Grey tank fills up quickly

[60sumtin]

Originally Posted by lhlee14

We are having to dump grey tank every 3 days. Just two adults.thinking we may have leak. Suggestion on how to go about finding it or other ideas? Thanks

A leak shouldn't be too hard find. Just look at your taps in the bathroom and kitchen. If they are dripping you have found your leak. Open faucets are not considered leaks.

[twogypsies]

OP: Is any of this conversation helping?

[weredoingit]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

OP: Is any of this conversation helping?

I think the OP is taking a long hot shower.

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by Oderus

Yuck. I would never do this. I would equalize both my grey tanks this way but never with the black.

Then don't. To each their own. My buddy has a great big fifth wheel they use for horse shows. He will not let anyone use the toilet. Go use the portapotty because emptying the black tank is icky. Good plan? I don't think so, but it doesn't affect me at all. Whatever.....

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Then don't. To each their own. My buddy has a great big fifth wheel they use for horse shows. He will not let anyone use the toilet. Go use the portapotty because emptying the black tank is icky. Good plan? I don't think so, but it doesn't affect me at all. Whatever.....

Draining a tank is “icky” but shoveling horse cr@p is fine, what’s wrong with that picture?????

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

I'm not real well educated, so there is a good chance for me to be wrong.
I have no doubt, if both valves are open, both tanks will stabilize at the same level. But I think the "can't happen" folks might be overlooking some other "simple physics"; Inertia. The water will rush from grey to black, and maybe until the level of the black is higher than grey. Then it will flow back to the grey, maybe repeat how many times. Is the chance the back-flow will carry sewage really zero?

I’m very familiar with inertia, the property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest, or uniform motion in a straight line, unless acted upon by an external force. In my tank situation, the 3in pipe connecting the two tanks offers 7 sqin of area thru which to move, and an external force consisting of two 90 degree turns and the Y-pipe. There is no “rush”, more like a flow, because the inflow into the black tank is restricted by the contents of the black tank, and the 2 90s and the y before the gray even gets to the black tank. The inflow displaces the contents of the black tank, filling the area around the now intake. Rate of flow of a liquid is not constant, there is acceleration, peak and deceleration, in the tank situation, the peak isn’t much because of the 90s and y and the displacement of the resident contents. The rebound is negligible, again thru the same external forces, and consists of gray water that has displaced the black water in the black tank, and most of the rebound stays in the 3” pipe area. It’s not like some unbaffled tanker sloshing back and forth. I have a clear 90 with which I base this observation and opinion. And a lot of others do about the same thing.

[Campasaurus]

Is there room for a check valve? Sump pump in s/b basement has one, same basic principle. Flows toward black tank prevents back flow to grey tank. I think vale even has arrow on it.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Campasaurus

Is there room for a check valve? Sump pump in s/b basement has one, same basic principle. Flows toward black tank prevents back flow to grey tank. I think vale even has arrow on it.

I don't think add something that could change the speed of flow would be a good idea. As the water slows it could let food particles settle out. As they dry and stick, more food settles out.
And I'm not sure it matters weather or not black can get in the grey tank,as long as both are dumped into a system designed to treat the sewage.

[TurtleKent]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

I’m very familiar with inertia, the property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest, or uniform motion in a straight line, unless acted upon by an external force. In my tank situation, the 3in pipe connecting the two tanks offers 7 sqin of area thru which to move, and an external force consisting of two 90 degree turns and the Y-pipe. There is no “rush”, more like a flow, because the inflow into the black tank is restricted by the contents of the black tank, and the 2 90s and the y before the gray even gets to the black tank. The inflow displaces the contents of the black tank, filling the area around the now intake. Rate of flow of a liquid is not constant, there is acceleration, peak and deceleration, in the tank situation, the peak isn’t much because of the 90s and y and the displacement of the resident contents. The rebound is negligible, again thru the same external forces, and consists of gray water that has displaced the black water in the black tank, and most of the rebound stays in the 3” pipe area. It’s not like some unbaffled tanker sloshing back and forth. I have a clear 90 with which I base this observation and opinion. And a lot of others do about the same thing.

x2. And the pipe between the two tanks is approx. 3' long, providing much volume to buffer any potential back flow. Further, my Tiffin has 3" black pipe and dump outlet, with a 1.5" gray pipe entering the side of this. This reducer further minimizes rate of transfer and any potential rebound back flow into the gray tank.
When using the third valve approach, the key sequence is to 1)close #3 outlet valve, 2)open gray valve, filling the pipe with gray water, and 3)open black valve. After equalization, 1)close gray valve, and 2)open #3 valve. My 2¢

[Busskipper]

Pretty sure the OP is LONG GONE as the answers have little to do with the original Question.

How does a post take on a life of it's own, Please do not answer!

[RV Vagabond]

Originally Posted by lhlee14

We are having to dump grey tank every 3 days. Just two adults.thinking we may have leak. Suggestion on how to go about finding it or other ideas? Thanks

Is this something new? How long did the tank used to last?
Is your fresh water tank draining quickly as well?
We need more info to help you.

[Mudfrog]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

Pretty sure the OP is LONG GONE as the answers have little to do with the original Question.

How does a post take on a life of it's own, Please do not answer!

The OP asked for other ideas to help with his tank filling problem. The pros and cons of one particular idea are what is being discussed so i'd think we we're right on topic, for a change.

Wouldn't think it very likely for the black to move back into the gray. Unless the black liquid level was higher than the gray, or the black tank was physically mounted higher up than the gray, or the valves were left opened for a time. Personally, I wouldn't be all that concerned if they did mix since they both consist of liquids/debris that are stinky and nasty. A sewer drain (dump station) handles them just fine whether they've somehow managed to get mixed ahead of time or not..

[Chill]

Originally Posted by lhlee14

We are having to dump grey tank every 3 days. Just two adults.thinking we may have leak. Suggestion on how to go about finding it or other ideas? Thanks

Drain your grey tank completely. Put the hose tip in a bucket with the valve open. Don't run any water intentionally for an hour. If there is water in the bucket, you have a leak. If no water in the bucket, you are overusing water.

[powerboatr]

48 gallon grey and 48 gallon black
between the two of us, the grey gets emptied every other day, we shut off shower to a drip and lather up, most times.
and dishes everyday about a sink full of water.


my two tanks are side by side on same rail above the fresh water tank..


but when we are in parks with no sewer i use the blue 40 gallon tote to empty gray.
or in some parks its allowed to run grey out on ground for the trees.
. once i dumped grey in a home depot parking lot over a grate for storm drain. we had a valve malfunction and it was leaking bad, so i had to empty the tank to fix it....nasty was a word i used, but home depot was nice.
plus they had almost everything i needed to make repairs