Community Forums

scottandanna · 01-13-2016, 10:58 AM

Came across someone else's thread where they reported that a black tank issue erupted from their toilet AND sink.

Are they typically both going into the black tank?

Just need to know, so I can keep a better eye on my sensor levels while out and about.

tim myers · 01-13-2016, 11:12 AM

I think it depends on your coach. My old Winnie was set up that the toilet and Lavatory both drained to the black tank and the kitchen sink and shower drained to the Grey tank.

I think in my Storm the Lav, Kit Sink and Shower drain to the grey tank and the toilet drains to the black tank, but I am still figuring it out.

Dennis4809 · 01-13-2016, 11:13 AM

Our bath sink drains into the black tank. Shower and kitchen sink go to the gray.

I think the logic is that gray tank typically fill first and also to ensure that the black tank has sufficient water to drain properly.

If you're draining the tanks, drain both until empty then shut the valves. Run water into the sink for a few minutes then go pull the drain valves one at a time. Most likely the back will have water to drain.

dnystrom · 01-13-2016, 11:13 AM

Never heard of it. Only the toilet goes in to the black tank and the sinks/shower are to the grey tank on mosty all trailers and coaches. Unless someone got the plumbing wrong at the manufacturer. Could happen though...

Old-Biscuit · 01-13-2016, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnystrom

Never heard of it. Only the toilet goes in to the black tank and the sinks/shower are to the grey tank on mosty all trailers and coaches. Unless someone got the plumbing wrong at the manufacturer. Could happen though...

Not as uncommon as you think

Plumbing bathroom sink and even shower drain to black tank happens by design.

Lay out of trailer...waste tanks......plumbing restrictions
And the idea that more water to black tank is a good thing

Trailer mfgs (unlike many MH mfgs) rarely have actual schematics so one has to learn by default.
With empty waste tanks........run bathroom sink and then ID which tank it drain to by opening drain valve one at a time.
(Repeat with shower--sometimes shower and bathroom sink use same drain line, sometimes they have individual drain lines)

It wasn't that many years ago RVs only had 1 waste tank.
Looks like we are slowly going back to that

Which is fine by me. I have an 'extra' dump valve on main common header and can tie ALL three waste tanks together (Black/grey/galley) in any combination. Greatly increases capacity. Plus I can move the grey/galley over to black after dumping and give black a big soapy rinse/flush

scottandanna · 01-13-2016, 01:05 PM

I guess I can check it next time I am out there. Just open gray line and turn on sink. I am pretty sure the shower is hooked to gray, because it fills up fast after two or three showers.

wa8yxm · 01-13-2016, 01:42 PM

Sadly the answer to your question is "YES" it goes to either the black or Gray tank depending on who plumbed your RV.

It **SHOULD** go to either Gray or Wash (if you have 3 tanks)

Description of the 3 tanks:

Black: Well you know what goes into the Black tank. So I won't describe it.

WASH,, Bathroom sinks, Shower, Laundry but NOT THE KITCHEN SINK (food particles)

Gray, Kitchen sink and optionally Bathroom Sinks and shower

If you have a washing machine, it can also go into either Gray or Wash

Why the 3 classes.

In no place can you legally dump Black on the ground, MUST go into a proper sewer system (NOTE: If you have like 100 acres of farm and dump in the back 40,,,, Likely will have no problems but it is still illegal)

Gray,, Some places allow it do just be dumped.. Some have special "Gray dumps" Some require it go into a proper sewer.

Wash. EVEN more places allow it to be dumped on the ground... Or in the special GRAY dumps.. But again some places require it to be put in a sewer.

So that's why 3 tanks,, Where you can dump depends on the tank.

vsheetz · 01-13-2016, 01:55 PM

Our first coach, a Safari Trek, had the bath sink plumbed to the black tank. Our subsequent PA and Phaeton do not.

Podivin · 01-13-2016, 02:19 PM

If your toilet is directly above the black tank, so that when you flush you can see down into the tank, you could easily test this by turning off your fresh water pump, hold down the flush pedal on the toilet so that you can see into the tank, then pour water into the bathroom sink (naturally you'll need to pour this from a bottle or something, since the pump is turned off). If you can see the water moving in the tank then the sink drains into the black tank.

nothermark · 01-13-2016, 02:23 PM

Current unit has sink and toilet into the black tank. Handy that if the black tank gets full the sink gurgles before the toilet over flows.

It is very easy to make an argument that the shower, toilet and bathroom sink should go to the same tank due to fecal contamination. At least the bathroom sink and toilet should go to the black tank for that reason.

The low flush toilets do not use enough water to effectively keep things as liquid as we would like so the need added water either as part of the load or as tank flush afterwards. Folks get so hung up on maximizing use that they ignore the down side. That does not make it go away.

mikeebraun · 01-13-2016, 02:27 PM

Sink/shower water goes into gray water tank.

Old-Biscuit · 01-13-2016, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeebraun

Sink/shower water goes into gray water tank.

For your RV.....and same for mine

But that doesn't mean same for OPs RV

1 small black tank no grey
1 large tank for black/grey
2 waste tanks--black & grey
3 waste tanks---black, grey, galley
1 fresh water tank
2 fresh water tanks

Seen them ALL