure in the tank....

Plus to send anything upstream through the city plumbing either the city water pressure must be less than the tank pressure. IE water outage.. pretty rare

RetiredFPD · 05-23-2013, 05:51 PM

firm just a reminder for those who didn't catch it. I had to help my bud out so it reminded me to remind others

BFlinn181 · 05-23-2013, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fl_Richard

Lets see....
60 PSI from the street VS gravity pressure in the tank....

Plus to send anything upstream through the city plumbing either the city water pressure must be less than the tank pressure. IE water outage.. pretty rare

BUT, when you shut the water off to then drain the tank, for a bit you've got the pressure of a full tank of poo pushing back down the hose. In addition, how do you remove the 'garden hose adapted sewer outlet cap' to attach the stinky slinky??

The pipe from the shut off valve to the cap would be full and be spilled when cap is exchanged for slinky.

I have built in flush valves at either end of my black tank AND a wand to rinse from down the toilet if need be. Each is equipped with a backflow preventer just for safety's sake. I just don't want to mess with a 'garden hose adapted sewer outlet cap' because I see many issues.

Fl_Richard · 05-24-2013, 06:36 AM

I agree -it's a stinky situation

Personally I wouldn't do it but the fear of poo back-flowing into the community water supply is a little exaggerated. That was my only point.

JohnBoyToo · 05-24-2013, 11:21 PM

I don't think you can over exaggerate ANYTHING related to keeping the black stuff away from fresh water -
yes it probably won't backflush,
but would you want YOUR fresh water hooked up to the same faucet the camper before had connected his 'clean out' hose to?

at least anything used in the above scenario should never be used for anything BUT sewer stuff..... hoses are too cheap to mix and match !

I have a black coiled hose that I only use for the flush connection...I have two separate potable water hoses that I ONLY use for water hookup...

They are never in the same storage tub - always with tops snapped shut ...

Only once overseas I had a fight with unsanitary conditions and I NEVER want to feel like that again...

I treat the black and fresh water as fire and dynamite to never get close to one another

Fl_Richard · 05-29-2013, 03:09 PM

I totally agree with you JohnBoy.

Thats the problem with camp sites, you never know what the previous tenant did while there.

I thoroughly sanitize the potable water hookup before I connect, then I give it a good two second blast just to make sure I have the best water available. Then it's through my white hose and pressure regulator, then into a system carbon filter then on to the RO before my lips touch it.