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Old 03-27-2014, 08:00 PM   #1
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The Sewer Solution Idiot

Hello Everyone

We are two months into our new Dutchstar and are loving it. There is one thing that is a constant bother for me. I have "The Sewer Solution". I was told by a friend who has had three MH's, that "The Sewer Solution" was the best way to empty the tanks.

I must be extremely stupid here as I find using it to empty the black tank is taking me 2 hours plus to do. Please, I am hoping for suggestions on what I am doing wrong or perhaps a better way.

Here's my issue. So after I empty the tank with the sewer solution system, I then connect a seperate water hose to the "Rinse" inlet on the Black tank. I then turn on the water and fill the black tank 1/3, then empty via the sewer solution. It took me about 20 to 25 times to do this. In other words, that's how many times I had to fill the black tank 1/3 and empty, until the tank was relatively clean. There was like an endless supply of waste that contined to flow out after each rinse. Now I know others who use this system cannot be spending this kind of time to empty and rinse their black tank. Obvisiously, I could empty my black tank and skip the rinsing. However, I'd like to have a clean black tank after each empty.

I appreciate any suggestions here...

Thank you
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Old 03-27-2014, 08:25 PM   #2
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You are defeating the purpose of the black tank. It needs bacteria to break down the waste, leaving some in helps start the process on the next load. Just dump it once then get on with your day. Cleanliness is not next to godliness here.
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Old 03-27-2014, 08:28 PM   #3
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When you use the black tank flush system, never close the tank drain valve. In your usage both the sewer solution and tank flusher hoses need to be hooked-up and on.

I am guessing the sewer solution back flushing won't work well due to the location of your black tank?

My tank flusher is clogged, so I turn the sewer solution handle and back flush into the tank, alternating the water direction until things are clean.

Normal time to empty the black tank , using sewer solution, is around 10 min, its a 40 gal tank.

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Old 03-27-2014, 08:31 PM   #4
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I just watched the video on YouTube anout the Sewer Solution, and they say in that video that it is slower then using he standard 3" sewer hose. You are additionally adding more water to the drain which slows down the process further. With the black tank emptying slowly you may not be getting the surge that carries everything out of the tank. This may be the reason you are not getting the tank as clean as you would like.
I use a standard 3" sewer line and generally one rinse after dumping the tank and it is clean.
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Old 03-27-2014, 09:12 PM   #5
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I watched that video a few times as well. I basically do the exact same thing that he does in the video. The only difference is I add the rinse and refill the tank after its empty and run the sewer solution system again. So after the system runs clear, one would think the black tank is clean. That is what it looks like on the video. But, at this point, I then close the black tank valve and fill the black tank 1/3 and release again through the sewer solution. At this point, you would think clear water would come out. Nope, 20 to 25 times later, clear water runs without waste. So what you see in the video, is deceptive. The black tank won't clean out that way. The waste sticks to the sides, I guess, and only after repeated rinses, can you remove all of it. Very strange.
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Old 03-27-2014, 09:33 PM   #6
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I have a Sewer Solution but I only use it to dump at home where I have to string the hose up through a basement window to a floor drain. It works fine for that purpose. I don't and wouldn't use it in a full hook up campsite or a dump station. Reason? It takes too long AND it 'slow drains' the black tank. I want the black tank to empty quickly to help drain all solids quickly in a fast moving stream. I don't want to tie up a dump station and feel my tank is cleaner with the 'whoosh' of the 3" hose when I pull the valve open.
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Old 03-28-2014, 03:24 AM   #7
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If your at a campground with a standard size drain at the site why cripple things with a sewer soulution when a 10 foot standard dump hose will do a better job cheaper and faster? At home in your driveway 50 to 100 feet from your soil pipe thats another matter but in a campground with a soil pump a few paces away why bother?
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Old 03-28-2014, 03:46 AM   #8
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Its an other money grabbing camping invention.
The plumbing standards have been developed years ago and size and slopes have worked well for years, why needing to change it. Yes the tank needs to have some sludge in it to break up the solids. Things like this are only creating problems.
If we used all the stuff that is on the RV supplies shelves we would need a trailer behind the RV to put it all in.
I have been using the KISS method for years and doing just fine.
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Old 03-28-2014, 03:51 AM   #9
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I have a portable maceration pump and use it at home if I need to. Other than that I have a standard 3" Rhino Flex and the tanks are empty in minutes. With regards to maintaining your black tank, I found this little gem right here on IRV2:

The Geo Method
By Charles Bruni
cbruni@mindspring.com
Renton, Washington
U.S.A.

Everyone who owns an RV should be concerned with maintaining its wastewater tanks. Problems with wastewater tanks can and should be avoided. Wastewater tank repair is expensive. Due to health concerns, many service facilities will not work on wastewater tanks and lines until the tanks have been completely emptied and sanitized. This may be quite difficult when the tank(s) is in need of repair. So, common sense dictates that the tanks should be kept relatively clean at all times. Additionally, improper use of the wastewater tanks can lead to a build up of solid wastes, which in itself may cause the system to fail.

I've discovered very simple, effective, and inexpensive methods of maintaining my wastewater tanks in a relatively clean condition at all times. I developed these methods myself through my understanding of chemistry, physics, and biology with a smidgen of common sense thrown in for good measure. I also read my RV owner's manual. Although we are not full time RVers we use our fifth wheel camper at least one weekend a month. We never use public bathing and toilet facilities. In other words, our wastewater tanks are fairly heavily used. Since I've met a number of RVers who don't seem to know how to maintain their wastewater tanks I thought many RVers would find my tips useful. If you have not been maintaining your tanks I believe you will be pleasantly surprised the first time you employ these tips. I do these things and they work.

RVs are equipped with waste water HOLDING tanks; NOT septic tanks. Those holding tanks are nothing more than chamber pots. Chamber pots should be cleaned and sanitized after their contents are disposed of. The Geo Method is based on this fact.


1. DUMP A FULL TANK

When you are camping and your RV is connected to a sewer/septic intake, leave the drain valves closed until the tank is full and ready to dump. Dumping a full tank provides a sufficient quantity of water to flush solids from the tank. Leaving the drain valves open allows the water to drain off without flushing out solid waste. That solid waste will collect in the tank(s) and cause problems over time. If your tanks are not full when you are ready to dump them, fill them with fresh water first, and then dump them.


2. DUMP TANKS IN ORDER FROM DIRTIEST TO CLEANEST

In other words, dump the black (commode) water tank first, then dump the galley tank, then dump the bathroom tank. This way you will be flushing out the dirtiest water with progressively cleaner water.


3. USE WATER SOFTENER, DETERGENT, and CHLORINE BLEACH

This stuff is amazing and it works. Buy a couple of boxes of powdered water softener at the grocery store. You'll find it located with or near the laundry detergent products. I prefer Calgon Water Softener because it dissolves quickly in water. Cheaper water softeners work just as well but dissolve more slowly. Dissolve two (2) cups of the water softener in a gallon of hot water. Then, pour the solution down the drain into the empty tank. Use two cups of softener for each wastewater tank in your RV. The tank's drain valve should be closed otherwise the softened water will just drain out. Then use the tank(s) normally until it is full and drain it normally. Add a cup of laundry detergent to the black (commode) water tank at the same time you add water softener. This will help clean the tank. The gray water tanks should already contain soap through normal use.

The water softener makes the solid waste let go from the sides of the tanks. If you've ever taken a shower in softened water you know that after rinsing the soap from your body your skin will feel slick. That's because all the soap rinses away with soft water. Softened water also prevents soap scum from sticking in the tub. Get the connection? With softened water gunk washes away instead of sticking. The same thing applies to your RV's wastewater tanks.

I use a clear plastic elbow connector to attach my sewer drain line to the wastewater outlet on my RV. It allows me to see how well things are progressing during a wastewater dump. Before I began using water softener regularly the black water tank's water was brown, the galley tank's water was brownish, and the bathroom tank's water was white. The first time I added water softener to the tanks the water coming from the black water tank was actually black (not brown) and the kitchen tank's water was also black (not brownish). The bathroom tank's water remained white. That told me that the water softener had actually done what I had intended for it to do and made solid waste, which had been stuck to the interior of the tanks, let go and drain away. I added water softener (and laundry detergent to the black tank) to all the wastewater tanks for the next few dumps to be certain all the solid waste possible had been cleaned away. The wastewater only appeared black on the initial treatment. I now add water softener and detergent to each tank once after every few dumps to maintain the system.

Too little water softener may not be of sufficient concentration to work effectively. Too much water softener will NOT hurt the tanks. So, if the amount you used didn't quite do the job, then use more the next time. Don't forget the laundry detergent.

Occasionally, I pour a half gallon of liquid bleach into each tank to deodorize, sanitize and disinfect them. I add the bleach when the tank is about half full, and then continue to use the tank normally until it is full and ready to dump. I no longer use the blue toilet chemical because it isn't necessary. I have no odors coming from my black water tank. The chlorine bleach kills the bacteria, which is primarily responsible for waste water tank odor. Generic brand liquid bleach is cheap and very effective.


4. USE A WATER FILTER ON YOUR FRESH WATER INTAKE LINE

Most fresh water contains sediment. Sediment will accumulate in your wastewater tanks and your fresh water lines. It also tends to discolor your sinks, tub/shower, and commode. I use the disposable type and have found that they eventually fill up and begin restricting the fresh water flow resulting in low pressure. That's how I know it's time to get a new filter. It works, it's cheap, it avoids problems, do it. When I fill my fresh water tank I attach the filter to the end of the hose and fill the tank with filtered water.


SOME OTHER THOUGHTS

WATER, WATER, WATER - and more water! The Geo Method assumes you are hooked up to a plentiful clean water supply, and that you have access to a sewer. The water softener will make the gunk let go. That's only half the battle. After the gunk lets go it must then be flushed through the relatively small drain opening in the bottom of the tank. That takes water. Lots of water.

Will The Geo Method work even if most of the time I'm NOT hooked up to water and sewer? YES! Just use common sense. If you dry camp ninety percent of the time just keep water softener and detergent in your tanks (especially the black tank) while you're dry camping. This will keep gunk from sticking to the tanks. When you are hooked up to sewer and water take the opportunity to fill the tanks with fresh water and flush the tanks. Keep flushing them until the water runs clear. I know it works because I've done it.

Never put regular toilet tissue in your RV's black tank. Only use toilet tissue which is approved for RV and/or septic tank use. Regular toilet tissue may eventually dissolve, but not before causing a clog in your black tank.

I believe occasionally traveling with partially filled wastewater tanks that contain softened water promotes cleaning by agitating the water. The same goes for chlorine bleach.

I believe this process works faster and more efficiently during warm weather. However, I know it works well even during cool/cold weather.

I believe the process works best the longer the water softener remains in the tanks. So, I don't add water softener during periods of heavy wastewater generation. I wait until I know we won't be generating wastewater quickly so that the softened water remains in the tanks for several days before dumping.

If you have an older RV you may have to use water softener and detergent several times initially to completely clean the tanks of residue.


I add a small amount of chlorine bleach to the fresh water tank twice a year to disinfect and sanitize the fresh water tank and fresh water lines. A weak chlorine bleach solution will not hurt you. However, it certainly makes the water taste bad. When we have chlorine in the fresh water system we use bottled water for drinking and cooking until the chlorine is gone. YES, we drink the filtered water that we have in the fresh water tank. NO, it has never tasted funny or caused any problems.

No, I do NOT do the ice cube thing. The Geo Method works just fine without ice cubes.

My tanks are plastic and my pipes are PVC.

Don't be afraid to use your tanks. Just use common sense about their care and maintenance.

These tips are inexpensive to do. Some of them don't cost anything. You have nothing to lose in trying them and I encourage you to do so. I actually feel a certain amount of pride in the condition and cleanliness of both my waste and fresh water systems. Naturally, these tips make dumping a much more pleasant and sanitary procedure.

If you have odors in any of your water systems these procedures should eliminate them. Odors indicate a sanitary problem and degrade the enjoyment you derive from your RV.

When my RV is parked and not in use I place stoppers in the sink and tub drains. This forces the wastewater tanks to vent through the vent pipes to the outside instead of through the drains into the RV. Water evaporates. Once the drain traps dry out during periods of non-use, nothing is there to prevent gasses (odor) from venting into the camper. Use stoppers when your RV is stored.

copyright(c) 2004 Charles Bruni
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Old 03-28-2014, 06:42 AM   #10
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Jeffrys, I think you saying it takes you 2 hours to rinse the black tank 20 to 30 times to get it clean rather than saying it takes 2 hours for the Sewer Solution to empty the black tank. If it's taking 2 hours to empty the tank, you are definitely doing something wrong.

If you're rinsing 20 to 30 times, you're overdoing it. Either that, or you're not using enough water when you flush. Using plenty of water means you might have to dump a little more often, but it helps insure most of the solids will flow out when you open the dump valve. The Sewer Solution empties the tank a little more slowly that a 3" stinky slinky, but it still should be fast enough to keep things clean with one or 2 rinses.

Don't worry about leaving a little behind, especially if it's mostly paper, because driving the RV sloshes things around well enough to break up debris so it will flow out on the next dump.

I have been using a Sewer Solution since they first came on the market in 2000, and I have never had a backup problem in our black tank. We use plenty of water when we flush, and I usually rinse only once or twice.
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Old 03-28-2014, 06:57 AM   #11
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I have often wondered what the "Sewer Solution" was a "solution" to?

My think is that pumping through a 1" hose is NOT a solution to gravity dumping through a 3" hose!

And, dumping uphill is a problem I haven't encountered in my 40 years of RVing.
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Old 03-28-2014, 07:19 AM   #12
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I used a sewer solution for over 10-11 years at my winter spot. I have to pump 30' away and uphill there. Then I changed to a maceration pump that is twice as fast.

But when traveling all summer I never use either one. The 3" hose is a lot faster and empty's the black tank with a whoooosh. No more rinse flushes needed at each dump if plenty of water was used to start with.

If you do all the extra rinse's to get the tank cleaner. That is not needed and a waste of water, as nobody cares how clean it is.
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Old 03-28-2014, 08:19 AM   #13
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My personal opinion is the Sewer Solution is the WORST way to empty tanks and I will explain why twice:

First: It is a water powered jet pump. These are good, simple devices, work well but... They consume fresh water and lots of it to do a job that can be done by other means.. Why waste all that fresh water?

Second: Camp ground where I am parked is complaining about the water bills... Why add to the water bills?


Method 2: Macerator

This uses a few watts of electricity, generally from your house batteries, to do much the same job.. and do it better (They can pump farther and higher) Thus cutting down the fresh water use to what you use to flush and rinse.. I have a Flo-Jet portable which I use when conditions require it. Very nice, does pump up hill, it pumps up to, in my case, 75 feet (All the hose I have) but spec sheet says 100 or more (I am sure of at least 100) Pumps into a standard 3/4 Inch Black Rubber garden hose (Black hose, black water, Mine is 50 feet Gray hose is 25 and I will chain them if I must).

I made my own adapter to go into the sewer port at the park,,, MOre if you need it.

3" "Stinly Slinky" This is the fastest way to dump. also the fastest way to make a big mess but more on that shortly. Uses Gravity to do the job, Nice, Free Gravity (Gravity is a myth, the Earth Sucks, Joke in some of the places I hang electrons). The problem here is that stinky hose.. Actually it rinses easiely as well. But so many of them develop pin hole leaks.. In my 9 years on the road I've gone through two RinoFlex (one of the best) and am now trying a Tethford Smart Hose.. (more on that in a paragraph or two).. I have several of these.

15' Tethford Smart hose I got last December I think (or Jan) this hose is too new for me to give it a top recommendation but read the last chapter of this post.

10' Heavy Duty Extension type hose from Camping world, This is read or orange (Slightly color blind) and seems like a good one
10' hose that came with the RV, strangly this is the oldest hose I have, I do not often use it though
20' Camco easy store (Hose comes in a storage tube) My second one here too. I do not often use it though.

The Smart hose.. Seems to be fairly crush resistant (Springs back nicely) uses CAM LOCK fittings between the hose and the end fittings instead of the more common screw on or clamp on ones, The screw on ones (RinoFlex before they developed the lock system) had a tendency to come off when you least wanted them to dumping you know what all over (I did say the 3" was the fastest way to make a mel of a hess). and they may break mid-hose requirng you splice (Easy with Rino).

The clamp on ends are hard to get into the hose.

The Tethford cam-lock ends.. First time I put the ends on the hose it was a major pain, I had to really push the hose into the ends to get them to lock in, In fact on one end I had to use pliars to carefully grip the two parts (hose and end) inorder to get a lock...

Once that was done the next time it was easier, Much easier.

The motor home end is nice too,, A much more positive attachment than the other systems I have.

So far I am impressed by this hose.. But how long it lasts will be the final item before I give it top billing.

Drain Master: Lifetime guarantee.. But Pricy..
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Old 03-28-2014, 09:18 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DGShaffer View Post
I found this little gem right here on IRV2:

The Geo Method
The Geo Method is a folk fallacy. It costs more, takes more mixing and pouring, and doesn't work any better than Happy Camper Holding Tank Treatment. The bleach component of the Geo Method is actually counterproductive to maintaining a healthy black tank. Why "clean and sanitize" something that you immediately foul with the next use?

I use the Sewer Solution if there is a water source available, the dump inlet may be a little uphill, and there is time to do so without making anyone wait too long. Otherwise, the PolyChute works great for other situations.
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