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?

I bought one since my current TT doesn't have a black tank flush. if you can get at the black tank, install a flush attachment for it, much better than dragging a hose in, etc.I just open the toilet valve and dump a bucket of water in when I get ready to empty my black tank.bumpy

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.

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

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

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.

Are those black tank cleaning wands worth it? | Good Sam Community

poppin_fresh
Explorer
Jun 06, 2014
wanderingbob wrote:
I have never understood why you feel that your black tank must be so dern clean .
This site has spent many ,many hours discussing this . Why must it be scrubbed out when dumping . I know not , but hurry up cause I have got to use it .

I like to know that if I had too in an emergency, my black tank is clean enough to drink out of. :)
GMT830
Explorer
Jun 06, 2014
It's pretty comical how much effort people put into cleaning the black tank. Dump it only when it's full, no troubles.
Gene_Ginny
Explorer
Jun 06, 2014
BarneyS wrote:
... No need to spend $15-$20 for one. Here is the one we have been using for years....
That is the one I have been using too. I use it about twice a season so my tank monitors show the correct level twice a season.

Only word of caution, don't trust that plastic shutoff valve. I use a metal garden hose shutoff connected to it.
wanderingbob
Explorer II
Jun 06, 2014
I have never understood why you feel that your black tank must be so dern clean .
This site has spent many ,many hours discussing this . Why must it be scrubbed out when dumping . I know not , but hurry up cause I have got to use it .
pitch
Explorer II
May 25, 2014
Absolutely are valuable when you need it. We never needed one,until we got a paper clog once. 3 minutes with the wand down the john and viola problem is flushed.
Like having a spare tire,90% of the time it just sits,but when you need it you need it.
ksbowman
Explorer II
May 25, 2014
I used one this winter in Texas on the "pyramid" and it was worth it's weight in gold when my stool was backing up into the bowl!
2012Coleman
Explorer II
May 23, 2014
Yes - they are. Buy a clear sewer elbow connection and you can see what color the water is that's coming out of the black tank. I bring a seperate hose to hook to the city water and wand my black tank out after every trip. It sometimes takes more than once to see non colored water(not brown).
bsbeedub
Explorer
May 23, 2014
IAMICHABOD wrote:
DatacomGuy wrote:

Camping world has a faucet connection kit.. $8 on sale.. Hooks the wand right up to the faucet, instead of running a hose around. Seems worth it.

Don't waste your time or money on this useless piece of junk.

I was given one and it was more than worthless,the sink faucet does not have the pressure to do any good with the wand.

While I can see your point, I disagree. When you are using the sink connection you also have to have the toilet valve open so you can insert the wand which causes an immediate drop in water volume and pressure. I installed a shut off valve in the line leading to the toilet and the pressure and volume returns making this item perfect for the job.
It was also the first time I ever used the tool to cut the plumbing in the TT. I was mildly nervous about it but it turned out to be a very simple job.
Lynnmor
Explorer
May 23, 2014
After the junk Camco wand blew apart, and soaked everything, I built my own wand from CPVC. I used a washing machine hose that has a 90 degree bend on one end so that it can be easily attached to the sink faucet. Using the faucet allows hot water for better cleaning. To prevent back splash, I also added a large PVC end cap, with a hole drilled in the center, that adjusts to where it nearly touches the toilet.
1775
Explorer
May 22, 2014
We have the tank wand and even have the connection to attach it to the sink. First, the sink does not put out enough water pressure to really allow the wand do what it is supposed to do. My hope with the wand had been that for the first time since I got the RV new, I would see the black tank monitor read empty. That was a nice wish that never came true. I have used the tank wand a number of times dragging a garden hose inside the RV to the toilet and spending a good amount of time "cleaning" it. Maybe it is working but I have not really seen any difference than just filling the black tank with water after dumping (my tank is only ten gallons) and then running that through. My RV has a permanently built in macerator - no gravity feed and no ability to back flush the tank with any type of attachment. We carry the wand and the hose with us - just in case - but together they take up more room than they are worth in the limited space that we have in our Class B.