Are those black tank cleaning wands worth it?

Barney --- You'll soon see that your logic and common sense will fall on deaf ears. There are few more hot topics here than maintaining a sterile black tank. ;-)))

You really don't need to use anything in the black tank except lots of water. The contents don't stay in there long enough for much breakdown to occur so the chemicals are just for odor and most of the time they smell just as bad as the waste. In my opinion, all the tank additives are just a waste of money, and that includes the Geo method.

All I have used for years is just water and we don't have any odor or blockage problems at all. We also stay in our trailer for several months at a time during the winter months and use it extensivly during the summer, so it is not like the tank doesn't get much use!
Barney

BarneyS wrote:
In my opinion, the "down the toilet wand" is the best way to really get all the "stuff" out of your black tank.
Barney

Even though we have a factory installed black tank flush, I have to agree with this. The down the toilet wand does a better job..

Downside is you have to drag a hose through you rig. and it's best if your toilet is a straight drop to the tank.

Are they worth it? Yes,for people with OCD. For everyone else just always use plenty of water and you'll be ok.

Thank you guys. I'll order that today. I've been reading the geo method as well.

In relation to the geo method - would one still use those little bottles of solution in addition to what he's suggested? Or is his list more of a replacement for those bottles.

If your unit has a black tank flush connection, spending more money is a waste. Use the flush every few dumps and don't obsess over the black tank cleanliness! (unless you store food in it) :D

DatacomGuy wrote:
You know the kind.. $15-20, attach to a hose.. I'm assuming used through the toilet to clean the black tank.

Worth it? Any better techniques to keeping the blank tank clean?

DatacomGuy wrote:
You know the kind.. $15-20, attach to a hose.. I'm assuming used through the toilet to clean the black tank.

Worth it? Any better techniques to keeping the blank tank clean?

Yes and No. The one they sell at Walmart is practically useless if you have a problem. The wand concept has been out though for years. I built one out of copper pipe in 1986. I still have and use it and YES it works great. I suppose you could use PVC pipe.

I took a piece of 1/2" dia copper pipe about 30" long and placed a cap on one end and a ball valve and hose connection on the other end. On the end with the cap I drilled a 3/16" dia hole in the side of the cap. I actually drilled 2 holes in the side of the cap, one above the other. You will get lots of pressure out of the wand. It doesn't spin you will have to rotate it but it works very well.

Whenever I have problems with my monitors I clean out my black tank with my wand. My monitors always work, my black tank stays clean. Don't waste your money on the Walmart model. It spins and a little water comes out but no real pressure that you can direct slowly in the black tank. JMHO.

One of the easiest ways to keep the black tank under control is to let if fill as much as possible before dumping. That will allow the solids to soften and breakdown as much as possible.

If you are just doing weekends and don't use the toilet much and have another trip planned soon, just leave it and dump next time. If you must dump, hold the toilet fill valve open and let the tank fill while you are doing other chores packing up to to go. When we left our last trip of last season I wentso far as to tip the trailer sideways and uphill to get a thorough drain. After the initial drain I closed the valve and put another 15-20 gallons water in and rinsed again. It was pretty clean by that point.

Do not add bleach to the tank, especially mid-season. It will kill the bacteria and slow down the breaking of solids.

I will repeat it again though, don't drain the black tank until it's full. Save you all kinds of problems

In my opinion, the "down the toilet wand" is the best way to really get all the "stuff" out of your black tank. I use one whenever we are going to be away from the trailer for an extended time and also about once every other month when we are staying in it for an extended time.
No need to spend $15-$20 for one. Here is the one we have been using for years.

Even with a black tank flush system, there are still corners and other places in the tank where waste builds up and the wand is the only thing I have found to get it all out and keep the sensors clean and working. I have used our built in tank rinser and the Flush King, and the best is the down the toilet spray wand.
Barney

There are a few ways to deal with cleaning the black tank:

A flush wand down the toilet. Before I knew you could buy them I made one by capping off a piece if 1/2" copper pipe, cross-drilling the cap with some 1/4" holes, and adding a female hose fitting to the other end.

Empty the tank, add a few gallons of water and 2 bags of ice cubes, and go for a drive. The ice / water sloshing around will clean the tank.

Add a black tank rinse system, best done when the tank is new and unused. My new TT has one but the jury is still out on its effectiveness.

And do a search for the "Geo method" - using Calgon to prevent buildup.