Community Forums

galangmaid · 10-13-2010, 07:57 PM

Thanks Elkhartjim.......I understand now.

RickO · 10-13-2010, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galangmaid

Well, we full time so our tanks are alway in use. But, yes, I NEVER want to leave my black tank empty. After flushing it, I will add fresh water and Dawn.... probably closer to 10 gallons than 5... and I do this by closing the black tank valve and leaving the san t flush running. This works for us because we have a 57 gallon black tank and we never really dry camp.

Rick
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Rick,
How does the san t flush work in filling the black tank if you have the black tank valve close???

Yeah, what Jim said...

.... the spray goes directly into the black tank instead of being sprayed into the drain opening. You can use it with the black tank valve open and it will provide some degree of rinsing... but I've found that after only a few minutes of that I will close the valve... add dawn and sometimes a bit of bleach... and let the tank fill to near full (a big reason I want to add an accurate See Level gauge in the outdoor plumbing bay) then flush again before closing the valve... adding dawn.... and letting around 10 gallons of fresh water flow into the black tank. I'll also sometimes flush on a travel day and do the ice cube, dawn, bleach thing with about a half tank of water.

Rick

Elkhartjim · 10-14-2010, 03:14 AM

Be careful Rick with the bleach. Those rubber seals in the valves are kind of sensitive and thats the last place you want a "drip".

frederick w · 10-14-2010, 06:18 AM

Hi
When I winterize my MH, do I add some water in the black and gray tank?
I already flushed them at the camp site dumping station.
Fred from Pasco, WA. Thanks

RickO · 10-14-2010, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkhartjim

Be careful Rick with the bleach. Those rubber seals in the valves are kind of sensitive and thats the last place you want a "drip".

Thanks Jim... I understand. I'm carefull to ensure I've already got a good deal of water in the tank prior to adding the bleach.

Seajay · 10-17-2010, 12:41 PM

THIS IS A TEN CENT SUGGESTION..... (this means you have to give me ten cents if you use it and you must pay me the next time you see me.

I have been camping for more years than I like to count and here is a ''trick'' we use to help keep the black water tank cleaned out.
After dumping and rinsing out the black water tank with what ever method you have for same we find it is a good idea to put in five gallons of clean water and then go buy a couple of large bags of crushed ice. We dump the crushed ice down the toilet and hit the road. (preferably a curvy road) and let gravity and the sloshing action of the water and the ice ''scrub out the walls of the black tank''. To my knowledge this does not hurt the censors that dont work anyway and it will really clean the tank and keep it from becoming ''stinkie''. After a couple hours Willa will dump in half a cup of Dawn dish washing stuff to finish the job. Then when you go ''poop'' you will be using a nice clean, good smellin' gray tank and you will say ''Thanks Seajay the sailor man for your wonderful idea'' and you will remember that you owe me ten cents and you must pay me the next time you see me...........

If this dont work for you.... I NEVER KNEW YOU.......

EVERY FREEDOM WE HAVE WAS EARNED FOR US BY A VETERAN.

jim.smithjr · 10-20-2010, 09:33 PM

The instructions with my sani system say to dump the black tank, stop the macerator pump, open both black and grey valves and wait at least a minute for the tanks to equalize their levels. This will introduce soapy water to the black tank. Then close the grey valve, restart the macerator and pump the black tank dry again. Stop the macerator pump, open both valves again, let water levels equalize again, close grey valve again, start macerator again and pump the black tank empty again. After doing this three times the grey water level becomes low enough to make another cycle ineffective. At that point empty the black tank, rinse with the fresh water line, empty the black tank again and then finish emptying the grey tank.

The truth is I didn't start doing this soon enough, and I now need to use the ice cube and Dawn methods when we get back in our rig, to clean the sensors. Our Cayman was brand new when we started using it last fall, and I didn't even find all the instructions, never mind learning them all. I missed these instructions until we were nearly ready to come back to the stick house and the boat for the summer.

Thanks for the new tricks, my new friends!

Beauregard · 10-20-2010, 09:47 PM

Good ideas on caring for the black tank. Never allow one to remain dry. The ice tip is new to me. Bleach is a big no-no.
I just purchased a 2009 travel trailer that had been used as a residence for 4 months It only got dumped when full. I dumped it as soon as it purchased it and added 15 gallons of water. Last week we spent 4 nights at a campground. I fill it and dumped it twice a day while parked. Then filled it and drove it 1 mile and dumped it again before leaving the campsite. I added 10 gallons of water and drove it 55 miles home. When I dumped it, (in a cow pasture) it still had a lot of solids remaining. For now it will have to sit with water.

RickO · 10-20-2010, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim.smithjr

The instructions with my sani system say to dump the black tank, stop the macerator pump, open both black and grey valves and wait at least a minute for the tanks to equalize their levels. This will introduce soapy water to the black tank. Then close the grey valve, restart the macerator and pump the black tank dry again. Stop the macerator pump, open both valves again, let water levels equalize again, close grey valve again, start macerator again and pump the black tank empty again. After doing this three times the grey water level becomes low enough to make another cycle ineffective. At that point empty the black tank, rinse with the fresh water line, empty the black tank again and then finish emptying the grey tank.

I might be a germophobe but I've never felt comfortable with the idea of letting fluid from my black tank get into my gray tank.

Randy the sly old fox · 10-21-2010, 09:45 AM

One thing to add to your sewer accessory collection is a clear elbow that goes between the sewer outlet and the hose. The clear plastic will allow you to see when the tank is empty - esp when using the flush.

One of the components of the GEO method is ice which helps to break solids off the bottom of the tank. You can also buy a "magic wand" - a water jet on the end of a thin tube that attaches to a water hose - you place it down the toilet and let the jet clean off the sides and bottom of the tank.

On my unit the anti siphon valve is built in to the piping in the unit and not something you add to the outside. Now my clear elbow also has the back flush jet built in and the anti siphon device is an optional part.

As for how full the tank should be before dumping - I agree that somewhere north of 1/2 is a good start - however if you have full hook ups and open both valves you may start building a brown pyramid without even knowing it - most tanks don't have enough slope in them to move it out so it is recommended that you hold you black tank until it is 1/2 or better then dump it. That said I have stayed at older parks whose sewer systems simply can't stand the inrush of 20-30 gals of waste (grey or black) so it is hard to make your black tank work well. That said with the flush system you could use it daily to keep the tank clean.

faye · 10-31-2010, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seajay

THIS IS A TEN CENT SUGGESTION..... (this means you have to give me ten cents if you use it and you must pay me the next time you see me.

I have been camping for more years than I like to count and here is a ''trick'' we use to help keep the black water tank cleaned out.
After dumping and rinsing out the black water tank with what ever method you have for same we find it is a good idea to put in five gallons of clean water and then go buy a couple of large bags of crushed ice. We dump the crushed ice down the toilet and hit the road. (preferably a curvy road) and let gravity and the sloshing action of the water and the ice ''scrub out the walls of the black tank''. To my knowledge this does not hurt the censors that dont work anyway and it will really clean the tank and keep it from becoming ''stinkie''. After a couple hours Willa will dump in half a cup of Dawn dish washing stuff to finish the job. Then when you go ''poop'' you will be using a nice clean, good smellin' gray tank and you will say ''Thanks Seajay the sailor man for your wonderful idea'' and you will remember that you owe me ten cents and you must pay me the next time you see me...........

If this dont work for you.... I NEVER KNEW YOU.......

EVERY FREEDOM WE HAVE WAS EARNED FOR US BY A VETERAN.

just kidding,,,,did you mean black tank for the poop??

Seajay · 10-31-2010, 02:31 AM

That actually was a ''test'' and you are the only one that passed. (lol) I actually did that to see just how many people would actually read my article and observe that I had accidentally made a slight ''fo' pa'' in my intelligent article. (yeah sure)
(confidentially, I messed up and tks for your observation) (I O U ten cents and I will pay you the next time I see you..........lol..........)

Me.....