Community Forums

Big B · 05-24-2015, 12:51 PM

Rookie, which I still am, move. I let the black tank fill up to 97% before dumping. When I opened the valve raw sewage flowed onto the ground in into the undercarriage insulation. Yuk. I ran hose to wash down of course and then ran the black tank flush thinking the See Level sensor might be fouled. Then I filled up the tank again with fresh water to see if the valve or piping was broken/bad, not a drip when I opened it again.

What I don't understand is how it could run over the first time. Can someone explain this?

Tuesday I'll be getting all new undercarriage insulation installed.
****** & expensive, pun intended, lesson learned. I'll be dumping it at 75-80% from now on, unless someone has a better recommendation.

Czar Of Poop · 05-24-2015, 01:56 PM

Brian,
Take a good look at the piping while you have the undercarriage down because something may have pulled loose or broken. Try to recreate the action with the belly down with clean water and dump.

mikensallyt · 05-24-2015, 02:01 PM

OMG! Feeling your pain. Mine is at 2/3rd's full and I know I need to dump it. Sure hope I do it correctly (first time). Wish me luck.

jesilvas · 05-24-2015, 02:02 PM

So the sewage only leaked out into the underbelly when you opened the valve?

rockintom · 05-24-2015, 02:14 PM

Big B, filling the black tank to 97% isn't your problem. I don't know exactly what the problem is at this point, but I'd pull the inspection plate and take a look. While I personally am not a advocate of filling any tank to the brim, the sensors are installed with usually allowance for some room left after it's reached 100%. I've gotten safely about 4 good flushes after our level said 100%. After you've done this gig a few years you'll get real good at the "sound" when the black tank gets near full. I've never got there on my current rig. Also when the internal vent outlet gets covered with black water the toilets "burps" when flushed. Another great way of telling you better dump now! Unfortunately, I don't think you finding are gonna make you smile, but I can say that I doubt your tank getting to 97% is the problem. By chance, the last time you flushed the black tank with the valve close to fill and then forget and then overfilled the tank? If so, you may have broke the top seam of the tank or the like. Don't mean to be negative....just a realist. If you look in the electrical utility area and look at the ABS pipe coming in the black tank (3" sewer and 1 1/2" vent) and they are dry....then you may have a tank issue near the top seam. Just sayin' rockin'

the_vfox · 05-24-2015, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockintom

Big B, filling the black tank to 97% isn't your problem. I don't know exactly what the problem is at this point, but I'd pull the inspection plate and take a look. While I personally am not a advocate of filling any tank to the brim, the sensors are installed with usually allowance for some room left after it's reached 100%. I've gotten safely about 4 good flushes after our level said 100%. After you've done this gig a few years you'll get real good at the "sound" when the black tank gets near full. I've never got there on my current rig. Also when the internal vent outlet gets covered with black water the toilets "burps" when flushed. Another great way of telling you better dump now! Unfortunately, I don't think you finding are gonna make you smile, but I can say that I doubt your tank getting to 97% is the problem. By chance, the last time you flushed the black tank with the valve close to fill and then forget and then overfilled the tank? If so, you may have broke the top seam of the tank or the like. Don't mean to be negative....just a realist. If you look in the electrical utility area and look at the ABS pipe coming in the black tank (3" sewer and 1 1/2" vent) and they are dry....then you may have a tank issue near the top seam. Just sayin' rockin'

X2, if your system was hooked up correctly, the only place the black water should gone was in the dump. I would strongly suggest you follow this idea to the end.

Big B · 05-25-2015, 05:25 AM

Thanks Rockin. This is the first week in this rig and 1st fill up on sewer. I suppose there could have been something on the sensor causing it to misread and overflowing the tank. I've pulled the inspection plate to dry things out. I filled the tank to about 50% with fresh water and dumped it, no problems. When it's in the dealers they and I will be looking closely at everything.

jesilvas · 05-25-2015, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big B

Thanks Rockin. This is the first week in this rig and 1st fill up on sewer. I suppose there could have been something on the sensor causing it to misread and overflowing the tank. I've pulled the inspection plate to dry things out. I filled the tank to about 50% with fresh water and dumped it, no problems. When it's in the dealers they and I will be looking closely at everything.

Maybe you don't know, but if the tank "overflows" it will overflow from the roof vent, NOT the tank unless there is a problem. So this isn't just a simple overflow.

rockintom · 05-25-2015, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesilvas

Maybe you don't know, but if the tank "overflows" it will overflow from the roof vent, NOT the tank unless there is a problem. So this isn't just a simple overflow.

Amen, except I haven't seen a vent pipe overflow without help from the flusher being left on. If you're just using the toilet, the toilet would not drain (or overflow) if the tank was completely full. To me it would make sense that the toilet would be first and the vent would be later just due to the height (vents on the roof). rockin'

Many folks know what I'm talking about the help from the flusher. Depending on many variables (inlet water volume/pressure, age of tank, etc.) you can split/crack a black tank in a hurry with forgetting to open the black gate when flushing and overfilling it.

An expensive "oh s*** moment, even if you do the job yourself. rockin'

HoneyBadger · 05-25-2015, 11:12 AM

OP, even if you overfilled the tank; if you had sewage ANYWHERE but coming up in the toilet (or out the roof vent in the case of back-flushing) something is cracked or broken. It might be where the valves are, might be the tank, might be the plumbing connection of toilet to tank.

rockintom · 05-25-2015, 11:18 AM

Honey, you say the same thing I did, only in about a 1/4 of the words. I tend to have a lot of "verbal spewage" which is a great word to use in the thread!!! HA!!! Git R Dun! rockin'

copilot · 05-26-2015, 07:28 AM

Is that spewage or sewage? :-)

rockintom · 05-26-2015, 07:59 AM

Oh come on Co......spewage is sewage!

Big B · 05-26-2015, 10:19 PM

The pic i saw today is that the tank is cracked about half way up or down. Doesnt make sense to me how it would hold dry up to 97% then when i open it runs onto the ground. One thing i recall is we were smelling sewer gas from time to time. Hum
When i asked the lead man also shop supervisor how it could this happen his reply was "I dont know". This on top of not getting my slides right 3 times. This morning when I spwent to pull the kitchen slide in it hung/stopped. When I checked O foind the middle ram?? had seperated from the fiberglass and the screws were quite rusted Time to move on and find competent people