Community Forums

MSHappyCampers · 01-03-2017, 10:23 AM

There's been a lot of discussion here about whether or not to keep the grey tank valve open or closed. I have always kept mine open until just before needing the grey water to flush after dumping the black tank. The video below gives some compelling reasons NOT to do that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4A-...em-subs_digest

MrsChilerick · 01-03-2017, 10:28 AM

Makes sense to me. This is how we've always done it.

luckyd · 01-03-2017, 10:31 AM

This is why I have always "cleaned" the grey tank every few months
the same way as I do the black.
Take a look at your hose and it will tell you all you need to know.

**CLIFFTALL** · 01-03-2017, 10:32 AM

It's a compelling reason . Just be sure to dump when full as it fills up two -three times as fast ( in our case ) as the black tank. 😳

Big Dude · 01-03-2017, 11:15 AM

Thanks for posting this good info. I always keep mine closed and now it's good to know why.

Mike and Cha · 01-03-2017, 11:23 AM

I have always kept mine closed until they need dumping. It only takes a few seconds to go out and open the valve if needed. If we are only staying a day or two, I usually don't even connect the hose unless I have to dump before moving on to the next place.

twogypsies · 01-03-2017, 11:39 AM

We've always kept ours closed.

TechWriter · 01-03-2017, 11:53 AM

We learned this the hard way after several months work camping in the same location.

I left the gray (not black) tank open for about a month. While I'm sure my gray tank was fouled, my sewer hose also became gunked up. Since gray tank water only flowed in a relative trickle, the hose was never properly flushed over that month. Lesson learned.

However, if you have an RV washer/dryer, I do suggest leaving the gray tank open while washing clothes. It's too easy to put in load after load and forget about watching the gray tank level. This was a smelly lesson.

jleamo1 · 01-03-2017, 12:03 PM

Ditto...CLOSED. I started to close ours when we were at a CG in VA and a snake got into someone's gray tank from leaving the valve open. Same CG a year later the sewer system backed up, down stream's campers filled up with the waste from up stream, turned into a septic swamp. We were on the other side of the CG (thanking my lucky stars). Prior to then I always left my gray open until I needed it to flush the hose prior to leaving.
Good video!

Mr_D · 01-03-2017, 12:04 PM

I've never left my gray or black tanks open all the time. Only open when dumping, in fact, most of the time I don't even put out my drain hose till I'm dumping.

Unplanned Tourist · 01-03-2017, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

I've never left my gray or black tanks open all the time. Only open when dumping, in fact, most of the time I don't even put out my drain hose till I'm dumping.

I'm with you! No need to pull out the drain unless I'm getting close to dump time. We have never spent more than 4 days in one spot (time not that available yet, wife works), so only like to dump if tanks are getting full to get a good flush.

MSHappyCampers · 01-03-2017, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jleamo1

Ditto...CLOSED. I started to close ours when we were at a CG in VA and a snake got into someone's gray tank from leaving the valve open. Same CG a year later the sewer system backed up, down stream's campers filled up with the waste from up stream, turned into a septic swamp. We were on the other side of the CG (thanking my lucky stars). Prior to then I always left my gray open until I needed it to flush the hose prior to leaving.
Good video!

WOW! That's scary! Absolutely the most convincing reason yet! I'm a believer now!

bdpreece · 01-03-2017, 12:55 PM

Good information. I have always wondered why after parking in one spot for awhile the grey tank would show 2/3rds full when empty but empty after dumping after a two or three day trip home when I did not dump until getting back. Guess the sloshing around is cleaning the tank walls on the way home.

fly_1 · 01-03-2017, 01:23 PM

All very logical but IMHO...unnecessary but I don't mean to sound like I ridicule the idea. There is nothing wrong with closing the great tank valve unless you forget to open them when needed.

As a full timer we are always moving a lot of water through the tank. The use of our showers and clothes washer put a lot of water through the grey tank.

If your plumbing and vent systems are working properly, you won't get odors in your coach. We don't use any chemicals in either of our waste tanks and the only time we got odors was when they were sucked in through an open window while the fans were running during very light winds.

Of course, if you let your P traps dry out, that will allow odors to back into the coach.

As for critters and bugs...yes, sewer flies and their ilk can be something that needs to be considered. Snakes...I ain't going to get too worried about that.

I've never had a sewer hose long enough to see them get so gunked up as to be unusable in any shape or manner.

OTOH, if you don't have dish or clothes washers then it would seem that closing the grey valve should be much less a "chore" but for us it would be a daily chore we chose not to do.

BTW...on occasion I do close the grey valve and fill the grey tank in preparation for dumping the black tank and minimize the need to run the black tank flush. When I do that I also run a bleach cleaning of the washing machine as part of the prep.