Black tank help!!!
Hello I am a total newbie to the rv world... Like a newbie I really screwed up and did about every wrong thing in the book. I'm not an rv guy just living in my boss's trailer recently. Havent had any ...
Forum Discussion
If you don't have the valve closed and haven't put in 3-5 gal. of water before using the toilet (after each dump), liquid will flow out right away while the solids stay there and builds up the RV-ers infamous "pyramid of poop". The pyramid can still form sometimes even if you have the valve closed and don't add the 3-5 gal. before use and use adequate water each time you flush. RV holding tanks aren't very deep and it doesn't take long for a pyramid to build up .
A back-flush elbow that connects to the outside sewer outlet may or may not work depending on the shape of the particular tank and where the outlet pipe is connected on the tank. An in-tank wand may work as an alternative and they don't cost much. If the toilet drops straight down into the tank, you could try breaking up the pyramid with a stick.
If you can get a rubber hose, cut the hose leaving about about 8' or so of it. Connect that to another hose, push it into the tank through the toilet and turn the water on full (valve open). Repeat as many times as you think are necessary to make an effect and each time, pull the hose out and try and point it in another direction. Not sure where you are parked, but you can also poke the hose up the outlet pipe but need to be prepared for some "stuff" to come out onto the ground. We had a badly plugged tank in the beginning and the CG host gave us a piece of rubber hose left by another camper and showed us how to use it. We still have that piece of hose laying on the ground at home but ever since we learned to use adequate water, have not needed it again.
You can use Liquid Drano along with some water. It won't harm plastic or metal - our KZ owner's manual says to use it. We use it once or twice a year to clean the tank sensors off. You would normally drive around for a while to make the liquid slosh around and if stationary may need to repeat the process a few times. I have sometimes wondered if an orbital sander (without sandpaper of course) held under a tank would help disperse the solids. Some do that with a home workshop size of sandblasting pot to prevent the media from clogging.
Some insist you must use an RV chemical before each use of the tank and some insist you need nothing. Chemicals will never be in a tank long enough to break down anything and I don't believe in them. Always fill the tank to near full before dumping and also do a good flushing after each dump. Sometimes filling the tank up again once or twice will help to get remaining stuff to move out.
A back-flush elbow that connects to the outside sewer outlet may or may not work depending on the shape of the particular tank and where the outlet pipe is connected on the tank. An in-tank wand may work as an alternative and they don't cost much. If the toilet drops straight down into the tank, you could try breaking up the pyramid with a stick.
If you can get a rubber hose, cut the hose leaving about about 8' or so of it. Connect that to another hose, push it into the tank through the toilet and turn the water on full (valve open). Repeat as many times as you think are necessary to make an effect and each time, pull the hose out and try and point it in another direction. Not sure where you are parked, but you can also poke the hose up the outlet pipe but need to be prepared for some "stuff" to come out onto the ground. We had a badly plugged tank in the beginning and the CG host gave us a piece of rubber hose left by another camper and showed us how to use it. We still have that piece of hose laying on the ground at home but ever since we learned to use adequate water, have not needed it again.
You can use Liquid Drano along with some water. It won't harm plastic or metal - our KZ owner's manual says to use it. We use it once or twice a year to clean the tank sensors off. You would normally drive around for a while to make the liquid slosh around and if stationary may need to repeat the process a few times. I have sometimes wondered if an orbital sander (without sandpaper of course) held under a tank would help disperse the solids. Some do that with a home workshop size of sandblasting pot to prevent the media from clogging.
Some insist you must use an RV chemical before each use of the tank and some insist you need nothing. Chemicals will never be in a tank long enough to break down anything and I don't believe in them. Always fill the tank to near full before dumping and also do a good flushing after each dump. Sometimes filling the tank up again once or twice will help to get remaining stuff to move out.
