had an interesting question asked this week I couldn't answer.Buddy has a new Montana FW, and the black tank handle is pulled out, away from the chassis.. Does that mean the valve is closed or open?on my Alpine that means open. (pull is open on all valves). His unit is at a storage lot, so he doesn't want to open the drain pipe.His dealer couldn't answer the question!I checked my manual and his, they both contain the same text. "open the black tank valve first" etc in the 'dumping instructions'I'm still a newbie too, so I don't know if there is any consistency between brands or even models.

As said out is open and pushed in is closed.

Want stuff out of the tank = pull out!Want stuff to stay in the tank = push in!Chris

If there is a rectangular box between the handle and the pipe, that box is for the valve guillotine to slide into. So to open the sewer you pull the handle allowing the guillotine to slide into the box and thus open the pipe to flow.BTW, the instruction to open the black valve first is so that you open the gray water valve second, thus flushing out refuse from the black tank if any remains in the piping. DON'T OPEN THE BLACK VALVE BEFORE REMOVING THE DRAIN CAP OR HOOKING UP TO THE SEWER DRAIN! (My apologies if this is too basic of a warning - but you never know.)Since the black handle has been pulled out already, push it back in, but put a bucket under the drain cap before removing.

Run a test..fill the black tank with black tank stuff and pull/push the handle and look up inside the drain pipe to see what happens...:BSeriously...If I had to choose one or the other, I'd bet that "in" is closed...that's the way all of our different trailers have been.

black tank valve handle in or out means valve closed

19 Replies

352
Explorer
Apr 05, 2015
DougE wrote:
If there is a rectangular box between the handle and the pipe, that box is for the valve guillotine to slide into. So to open the sewer you pull the handle allowing the guillotine to slide into the box and thus open the pipe to flow.
BTW, the instruction to open the black valve first is so that you open the gray water valve second, thus flushing out refuse from the black tank if any remains in the piping. DON'T OPEN THE BLACK VALVE BEFORE REMOVING THE DRAIN CAP OR HOOKING UP TO THE SEWER DRAIN! (My apologies if this is too basic of a warning - but you never know.)
Since the black handle has been pulled out already, push it back in, but put a bucket under the drain cap before removing.

(Just) a bucket would be very funny when!!!!!!!!!!!! you know what else is going to happen.
cyntdon2010
Explorer
Apr 05, 2015
Me Again wrote:
Want stuff out of the tank = pull out!
Want stuff to stay in the tank = push in!

Chris

X2
ventrman
Explorer
Apr 05, 2015
He sure had an incompetent Dealer. In is closed, out is open.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Apr 05, 2015
Me Again wrote:
Want stuff out of the tank = pull out!
Want stuff to stay in the tank = push in!

Chris

EXACTLY!

And your 'Buddy' needs to find a different dealer :S
downtheroad
Explorer
Apr 05, 2015
Run a test..fill the black tank with black tank stuff and pull/push the handle and look up inside the drain pipe to see what happens...:B

Seriously...If I had to choose one or the other, I'd bet that "in" is closed...that's the way all of our different trailers have been.
DougE
Explorer
Apr 05, 2015
If there is a rectangular box between the handle and the pipe, that box is for the valve guillotine to slide into. So to open the sewer you pull the handle allowing the guillotine to slide into the box and thus open the pipe to flow.
BTW, the instruction to open the black valve first is so that you open the gray water valve second, thus flushing out refuse from the black tank if any remains in the piping. DON'T OPEN THE BLACK VALVE BEFORE REMOVING THE DRAIN CAP OR HOOKING UP TO THE SEWER DRAIN! (My apologies if this is too basic of a warning - but you never know.)
Since the black handle has been pulled out already, push it back in, but put a bucket under the drain cap before removing.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Apr 05, 2015
Want stuff out of the tank = pull out!
Want stuff to stay in the tank = push in!

Chris
RedRam
Explorer
Apr 05, 2015
As said out is open and pushed in is closed.
partsman01
Explorer
Apr 05, 2015
Out is open

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black tank valve handle in or out means valve closed

19 Replies

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