Holding tank vent

Gearitis wrote:

We have witnessed vacuum trucks collapsing gray and black tanks at NASCAR events on more than one occasion.

You pay them 50 bucks to suck out your tank and it may collapse it. Now we open the valve into a 5 gallon bucket and they vacuum out of that bucket rather than direct connect to the valve lines.

X 10!
I do sporting events all the time and yes that is the safe way to do it.

The septic companies that 'know' will always have a bucket that they dump into and then suck it out of the bucket.

Any commercial septic truck driver that tells you different? Well it's your tanks and your money you have to spend to repair them.

And keep in mind there are plenty of newbie septic truck drivers that just show up at sporting events all the time to make a quick buck and have zip zero knowledge of RV's.:W

Gearitis wrote:
We have witnessed vacuum trucks collapsing gray and black tanks at NASCAR events on more than one occasion. You pay them 50 bucks to suck out your tank and it may collapse it. Now we open the valve into a 5 gallon bucket and they vacuum out of that bucket rather than direct connect to the valve lines.

You'd think that =professional= honey bucket drivers would carry their own bucket. Hell, take a regular tote and modify it with an extra-large vent, and dump into that. Already has in and out fittings.

Lyle

We have witnessed vacuum trucks collapsing gray and black tanks at NASCAR events on more than one occasion. You pay them 50 bucks to suck out your tank and it may collapse it. Now we open the valve into a 5 gallon bucket and they vacuum out of that bucket rather than direct connect to the valve lines.

joxx12 wrote:
We are having our black tanks emptied by a company and they asked if our tanks were vented. We have a 2010 Cameo and I'm not sure because it's up at the lake. I would think that with it being new enough it would have one, anyone know for sure?

If they weren't, you'd get a geyser back up every time you opened a sink drain or flushed the toilet.

Lyle

rockhillmanor wrote:

They told me to "never" let a commercial fully vacuumed septic tank company hook up directly to your tanks. They can and DO collapse and if they don't over time it will weaken them and plumbing connections.

IMO, that's what they tell you when THEY are not properly equipped or trained to service RV's. Companies that regularly service campgrounds always use vacuum. The same guys that service the vault toilets.

rockhillmanor wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Real Concern with using a 'pump out service' is the amount of vacuum they use
There is NO reason/need for them to crank up the vacuum on their truck above 5"-6" of vacuum (vacuum pump at idle is sufficient)

Too much vacuum even with a vent tank could collapse the tank. They are NOT built for a vacuum and too high of vacuum the VENT may not be enough to keep tank from collapsing.

Sounds like the pump out company has a good understanding ----asking about tank venting

IMHO they are asking that question because they do not have a good understanding of RV's. :W

When we are at sporting events we use a commercial pumping service. The first time I had mine done I tripped out. They didn't hook up the vacuum, they had a bucket and opened my black tank lever and let it go in the bucket and their vacuum hose took it from the bucket.

They told me to "never" let a commercial fully vacuumed septic tank company hook up directly to your tanks. They can and DO collapse and if they don't over time it will weaken them and plumbing connections.

Even when hooking up directly to RV sewer dump line there is NOT an issue provided 'honey wagon' operator doe NOT pull a heavy vacuum.
Vacuum pump at idle is all that is really needed...just enough to pull stuff up the hose and into trucks tank.

Every time you dump your tanks....WHOOSH......you create a bit of negative pressure in the waste tank system
Hence the Air Admittance Valves on sink drain lines to grey tank.
they Open to prevent that negative pressure from sucking 'P' traps dry


So YES ........a pump out service can/do hookup directly to an RV drain line. Just have to use a low vacuum on septic truck tank.

It appears that the company OP is using has a good understanding about pumping RV tanks.otherwise they would NOT have asked ANYTHING.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Real Concern with using a 'pump out service' is the amount of vacuum they use
There is NO reason/need for them to crank up the vacuum on their truck above 5"-6" of vacuum (vacuum pump at idle is sufficient)

Too much vacuum even with a vent tank could collapse the tank. They are NOT built for a vacuum and too high of vacuum the VENT may not be enough to keep tank from collapsing.

Sounds like the pump out company has a good understanding ----asking about tank venting

IMHO they are asking that question because they do not have a good understanding of RV's. :W

When we are at sporting events we use a commercial pumping service. The first time I had mine done I tripped out. They didn't hook up the vacuum, they had a bucket and opened my black tank lever and let it go in the bucket and their vacuum hose took it from the bucket.

They told me to "never" let a commercial fully vacuumed septic tank company hook up directly to your tanks. They can and DO collapse and if they don't over time it will weaken them and plumbing connections.

Your tanks will be vented, unless you have done something to seal them.

The source of their question is a good one. People will sometimes seal their vents on trailers that are sitting on permanent sites, during the off-season. Maybe to keep odor down, maybe to keep vermin out, whatever the reason may be. Your pump-out contractor just wants to be sure that if you have done anything like that, that you tell them. Yeah it's probably rare, but better that they ask. Their pump is more than capable of flattening your tank like a pancake if the vent is sealed.

Real tough to gravity fed anything into a non-vented tank.
As the stuff goes in the air in tank has to go out
When you drain the stuff out the air has to come back in

YES your waste tanks....black & grey have vents
1 1/2" ABS piping from top of tank to roof with a vent cap on end of it


Concern with using a 'pump out service' is the amount of vacuum they use
There is NO reason/need for them to crank up the vacuum on their truck above 5"-6" of vacuum (vacuum pump at idle is sufficient)
Too much vacuum even with a vent tank could collapse the tank. They are NOT built for a vacuum and too high of vacuum the VENT may not be enough to keep tank from collapsing.
Sounds like the pump out company has a good understanding ----asking about tank venting

All are supposed to be vented to the roof.