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06-11-2020, 08:39 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: NY State
Posts: 3,089
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How to Dissolve Black Tank Residue?
For reasons unknown, it appears the prior owner let the black tank dry completely out. Without dumping it first, that is, or perhaps while it wasn't level.
However it happened, there is a layer of dried, hard, flaky residue on the bottom perhaps 3/16" thick. As we use the coach, full-thickness chunks of various sizes break off and come out when the black water tank is dumped. They fouled the blade valve, of course, making it seep. I just cleaned out the valve, which isn't much fun, and I strongly suspect I will need to do that several more times if things stay as-is. There is a similar state of affairs with the grey water side but it's far less serious and has not caused the valve to foul so far.
Does anyone have a good way to re-dissolve this stuff so it will just drain out? We will of course leave the tank bottom wet, but it seems as though that might take years.
Help!
__________________
John
1976 Southwind 28', '96 Winnie 34WK,
2006 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40QDP
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06-11-2020, 08:53 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 274
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I'm sure others will have suggestions as well. I would start with a bottle of Dawn dishwashing soap and 1/3 tank of water then take it out for a drive. That should break down the solids without harming the tank or valve.
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2019 Coachmen Leprechaun 270QB Chevy 4500 Chassis
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06-11-2020, 08:55 AM
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#3
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Community Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 53,427
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^^^ that’s a good start
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Cliff,Tallulah and Buddy ( 1999-2012 )
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06-11-2020, 09:42 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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Dawn. let sit and soak. Fill and dump a couple three times.
Failing that, Happy Camper EXTREME.
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Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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06-11-2020, 12:00 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Washington State
Posts: 73
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Happy Camper x-2
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06-11-2020, 12:17 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Augusta Georgia
Posts: 866
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Google GEO method, learned about it this morning
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Bob (retired Army CW4) & Brenda (Veteran Army Nurse CPT)
2020 Tiffin Allegro Red 37BA
2020 Ford F150 XLT 4x4 Air Force 1 braking system
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06-11-2020, 12:43 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Bryan Tx
Posts: 1,023
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Lucky I live on 20 acres. I pulled my toilet to replace the O-Ring. Went to HD bought a short wand with a adjustable head. Stretched out the dump hose and started blasting away . Also have a camera on a flexible shaft that helped. Took a while but got a lot of old dried residue out. Bet the dawn and driving around may help and add some really hot water into the formula. I mean hot to the boiling point just before the drive. May take a few times but it’s worth a try
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“06” Beaver Patriot Thunder , 525 HP C13 Cat
MH 4000 Allison
42 ft Vicksburg, 4 slides
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06-11-2020, 01:01 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,689
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__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
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06-11-2020, 01:54 PM
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#9
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Senior Member/RVM #90
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Columbus, MS
Posts: 54,622
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I would use the Happy Camper Extreme. Follow their instructions!
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Joe & Annette
Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.....
2002 Monaco Windsor 40PBT, 2013 Honda CRV AWD
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06-11-2020, 02:25 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 942
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Dawn dish soap with some water. Dump 4-5 bags of ice into the tank. Then drive. The ice will scrape the sludge while driving (bumpy road for 20 miles?). Then go to a dump station. I have a santiflush (sp?) so I just go to adump station and do use that.
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2020 Ram 3500 Tradesman HO Diesel Aisen CC LWB Dually
2008 Cherokee WolfPack 295WP
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06-11-2020, 04:18 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: NY State
Posts: 3,089
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Thanks, all. I found another recommendation in a different forum for Roebic K-57 and decided to try that first. It's locally available (Home Depot) and a lot cheaper than Happy Camper (which will be next if the Roebick doesn't work). The rig will probably sit for the next week or so, so it'll have time to work.
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John
1976 Southwind 28', '96 Winnie 34WK,
2006 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40QDP
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06-12-2020, 02:24 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Bryan Tx
Posts: 1,023
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Sounds like this may be a good product for routine maintenance in both tanks ever now and then as long as it is not overdone
__________________
“06” Beaver Patriot Thunder , 525 HP C13 Cat
MH 4000 Allison
42 ft Vicksburg, 4 slides
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06-12-2020, 04:09 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: NY State
Posts: 3,089
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Good news, I think. After just 24 hours, the added fresh water is black. There's an inch or so of water in the tank, and I can't see the bottom. So while it's too early to declare victory, it seems to be working. I added some to the grey water tank, too, just because. It'll all go into my septic system, where it won't hurt anything.
__________________
John
1976 Southwind 28', '96 Winnie 34WK,
2006 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40QDP
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06-13-2020, 07:18 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
Posts: 2,226
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There are places that can pressure wash your tank. We used the “RV Proctologist” (love the name) in Quartzsite last winter. Turns out our problem wasn’t any natural substance in the tank; it was my d*** cat dropping a sock down the toilet! We had caught her doing it before, but one must gotten into the tank. Anyway, our tanks were shiny clean after they finished. Oh, and they did offer me the sock, but we declined with lots of laughter all around.
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