Community Forums

campfiregirl · 05-14-2022, 05:22 PM

Grey water will not come out of the sewer pipe. Sewer valve IS open and i put hose up the pipe
about 6ft turned on water hoping to flush out blockage. Water comes pouring out of the bottom of.my RV. I have tried the vinegar and baking soda, the hot water down the drains with Dawn several times. No luck. Meanwhile my shower is almost overflowing with all the hot water I'm pouring down the kitchen and bathroom sinks and i have to bucket it out.
So i tried the hose (pushing it in about 6ft) squirting water up the sewer pipe to try and unblock it. Thats when water comes pouring out from the bottom of the RV. What does that mean?

**Camp CA** · 05-14-2022, 07:03 PM

I have dealt with similar issue on my powerboat. Resolved it by snaking the line from the source and dump connection and checking the vent is clear. The link to this article might be helpful.

https://thecampingnerd.com/rv-black-tank-wont-drain/

Old-Biscuit · 05-14-2022, 07:11 PM

Waste tanks do not have 'overflows'

Pressurized hose 6 ft up drain line blasting away and water leaking out from underbelly of RV means tank is pressurizing and forcing water out one of the drain pipes in top of tank
*shower full/water backing up vent pipe.....

How do you KNOW grey tank Drain Valve is OPEN?
(Handle moves but is the blade valve actually opening????)

Crasher · 05-14-2022, 07:34 PM

I too would wonder if the blade is actually opening. I have never heard of a grey tank plugging. Does your black tank empty out?

High Road Travelers · 05-14-2022, 10:11 PM

If I'm understanding correctly, she has snaked a hose 6 feet up the sewer pipe and I take that to mean the pvc pipe where the sewer hose fits on, and if so she has probably gone way beyond the blade valve. If the OP is not getting the hose past the blade valve, then it could be stuck closed.
If the OP had, or could borrow, a plumbers scope camera she may could put it down the sink or shower drain and see some blockage, or run it up the dump pipe.
Some of you big boys are going to have to figure this one out.
Thanks,

twinboat · 05-15-2022, 02:00 AM

My gray tank clogged, so it can be done.

I put a garden hose adaptor on my sewer hose and sent water up into the gray tank to break up the grease clog. Did this over a curbed dump station.
After a few flushes, seeing the chunks of grease run out, we poured dishwasher detergent down the drain, drove thru Kentucky to West Viginia and did it a few more times.
Seems OK now.

Tha_Rooster · 05-15-2022, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by campfiregirl

Grey water will not come out of the sewer pipe. Sewer valve IS open and i put hose up the pipe

about 6ft turned on water hoping to flush out blockage. Water comes pouring out of the bottom of.my RV. I have tried the vinegar and baking soda, the hot water down the drains with Dawn several times. No luck. Meanwhile my shower is almost overflowing with all the hot water I'm pouring down the kitchen and bathroom sinks and i have to bucket it out.

So i tried the hose (pushing it in about 6ft) squirting water up the sewer pipe to try and unblock it. Thats when water comes pouring out from the bottom of the RV. What does that mean?

You shoved a hose up grey water drain and water came out of shower? When you pulled hose out it should have drained. Try without water on and not sewer hose shove it up drain valve it has to come out.

pinesman · 05-15-2022, 08:41 AM

Could it have another valve? I used to have a Salem fifth wheel which had 2 inline valves, one just barely sticking out of the heated underbelly and another one in the normal place. I always assumed the first one was to be closed in cold weather camping to keep the exposed line from freezing.

High Road Travelers · 05-15-2022, 12:20 PM

OP, can you give us an update or any additional info? We're all scratching our heads trying to figure out a solution. Have you been using this particular camper a good while and it just started with the problem, or is the camper new to you?
We all realize this is a horrible problem. Can you give us some more clues to work with?
Thanks,

Jandcinok · 05-16-2022, 08:19 AM

I didnt see which RV is being referred to. Could there be a possibility of 2 grey tanks?

campfiregirl · 05-16-2022, 01:46 PM

My main concern is the water pouring out of the bottom of the rv

campfiregirl · 05-16-2022, 01:49 PM

I hope that is what it is but someone on this thread mentioned the Grey and black water tanks don't pressure relief valves

campfiregirl · 05-16-2022, 01:55 PM

Whoever mentioned it might be the air vent was spot on. Blockage issue fixed but still concerned about the water flooding out of the underbelly.
Are there overflow valves on blac and gray tanks? Seems like thatcould really cause a mess

GPCPL · 05-16-2022, 02:32 PM

RV sewage systems should not have "overflow" to the outside of the system. They most likely have separate grey and black tanks, and those tanks should be vented. Careless use of a blackwater flush system may result in effluent discharge out the vent. Grey water may also drain into the black tank. It all depends on the design of your particular system. None of the tank should overflow from the tank, unless there is a bad joint / broken pipe or fitting. In a properly "sealed" system, if the the tank were to fill beyond capacity, it should back up into the lowest drain. Grey tank only should back up into shower, black tank serving only the toilet should back up into the toilet. Actually, the toilet would not flush properly. If the toilet flange seal is bad, the black tank would leak at the floor. On my particular RV, there are two separate grey tanks and one black tank, so three separate valves. Hope that helps, or at least makes some sense.