Community Forums

Kahoona · 09-13-2020, 04:06 PM

Has anyone had a build up of beach sand in the gray tank. I am careful to rinse but not everyone is. Will it be a problem?

jerichorick · 09-13-2020, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kahoona

Has anyone had a build up of beach sand in the gray tank. I am careful to rinse but not everyone is. Will it be a problem?

I have never heard of this happening. When you dump there is usually a strong flow off the bottom of the tank. If you have been on beaches for a while, after you dump you could run the shower for a while to build up some water in the tank and then dump again. If you have a clear extension on your dump hose you can monitor the condition of the dump water. When washing off after beach time you might consider closing the gray tank valve if you have it open. I leave mine open when hooked up.

Old-Biscuit · 09-13-2020, 05:01 PM

Go to beach and you will have sand

So what.........allow grey tank to get 3/4 full and then Dump

WHOOSH----contents flow out under volume/weight of liquids

If concerned....run some water down sink/shower drains and dump again

Mudfrog · 09-13-2020, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Go to beach and you will have sand

So what.........allow grey tank to get 3/4 full and then Dump

WHOOSH----contents flow out under volume/weight of liquids

If concerned....run some water down sink/shower drains and dump again

For most rigs, yes. But I've seen some gray tank piping that didn't give any kind of WHOOSH. Slow as molasses was more the flow rate. The OP may have reason to be a bit concerned if his gray drain is slow.

No matter what, I'd do my best to keep sand out of the holding tank and its inherent abrasiveness away from the drain valve.

THenne1713 · 09-13-2020, 11:51 PM

SLOW drain on Gray wud make me suspect VENT issues?

Kahoona · 09-14-2020, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mudfrog

For most rigs, yes. But I've seen some gray tank piping that didn't give any kind of WHOOSH. Slow as molasses was more the flow rate. The OP may have reason to be a bit concerned if his gray drain is slow.

No matter what, I'd do my best to keep sand out of the holding tank and its inherent abrasiveness away from the drain valve.

Yes. We do try to keep it out but sand gets everywhere at the beach. Ours does go whoosh so we are probably fine. Won't worry. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Go to beach and you will have sand

So what.........allow grey tank to get 3/4 full and then Dump

WHOOSH----contents flow out under volume/weight of liquids

If concerned....run some water down sink/shower drains and dump again

Yes, whoosh.....Got it. No problem. Thanks.

chuckftboy · 09-14-2020, 08:20 PM

I live and RV a lot in Florida so sand is very common around here. Never had an issue with sand causing an issue in the grey tank. Since all our coaches have had washers if there were any issues we should have seen it.

Tha_Rooster · 09-15-2020, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kahoona

Has anyone had a build up of beach sand in the gray tank. I am careful to rinse but not everyone is. Will it be a problem?

If I had to have a problem that would be it. Do you have a tank flush.

Kahoona · 01-19-2021, 11:15 AM

Recap some months out.

I was doing research one day recently when I heard a commotion from the bathroom . My wife was in there muttering and as she is a redhead I tend to leave her be when that happens.Eventually I did ask out of fear for the plumbing and found her in the shower stall in 3-4 inches of water and sand. There was perhaps 2 cups of sand in there and she was going at it with a small plunger and a drain cleaning gizmo that removes hair when you run it in and out a couple of times. She was so upset that the water wouldn't go down! I recalled that this happened before and I went outside and pulled the blade valve on the gray tank and all was well once again.

I let the gray tank fill once in a while just to get that whoosh and clear it. It does look like we have sand in the pipes though. I am going to try getting 4" of standing water in the shower and get the whoosh going through the shower drain. I'll plug the other drains when I do it. I think that there is not enough room under the shower for a normal trap and whatever they used there might be holding more sand that it should.

Ljwt330 · 01-19-2021, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kahoona

Recap some months out.

I was doing research one day recently when I heard a commotion from the bathroom . My wife was in there muttering and as she is a redhead I tend to leave her be when that happens.Eventually I did ask out of fear for the plumbing and found her in the shower stall in 3-4 inches of water and sand. There was perhaps 2 cups of sand in there and she was going at it with a small plunger and a drain cleaning gizmo that removes hair when you run it in and out a couple of times. She was so upset that the water wouldn't go down! I recalled that this happened before and I went outside and pulled the blade valve on the gray tank and all was well once again.

I let the gray tank fill once in a while just to get that whoosh and clear it. It does look like we have sand in the pipes though. I am going to try getting 4" of standing water in the shower and get the whoosh going through the shower drain. I'll plug the other drains when I do it. I think that there is not enough room under the shower for a normal trap and whatever they used there might be holding more sand that it should.

My thoughts.

Sand is heavy and does not float. For that much sand to be in your shower means, IMO, that the back flow from the grey tank, caused by water entering from other sink drains, must have been pretty strong. The only other explanation would be the sand was in the shower trap, and was agitated by the shower water entering and was carried into the pan due to lack of draining.

I think if this was my issue, I would empty the grey tank, remove the shower strainer, stick a hose into the shower drain, and flush the sand out of the shower line with water pressure. Any sand in the grey tank should flush out when the tank is repeatedly filled and flushed.

Kahoona · 01-19-2021, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ljwt330

My thoughts.

Sand is heavy and does not float. For that much sand to be in your shower means, IMO, that the back flow from the grey tank, caused by water entering from other sink drains, must have been pretty strong. The only other explanation would be the sand was in the shower trap, and was agitated by the shower water entering and was carried into the pan due to lack of draining.

I think if this was my issue, I would empty the grey tank, remove the shower strainer, stick a hose into the shower drain, and flush the sand out of the shower line with water pressure. Any sand in the grey tank should flush out when the tank is repeatedly filled and flushed.

That is a good idea. I will do that. It gets into the shower on feet. We can't do much foot rinsing because we have limited water. Hose it is.

THenne1713 · 01-19-2021, 10:47 PM

(My 2nd/ 3rd thought) is that BEACH SAND will most likely STOP in the J-TRAP, and NOT flow to the tank? If that is the case, WET-VAC maybe the easiest, fastest relief IF TRAP restricted/ clogged w/ sand? Further, you can then inspect/ verify vac tank contents? 3) Shower/ tub drain backup is USUALLY SYMPTOM of FULL Gray tank. BTW, I have used wet vac w/ tweezer/ needle-nose to clear hair clogs from house bath/ shower drains several times pulling hair clogs as BIG AS FOREARM
.

Tha_Rooster · 01-20-2021, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kahoona

Has anyone had a build up of beach sand in the gray tank. I am careful to rinse but not everyone is. Will it be a problem?

I go to the beach a lot and no I don’t have sand because we clean up before entering coach.

Dav L · 01-20-2021, 07:50 AM

Put a drain backflush adapter, cut a hole in the top of it, insert a powerwasher hose with a jetter fitting, push the hose into the tank and flush the heck out of the tank and clean it. Then, after the majority if gunk is out of the tank, put a strong garden hose on all drains and flush them into the tank. Repeat flushing the tank with the jetter.

If that doesn't clean it, then you have a real problem.