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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / September 2007Ideas on cleaning out the Black Water Tank ?
I know there are some disinfectants on the market, but, what routines do you use to actually clean the tank / get the solids to emulsify ? Ive heard fill the tank about half full with water and let it swish around ; how about adding a bit of laundry detergent followed by flushing ???? Any tips you have found useful , please list. Thanks. > I know there are some disinfectants on the market, but, what routines > do you use to actually clean the tank / get the solids to emulsify ? > Ive heard fill the tank about half full with water and let it swish > around ; how about adding a bit of laundry detergent followed by > flushing ???? Any tips you have found useful , please list. Thanks. The most useful tip is to use a bacteria and enzyme product and not empty the tank unless it's at least 2/3 full. Do yourself a favor and don't mess around with home brews. They can damage your holding tank seals. Rid-X now makes a liquid that should do the trick for a lot less money than the RV specific stuff. You only need a couple of ounces for each tankful. If you are really obsessed with cleaning the inside of a tank into which you will immediately deposit more poop and pee, get an external tank rinser added to your coach or purchase one of those dump-valve extensions that allow you to add a garden hose to rinse the inside of the tank. http://tinyurl.com/26bcfg There is also a wand that you can attach to a garden hose and stick down the commode but that involves dragging the hose through the RV. Some people have good results with dumping a bag of ice cubes into an emptied tank and driving to the next place. The cubes are supposed to knock any solids off the tank walls. IMO, solids won't collect if you dump only when the tank if full or almost full. That gives the solids time to dissolve and also adds the extra pressure of all of the water to push things out. Though some might argue, we had over 35 years of clog free RVing using only white, single-ply TP. You don't have to buy the RV stuff, Scott works just fine.  SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life >> I know there are some disinfectants on the market, but, what routines >> do you use to actually clean the tank / get the solids to emulsify ? [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > only white, single-ply TP. You don't have to buy the RV stuff, Scott > works just fine. Janet is 100 % correct. John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee >Janet is 100 % correct. > >John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee Do you honestly believe he really wants or will pay attention to a reasoned reponse? He is a f.cking troll, a trouble maker, a third rate hack and liar. He is worse than any computer virus ever heard of because we all get him but aren't smart enough to apply adequate protection and kill-file him. He has multiple personas and pops up only to inflame those who fall for his bullshit! What name will he use after this one has FINALLY become non-grata? >> Janet is 100 % correct. >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > for his bullshit! What name will he use after this one has FINALLY > become non-grata? I don't doubt that he is a troll, but sometimes the RV questions are relevant and lurkers and others might learn from the answers of experienced RVers. I don't really respond to Dave, I respond to the question. It's been my experience that no matter how many people counsel Dave, he won't deviate from his path of stupidity. SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life 'but sometimes the RV questions are relevant and lurkers and others might learn from the answers of experienced RVers. ' REPLY: As a Junior RVer, thats why I ask RV questions. And i do appreciate the knowledge that you share with me and the lurkers Janet. >> I know there are some disinfectants on the market, but, what routines >> do you use to actually clean the tank / get the solids to emulsify ? [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > only white, single-ply TP. You don't have to buy the RV stuff, Scott > works just fine. Janet forgot to add that you should never let the tank dry out. Always add a couple of gallons of water to the tank after emptying it. Then add the enzyme/bacterial product. Materials that are disinfectants should not be used in RV tanks that use enzymes and bacteria. This includes germicidal hand cleaners and things like Dow Bathroom Cleaner or bleach. What you are trying to do in this environment is keep a live aerobic bacteria colony alive and active in the tank. These materials dissolve all the solids and liquefy it so it will flow into the dump. Keep in mind that the tank is rather wide and shallow, so to get flow out of it, it needs to be quite full when emptied. Otherwise the velocity may not be enough to get the larger turds flowing. You don't want this to happen. Some people have hooked their black tank to the hose and left the valve open to the septic line. When this happens a pile of feces builds up on the floor of the tank because there is no liquid to aid in digesting it. This is the sort of thing that is not fun to clean out. Don't be afraid to open the valve and look into the tank to see that is is relatively full before dumping or pretty clean after dumping. You never have to sterilize the tank or wash it out. If the tank dries out inside, then bits of toilet tissue and other matter may catch on the screws that are protruding thru the tank wall for the sensors for the level gage. These cause the gage to fail. Using about 50/50 ice cubes and water in the tank will cause enough abrasion of the tank wall crud to clean the sensors. I have tried it and it works. For a while. You need to drive for a day, not just around the block for this to work. Never use formaldehyde containing materials in the tank. That stuff will kill a septic system and many/most RV parks use septic systems. Never put anything but feces, urine, water and toilet tissue in the toilet as waste. Everything else will not biodegrade and liquefy. Good luck. John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee 'Don't be afraid to open the valve and look into the tank to see that is is relatively full >before< dumping' REPLY: Surely you jest ?! > 'Don't be afraid to open the valve and look into the tank to see that is > is relatively full >before< dumping' > > REPLY: Surely you jest ?! Hmm, let me see toilet paper hang up on sensor, tank is emptied. TP dries out and everything look hunky dory. More liquid/solids added at later time and the moisture is picked up by the TP and the wetness of the TP makes the sensor show it has more than what is really there and you drain the tank with a partially filled tank, leaving solids behind. Nope I don't think they are jesting. Lee I see where Lee <lbray5032@bellsouth.net> contributed: >> 'Don't be afraid to open the valve and look into the tank to see that is >> is relatively full >before< dumping' [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >you drain the tank with a partially filled tank, leaving solids >behind. Nope I don't think they are jesting. I think DiLV was thinking of the dump valve, not the toilet valve. He is not a quick thinker. Will Sill The Curmudgeon of Sill Hill > I think DiLV was thinking of the dump valve, not the toilet valve. He > is not a quick thinker. Well I hope he is a quick thinker cause if he opened the wrong valve he would have become a "quick stinker". (Sitting here laughing my butt off at the mental picture!) Thanks for the early morning laugh Will. Lee (in Florida) >I see where Lee <lbray5032@bellsouth.net> contributed: >>> 'Don't be afraid to open the valve and look into the tank to see that is [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >I think DiLV was thinking of the dump valve, not the toilet valve. He >is not a quick thinker. Well, in his case, maybe he should use the dump valve to look in the tank. SignatureFrank Tabor 'I think DiLV was thinking of the dump valve, not the toilet valve.' REPLY: Its 'Dave', Fred ! Youre right..i assumed he was talking about the dump valve because you cant see much looking thru a 2.5-3" dia. toilet valve into the tank. You sure cant see the whole inside of the Black water tank thru the toilet . My tank is offset somewhat from what i can tell ; how about yours ? Lastly, no vitrol is required in here since we are all fellow RVers . > 'I think DiLV was thinking of the dump valve, not the toilet valve.' > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > what i can tell ; how about yours ? Lastly, no vitrol is required > in here since we are all fellow RVers . If your tank is "offset" use lots of water when flushing. Offset is not an ideal location. The best is a straight drop, but it's not always feasible in small RVs. The reason I suggest you use lots of water is that you'll have to get the "stuff" moving past the offset and into the tank. The offset can clog if you don't SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life 'If your tank is "offset" use lots of water when flushing. Offset is not an ideal location. The best is a straight drop, but it's not always feasible in small RVs. The reason I suggest you use lots of water is that you'll have to get the "stuff" moving past the offset and into the tank. The offset can clog if you don't SignatureJanet Wilder' REPLY: Ive decided what im going to do is fill the black water tank half full of water (some 12 gallons) , and dump only once per week or once every 2 weeks since it will be just me living in the RV. Then, ill refill it half way again. That should keep 'things' sloshing around pretty good . It looks like a straight-shot down to the tank..but looking underneath, it appears that most of the tank is offset a tad from the toilet. > I see where Lee <lbray5032@bellsouth.net> contributed: >>> 'Don't be afraid to open the valve and look into the tank to see that is [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Will Sill > The Curmudgeon of Sill Hill ROFL! That should have come with a warning! SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life ttt. Would really like to hear some things that have worked well for you . Thanks. > ttt. Would really like to hear some things that have worked well for > you . Thanks. Why a "ttt"... your original post is only about 4 hours old. That's a "baby" in usenet... give people a chance, not everyone is sitting at their computer on a Sunday afternoon. SignatureSteve >> ttt. Would really like to hear some things that have worked well for >> you . Thanks. >> >Why a "ttt"... your original post is only about 4 hours old. >That's a "baby" in usenet... give people a chance, not >everyone is sitting at their computer on a Sunday afternoon. Good old 'Lye" should work well though it is not very freindly. Put some in with a few gallons or water a "SHAKE" for a bit and it should clean it out good. ----------------- TheSnoMan.com what's the "ttt" indicate? s >> ttt. Would really like to hear some things that have worked well for >> you . Thanks. >> > Why a "ttt"... your original post is only about 4 hours old. That's a > "baby" in usenet... give people a chance, not everyone is sitting at their > computer on a Sunday afternoon. *top post corrected" >>> ttt. Would really like to hear some things that have worked well for >>> you . Thanks. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > what's the "ttt" indicate? "ttt" = To The Top. It means that the poster doesn't think that replies have been forth coming or that it's been too long. People see all new threads when they open usenet groups as a rule. TTT is normally used in browser based (firefox, i.e. <shudder>, etc) forums where threads "fall down in the list" as others post newer threads. Normally you won't see it in "usenet-land". SignatureSteve > I know there are some disinfectants on the market, but, what routines > do you use to actually clean the tank / get the solids to emulsify ? > Ive heard fill the tank about half full with water and let it swish > around ; how about adding a bit of laundry detergent followed by > flushing ???? Any tips you have found useful , please list. Thanks. It's not been a problem but we dumped all the ice into the tank with about half clean water and drove quite aways before final dump just before putting her up. I think this is an old trick. I didn't look as it was emptying but we have no odors or problems so maybe it works. Of course the pressure flushing system probably takes care of it anyway. 'ice into the tank with about half clean water and drove quite aways before final dump just before putting her up. I think this is an old trick.' REPLY: Yes, ive heard of this before. Its supposed to also help in making the tank sensors more accurate by dislodging solids. How about bleach with water filled half way up , and drive it like that for quite awhile before dumping ? > 'ice into the tank with about half clean water and drove quite aways > before final dump just before putting her up. I think this is an old [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > bleach with water filled half way up , and drive it like that for quite > awhile before dumping ? Bleach will harm the rubber seals. Don't use it. I have that on the advice of one of the engineers from Newmar Corporation. Stay away from the home brews. The tank is *supposed* to get dirty. It holds poop and pee. Sheesh! SignatureJanet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life > 'ice into the tank with about half clean water and drove quite aways > before final dump just before putting her up. I think this is an old [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > bleach with water filled half way up , and drive it like that for quite > awhile before dumping ? Enough already Dave, it's a tank you sh.t and piss in. What the hell do you want it to look like?
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