Flushing Black Tank

[Frida]

My sensors have read "full" on my black tank since I bought it. I bought a black tank pressure washer hose adapter thing and it won't go through to the tank from the toilet. I can't convince my brother to use the adapter from the exit end and he's already warned my nephew to avoid me. I'm planning on filling up the tank with water and dropping in a bunch of the cleaner pods. Anyone have a better idea? I was told to stay away from the ice trick. Is bleach a bad idea?
Thanks from Michigan

[profdant139]

Does your trailer have a rinse port on the outside of the bathroom? Most of the recently built trailers do.

If you don't have a rinse port, here is a somewhat easier way of rinsing (other than using a tube in the toilet) -- after you dump the black water, close the valve and then run some water into the toilet by depressing the pedal halfway. (This is easier when you are hooked up to city water.)

After accumulating a good load of water, open the black water valve and whoosh!!

Repeat this a couple of times.

Store the trailer with the black tank clean and empty.

Before leaving on your next trip, drop in one of the pods -- no need for a bunch of them.

[RipVan]

In the absence of a "rinse port" and the inability to use a "rinse wand" (your toilet stool must not be directly above the black water tank), I think profdant139's suggestion is pretty much your best option. I'll assume that rinsing the black water tank will be done at a dump station. Since you prolly won't be hooked up to "city water" or plugged into AC power, profdant139's method will rely on your onboard water supply and the 12V pump to add the rinse water to the black water tank. Kind of a slow process, depletes your fresh water (perhaps not an issue) and may put unnecessary wear and tear on both your pump and battery. Might I suggest that you speed up the process (and preserve some resources) by refilling the black water tank with water from the dump station using a bucket (I always have one along when camping)! Three bucketfuls (~10 gallons) should be enough. Filling the black water with 10 gallons via the foot pedal method would take "forever"!

[profdant139]

Rip is right -- a big bucket of water would be faster. But pour carefully! We do this with the gray water fairly often -- drain it into a bucket and then dump the bucket into the toilet.

We do this because the gray water tank fills up before the black tank does -- this transfer method allows us to extend our boondocking time without having to visit a dump station.

But there is a downside -- unless you are very careful, there could be some spillage. Please don't ask how I know this.

[RipVan]

Originally Posted by profdant139

Rip is right -- a big bucket of water would be faster. But pour carefully! We do this with the gray water fairly often -- drain it into a bucket and then dump the bucket into the toilet.

We do this because the gray water tank fills up before the black tank does -- this transfer method allows us to extend our boondocking time without having to visit a dump station.

But there is a downside -- unless you are very careful, there could be some spillage. Please don't ask how I know this.

I'm thinking that using the water (even though it's non-potable) at most dump stations would be preferable but I do suppose there are dump stations that don't have water. In this situation, using the gray water is a reasonable idea. I generally dread the whole "dumping the waste tanks routine" . While the gray waste water is way less gross than that in the black water tank, I still consider it contaminated and treat it as such. I'm sure in the boondocking mode, you do what you have to do. Rinsing the black tank with gray waste water, IMHO, would best done a half bucket at a time .
RE: the gray water tank filling faster, I'm sure that it does. In my x210, the bathroom sink and I'm pretty sure the showe/tub both drain into the black water tank making it fill somewhat faster than with toilet waste alone.

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by Frida

My sensors have read "full" on my black tank since I bought it. I bought a black tank pressure washer hose adapter thing and it won't go through to the tank from the toilet. I can't convince my brother to use the adapter from the exit end and he's already warned my nephew to avoid me. I'm planning on filling up the tank with water and dropping in a bunch of the cleaner pods. Anyone have a better idea? I was told to stay away from the ice trick. Is bleach a bad idea?
Thanks from Michigan

Have you looked underneath at the tank where the sensor wires attach to the tank? IF the screws securing the wires are not tight .. won't get a correct reading.

[gator]

I always use the gray water to clean my black water. When dumping the gray shut the valve with one hand and lift the hose with the other. The rush of water in the hose is now forced into the black. Then wait for in to dump. Then open the gray water valve again and repeat. With a clear view pipe adapter attached you can see how much stuff comes out of the black tank with this method.

[ExploreVA]

I have had it "splained" to me that the procedure is to dump black water first. Then dump grey water, which first flows to black water tank, causing it to clean the black tank out. We also carry 5 gallon portable tank which can be dumped rapidly into the toilet, pushing down the foot flush, which cleans everything out. All clean. Or as clean as possible.


QUOTE=RipVan;28304]I'm thinking that using the water (even though it's non-potable) at most dump stations would be preferable but I do suppose there are dump stations that don't have water. In this situation, using the gray water is a reasonable idea. I generally dread the whole "dumping the waste tanks routine" . While the gray waste water is way less gross than that in the black water tank, I still consider it contaminated and treat it as such. I'm sure in the boondocking mode, you do what you have to do. Rinsing the black tank with gray waste water, IMHO, would best done a half bucket at a time .
RE: the gray water tank filling faster, I'm sure that it does. In my x210, the bathroom sink and I'm pretty sure the showe/tub both drain into the black water tank making it fill somewhat faster than with toilet waste alone.[/QUOTE]

[Agnitio]

I would recommend filling the tank completely (to cover all the sensors) then add a septic tank enzyme treatment product like Rid-x and let the gunk get digested away.

And it’s also possible the sensors are bad.

[DwainF]

Check the wires for the sensors...the previous owners of my 189 (or somebody else, to be fair.) had them on in the wrong order. The wires are colour coded for 1/4, 1/2. full, and ground, IIRC. Looking up the proper colour sequence with a quick google search showed the correct hook-up and viola! Proper readings!

[gator]

Gray water will never flow into the black water tank unless you make it happen. The tanks empty to a common connection that's it. But the gray will not flow into the black and black will not flow into the gray. They just empty out to the common point.

[RipVan]

Originally Posted by gator

I always use the gray water to clean my black water. When dumping the gray shut the valve with one hand and lift the hose with the other. The rush of water in the hose is now forced into the black. Then wait for in to dump. Then open the gray water valve again and repeat. With a clear view pipe adapter attached you can see how much stuff comes out of the black tank with this method.

This is pretty much the way I do it too! It's pretty effective but I still think the whole process is gross and disgusting . If I was truly devious, I'd go all "Tom Sawyer" and convince my wife just how much "fun" it was but then lament that she prolly didn't have the skills required to do the job . She'd get indignant and give it a try just to prove me wrong! That however would likely work only once AND there'd be payback I'm sure.