Community Forums

ken90004 · 08-05-2013, 06:44 AM

Holding tanks are new to me, and they sound pretty straight forward, except somehow I got them mixed up.

I hooked up the sewer this weekend, for the first time. I left the black handle shut off (on the right), and the gray handle open. By the end of the second day the shower was clogged. We flush the toliet and the shower would bubble.

I went outside and wiggled the sewer connect. Made sure the slinker was holding the hose in a downhill slant. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't draining.

The next morning, I closed the gray and opened the black. I remember then that the dealer gave me a big clamp to put on the hose and the connector. No idea where it went, but it wasn't on now, and the hose popped right off.

I shut the black off quickly expecting to be covered in flith, but I wasn't. I hooked the hose back up, and held it, and opened the black again. It drained in a rush for several minutes. I know there wasn't that much in the black holding. Checked inside and sure enough, the shower was drained

So, of some reason, the black handle seems to be the shut off for the gray water tank, and the gray for the black.

Does this make any sense to anyone? I do something wrong?

PushedAround · 08-05-2013, 07:00 AM

Usually the Black water tank has a 3" or so drain pipe and the Gray water about 1/2 that size. The Black water tank is strictly for the toilet, while the Gray water comes from the sinks and shower. Check that out.

Tony Lee · 08-05-2013, 12:57 PM

Sometimes one of the grey water sources is plumbed into the black tank in an effort to have them both fill up at the same time. In your case it sounds as if the shower is plumbed into the black tank and all the rest into the grey tank.

Easy to check

Empty both tanks and leave the black valve open and turn on taps in the kitchen, hand basin and shower in turn plus flush the toilet and see which ones causes flow. Repeat with the grey tank valve

vsheetz · 08-05-2013, 01:18 PM

I have never experinced shower draing to black tank. My previis coach did drain the bath lav to the black tank.

bruceisla · 08-05-2013, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken90004

Holding tanks are new to me, and they sound pretty straight forward, except somehow I got them mixed up.

I hooked up the sewer this weekend, for the first time. I left the black handle shut off (on the right), and the gray handle open. By the end of the second day the shower was clogged. We flush the toliet and the shower would bubble.

I went outside and wiggled the sewer connect. Made sure the slinker was holding the hose in a downhill slant. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't draining.

The next morning, I closed the gray and opened the black. I remember then that the dealer gave me a big clamp to put on the hose and the connector. No idea where it went, but it wasn't on now, and the hose popped right off.

I shut the black off quickly expecting to be covered in flith, but I wasn't. I hooked the hose back up, and held it, and opened the black again. It drained in a rush for several minutes. I know there wasn't that much in the black holding. Checked inside and sure enough, the shower was drained

So, of some reason, the black handle seems to be the shut off for the gray water tank, and the gray for the black.

Does this make any sense to anyone? I do something wrong?

I am assuming from this:

"So, of some reason, the black handle seems to be the shut off for the gray water tank, and the gray for the black."

That you are referencing the tank drain valves by looking at the handles ... they may, or may not, be the color you are expecting. Sometimes both handles are silver. The blackwater valve will be the larger (usually 3" valve) and the smaller (usually 1 1/2") will be greywater. These are the valve sizes ... not handle sizes. You can paint the handles any color you like or put tags on them.

Daryl_A · 08-05-2013, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceisla

I am assuming from this:

"So, of some reason, the black handle seems to be the shut off for the gray water tank, and the gray for the black."

That you are referencing the tank drain valves by looking at the handles ... they may, or may not, be the color you are expecting. Sometimes both handles are silver. The blackwater valve will be the larger (usually 3" valve) and the smaller (usually 1 1/2") will be greywater. These are the valve sizes ... not handle sizes. You can paint the handles any color you like or put tags on them.

^^^Thinking the same thing. My "black" tank valve handle is grey in color and my "grey" tank valve handle is black in color. Just remember, the "bigger" pipe is your black tank, regardless of the handle color.

gundog · 08-06-2013, 03:12 PM

Fill your shower until it is full then go outside and pull the black water handle. If your shower drains your tags (gray/black) are reversed. That's what my issue was.

jesilvas · 08-06-2013, 08:14 PM

There are metal handles and plastic handles you can buy. One is black, one is gray, so don't count on that.
Black can only be 3" drain.
However, gray can be 3", 2", or 1 1/2" drain.

Tony Lee · 08-07-2013, 04:57 AM

Many Rvs have all the pipework and the valves completely hidden so there may be no chance to uses pipe sizes as an indication.

I agree that it would be rare to have the shower plumbed into the black tank, and the problem could be that both tanks share a common roof vent and the vent is blocked above the junction, but what else would explain the shower bubbling up when the toilet was flushed.

ImagineIF · 08-07-2013, 05:10 AM

Yep, you misidentified the valves. The water disruption in the shower when flushing the toilet hopfully came from the shared vent pipe suction. I can't imagine any builder putting anything in the black tank except the toilet.

FamFun4 u · 08-07-2013, 08:28 AM

On my TT my handles are the same color. All black tanks have the shortest pipe to where you hook up your sewer line. I went outside to where I drain and thought how the bathroom was arranged. My toilet was to the left and the shower to my right. That meant my black valve to the left my grey to the right. Turned on the vanity and let it run for about 3 minutes. Went out side and pulled the right valve handle and sure enough water flowed. I closed it and opened the left. Nothing flowed. That told me my left handle black. Right handle grey. I wrapped the black tank handle with some black electrical tap near the handle so that I would have a reminder. Hope this helps

Smithers · 08-07-2013, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImagineIF

Yep, you misidentified the valves. The water disruption in the shower when flushing the toilet hopfully came from the shared vent pipe suction. I can't imagine any builder putting anything in the black tank except the toilet.

My bathroom sink drains into the black tank.

ken90004 · 08-08-2013, 06:35 AM

Sounds odd. I believe my shower in draining into the black. I noticed the larger pipe and thought that the solids would have to use it.

That means i either need to leave the black open or expect it to be full after three or four showers.

clyon51 · 08-08-2013, 06:52 AM

That would be stupid to plumb the shower to the black tank because of all the water used in a shower. Unless the mfgr used a 60gal black and a 20gal grey

I did have a '92 Four Winds that the bath sink went to the black tank, which really isn't that unusual. I don't if it's done for tank balancing or plumbing convienience.